Malekko Scrutator
Hidden Function: Filter wah
Avid PGS YouTube viewers might remember
the Scrutator as the pedal in whose demo
Andy played a song from Mega Man 2. As
awesome as that is, the Scrutator itself is
even cooler. As the first in Malekko’s latest
DSP platform, the Scrutator is a bitcrusher
equipped with an expression input that
lets you control almost every knob at once.
For those not in the know, a “bitcrusher”
is the umbrella term for an effect that has
controls for bit depth and sample rate, that
essentially makes your signal sound digitally
destroyed by lowering the bit and the
sample rate of the incoming signal. There’s
a Filter knob that borders on synth territory,
maximizing the Scrutator’s sonic impact.
However, the Scrutator’s Filter control is
abnormally powerful, and features two
modes: Low Pass and Band Pass. Low
pass filters only let low frequencies “pass”
through, for an extremely powerful synth-
like sweep, and a band pass filter (without
going too deep) is the type of filter that
is found in most wah pedals. Plugging an
expression pedal into the Scrutator gives
you the ability to turn the pedal into a
massive-sounding and compact wah or
synth filter, effectively tripling the utility.
Fairfield Circuitry Randy’s Revenge
Hidden function: Delicious tremolo
Hey, another ring modulator! The Randy’s
Revenge is an ultra-powerful clang box
of utmost quality, coming to us from
Quebecois company Fairfield C