Harmonic Distorter
Harmonic Distorter
Not many pedals possess the cult status of the uber-rare Harmonic Percolator. This unique distortion pedal, manufactured in limited quantities during the early '70s by Interfax, a small company hailing from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, stands out for its raw and compelling sonic character. It produces a pleasing 'even-order harmonics' pushed distortion, that responds well to input dynamics even at higher gain. It excels at standing out in a mix, and is a surprisingly versatile and useful addition to your sonic palette. To me it sounds akin to overdriving a tape recorder input.
The Harmonic Percolator lived in obscurity for decades, but thanks to the championing of engineer and Shellac frontman Steve Albini, it has seen a surge in popularity over the last few years.
This ode to the Harmonic Percolator is tuned by me in a several ways:
- Carefully hand-matched and tuned NOS Soviet Germanium transistors
- No clipping diodes for higher output volume and less compression than the original. This gives a much larger variety of tones from vintage clean boost, to a pleasing breakup, to full on amp-like fuzzy distortion
- A treble-bleed setup was employed so that when you turn down the ouput it retains it's brightness rather than getting too muddy
Controls:
Harmonics: Input gain/distortion level
Balance: Output volume level
NOTE: Like a lot of vintage inspired fuzz pedals, this likes to be first in the chain before buffered pedals (it will likely get overly bright/thin if you put it after buffers). It does interact great with your volume knob when first in the pedal chain. It is also noisier than modern drive circuits, just part of it's character.
Standard BOSS style 9V DC power only (no battery). Handmade in Canada with love.
HD-1
New
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