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Pros:
- True bypass
- Vintage tones
- Simple to adjust
Cons:
- A bit hard to place on the pedal board
What is your favorite audio effect? You cannot even imagine how many times I have been asked this question. But for some reason, I have never been able to answer it directly and respond with a comprehensive sentence. I usually start blubbering and nobody can ever understand what the hell I am aiming to imply. Well, today I decided to sit down, gather my thoughts and express my affection for my favorite effect in the written form. You have probably guessed from the title what I am about to say, but since I love this one with my whole heart, I never get tired of repeating myself (cannot say the same thing about the people around me, though).
Anyway, my preferences have changed throughout the years but there was one effect that I kept coming back to. And that was our beloved tremolo. I truly believe that it is a sort of drug: once you experience its haze, there is no going back. You are stuck within its web and cannot find a way out and to be honest, you do not even want to get out. Since talking about tremolo is my favorite thing to do, today I will discuss Voodoo Lab Tremolo with you and give you an idea of its capabilities. Let’s begin!
Features
You know how we all strive for new, more innovative things? While that tendency is true for the majority of cases, it is not always the perfect description of musical apparatus. Sometimes brands go back in time and employ the methods that were utilized in the past. Voodoo Lab took that exact approach and decided to put together a pedal that would be capable of creating vintage tremolo. In order to achieve this purpose, they equipped the circuitry of Tremolo with good ol’ lamps and photocells.
This makes it possible to replicate the feel of tube amplifiers and the effect they created. What is more, this pedal is hand-built and crafted with high-quality material. I always love to see this feature, since it means durability and astounding performance. We cannot neglect the design of this baby either. It comes in dark, rugged aluminum chassis that will withstand a couple of hits and then some.
It definitely has a vintage feel to it, which is the very pattern this pedal tends to follow. In addition, Voodoo Lab Tremolo has a true bypass switching that is always smooth. This way you can forget about the loss of tone and fully enjoy the playing process without any worries. This bad boy can be powered with a single 9V battery. If you do not want to waste your money on changing those, you can always utilize the standard regulated adapter. The choice is yours, as usual. It is not hard to grasp that Voodoo Lab Tremolo does not strive to be innovative or multi-faceted. Rather, it concentrates on the lessons from the past and uses them in the best way possible. Amazing!
Controls
The control section of Voodoo Lab Tremolo is not the most unique thing in the world. In fact, if you have played with this effect before, you will know what this part of this article is all about. But I am not saying this to belittle this pedal or make it seem like a flaw. On the contrary, I like the fact that it is simple and easily understandable. I am one of those guitarists, who hate fiddling around for every single. I like to know what I am doing and how my pedal is responding. That is why I am glad that Voodoo Lab decided to include the controls that work perfectly in all the cases.
I will not beat around the bush and move on to discussing individual knobs right away. Intensity modifies the depth or amount of the effect and allows you to get as saturated as your heart desires. Slope might be an unfamiliar term, but its functionality is not a mystery to anyone. It changes the waveform of tremolo and increases the sharpness of the spikes as you turn it clockwise. Speed modifies the rate of the effect, while Volume alters the level of the overall output. When you combine these four encoders and adjust them according to your taste, you will be left with jaw-dropping results. Voodoo Lab Tremolo has enough control for everyone.
Voodoo Lab Tremolo Sound
The performance is the part where Voodoo Lab Tremolo takes off all the masks and shows off its true character and nature. Once you plug this baby in, truly mind-blowing things start happening. Suddenly you are engulfed in that vintage, smooth, tube tremolo as if actual valves were operating inside the circuitry. It has an organic sound that takes you back in time and unleashes that inner musician of yours.
As I said in the beginning, once you start playing with this one, you cannot stop. This pedal does not develop any noise during the performance, which is a must if you want to achieve pure and refined results. Voodoo Lab Tremolo does not suck your tone at all – your signal remains untouched unless you want those spikes to show up in your sound. The range of all the controls is wide, to the point where even subtle changes make a difference and leave you with countless tremolo shaded to explore. This baby blends together all the benefits of vintage tremolos with modern feels and delivers a performance that will amaze anyone.
Conclusion
When you come across a pedal such as Voodoo Lab Tremolo, you should not let go off it, no matter what. This thing is the definition of vintage and has the character of tubes in every note. The only downside is that it is hard to fit on the pedalboard, but for the performance it delivers, it is worth the trouble. Explore the range of each control and you will find the diversity you were looking for. Voodoo Lab Tremolo is one of the best pedals out there, so do not miss out. Good luck!
Click here to view more from 10 Best Tremolo Pedals.
