Perkolator- gooey vintage hybrid fuzz

the twilight percolator, but simplified. focused on the core sound the harmonic percolator, with little additions that I feel open up the circuit and allow users to dial in their desired version of the HP.

half germanium, half silicon transistor amplification.

what category of effect does this fit into?

vintage fuzz. full of unique character and tending to sound different unit to unit. 

fuzz is more textured, and non-linear than other types of drive. out of all the drive categories, fuzz has the most obvious differences from circuit to circuit. a very wide range of textures and feels here.

generally good for emphasizing lead melodies in a song, and providing a layer/background of grain. it is like adding a blanket of unique timbre.

how would I describe the feel and texture?

the percolator feels very splatty when the pre is cranked. not in the bad way where it compresses and just mangles the inherent notes, in a way where it does a very mild and soft bloom- the compression that ramps with pick attack, and releases into its full bodied note upon letting the note ring out.

at lower gains, the pedal provides a surprisingly nice overdrive like sound. Warm and smooth, not super bright and sharp like standard op amp overdrives. more natural feeling and sounding.

with the bias knob- you can get normal, fuzz textures at full CW. As you dial it back, the transistor starts to open up- until is starts to become gated and crackly, with more CCW settings pushing the transistor into self oscillation.

the added tone control (bypassable or engageable via the toggle switch) allows you to high pass (CW) or low pass (CCW) the fuzz signal. Works wonderfully to add some extra low end emphasis, or brighten up the top end.

the 3 way hard clip diode toggle gives 3 unique texture/dynamic/amplitude modes, that each give the pedal an entirely unique lens to flow through.

germanium diodes- clips more signal, more compressed. lower volume, smoother.

silicon diodes- sharper edge, more sustain, sort of a crunchy grit.

no diodes- blown out. transistor voltage swing clipping, limited by only the operating voltage and the transistors themselves.

what kind of player would like this stompbox?

of course, this stompbox was made famous by albini, so naturally, fans of shellac.

anyone who wants a fuzz for any type of music would enjoy this pedal. It does not feel like a one trick pony or fuzz that puts itself in a limited box of usability. With all the additional mods I add, there is quite a lot this pedal can do.

features

soft touch no click switch, relay based true bypass switching. these stomp switches are more durable and prone to last longer than standard mechanical switches. very easy to replace and commonly found in the event of a failure.

mods for days. has the core sounds, but a world of new ones as well.

compact, top jack enclosure. about 5 inches tall, and 2.7 inches wide, this effect can fit on any board with ease.

9v, center negative operation. around 50ma current draw.

BUILT TO ORDER

custom color- message me via instagram (@twilightmidnightelectro) or email (twilightaudioelectronics@gmail.com) for a percolator build in a custom paintjob of your choice.

To get an idea of what is possible, look at my past/archive works, current live listings, and my instagram gallery. Feel free to send inspiration or your own ideas as well.

Please note that many finishes are unique and the style can be replicated, but not the exact result. 3-10 business days to complete and ship generally.

raw aluminum- comes in a very lightly sand polished, raw aluminum finish enclosure.

3-7 business days to complete and ship generally.