Dreadbox Effects Pedals

FM VERDICT
8.7
Dreadbox have created
four pedals that straddle
stompbox and modular
synth worlds with class, and
at a good price too
CV I/O: (K/K/L only) Two inputs and one output
(LFO or EG) at ±5V via 3.5mm mini-jacks for
modular synth and other stompbox cross-
modulation purposes
STEREO I/O: (Darkness only) The CV capabilities
of the other three pedals are dropped in favour
of full stereo input and output, though it is also
mono compatible, eg for guitar/amp setups
SWITCH AND LED: (K/K/L only) The toggle
switch and associated LED for LFO waveforms on
Komorebi and Lethargy and envelope follower/
compression on Kinematic
DUAL USE FOOTSWITCHES: (Darkness only)
Holding either the On/Off or Hold footswitch
accesses second and third parameters for most
of the knobs
The OTA-based, eight-stage
phasing delivers the throaty, vocal
gurgling that can give the most
pedestrian guitar chops a funky
swagger, and this alone makes
Lethargy an impressive phase shifter.
Adding in the hyped up LFO range,
the CV inputs (Manual and LFO
Rate), the slightly hair-raising
Feedback control range (careful what
you dial) and the ability to spin the
LFO back into itself, provides a tool
far more powerful than the average
phaser. This is the ground where old
school pedals and the new(ish)
modular synth aesthetic meet; loads
of rich modulation amped up into
something capable of satisfying the
experimental mentality.
Darkness
It’s important to note that despite its
title this stereo digital reverb is not
perpetually dark, it can just go there
if necessary. The ±12 semitones of
pitchshifting can take the mood to a
lightless place as much as it can
produce a fully optimistic shimmer
and shine. The fundamental reverb, a
pair of Sinevibes algorithms, are
controlled by the Spread and Decay
pots, and these set the size and
length of the reverb. In the middle,
the Mix knob does exactly what you’d
expect. So far, so simple. Things start
to wander into more esoteric territory
with the Control pot and its
associated Mode switch which toggles
between its two uses. Initially this
means the pitchshift and the mix of
the pitchshifted signal. With this set
of parameters at your fi ngertips,
Darkness produces reverberations of a
distinctly non-real, or maybe
hyper-real, quality. It is not a smooth
diffuse sound, although it’s not rough
either. The spaces it creates can be
as musical as they can be dissonant,
depending on how much pitchshifting
is applied. Huge, cavernous spaces
can be built up and fed as pad
sounds of their own, but at the
shorter end Darkness can give depth
and space to dry instruments,
especially percussive ones.
Darkness is actually three layers of
controls with ‘pages’ two and three
accessed by holding either the On or
Hold footswitches. The second page
carries parameters for the reverb fi lter
(LPF and HPF), an LFO for wobbling
the reverb and a tails on/off option for
bypassing. The third page brings in
gating with threshold, attack and
release settings. This latter page spins
Darkness off into something far more
playable or reactive, though with this
comes the potential for barely
controllable spluttering, which may
be your aim, who knows?! Massive
reverbs can be tucked back from the
start of notes and phrases, and long
tails can be chopped back without
sacrifi cing the fast build-up intensity
of ramping the Decay knob. For
percussive or staccato instruments
this can be dialled in as something
more akin to a delay.
Darkness is a little noisy, even
when bypassed, so it may need to
have a full bypass in a pedalboard
context, especially if followed by
compression and overdriving gain
stages. When it’s doing its job the
noise is not an issue, and in a
modular synth setup it’ll fi t right in.
This is an effect for the
experimental, the curious and those
who don’t want another faithful
recreation of a Lexicon 480L. This is
a thoroughly modern granular
pitchshifting reverberator that sounds
otherworldly, with a depth of control
that will be hard to exhaust in a hurry.
There’s a great sense of purpose
across the fi rst four of this new pedal
range, so roll on the release of no.5,
Raindrops, a stereo delay. The new
releases bolster Dreadbox’s
experimental credentials, with each
model offering the user/player the
opportunity to take an essential
process, be it compression, fl anging
or reverberation, and spin it into
something more arresting. They come
at a price that balances affordability
with a lack of obvious compromise in
build and sonic quality. Bravo!
“Loads of rich modulation,
capable of satisfying the
experimental mentality”
CV I/O:
(K/K/L only)
Two inputs and one output
STEREO I/O:
(Darkness only)
The CV capabilities
SWITCH AND LED:
(K/K/L only)
The toggle
Dreadbox Effects Pedals | Reviews
75
FMU381.rev_dreadbox.indd 75FMU381.rev_dreadbox.indd 75 21/02/2022 10:2521/02/2022 10:25