The Emerald Ox FX Chimeric Percolator is a handmade pedal that addresses the quandary of “perfecting the Harmonic Percolator circuit” in a peculiar way. Rather than arbitrarily deciding what the best sound is for this famously sonically unreliable vintage circuit, the builder, after comparing the varying tone of several units, decided to lay at your feet all the options so that you can choose your preferred Percolator sound (or three).
To deliver on such an ambitious project, Emerald Ox created an extremely tweakable stompbox with eight knobs and four toggle switches. If their abstract names (or rather, codes) confuse you, there’s a reason:
…each control changes a specific part of the circuit and the sound is but a byproduct, hence the vague labels. There are many settings that yield “unmusical” sounds, but that’s the cost of this level of flexibility. It is a mad science experiment that allows you unfettered access without any knowledge of electronics. The knobs are extremely interactive but supremely rewarding.
This being said, Noise Generator was able to figure out a few controls in the videos below:
- B is for Balance = Volume
- H is for Harmonics = Gain
- C7 removes the capacitor when in middle position
- D lifts the diodes in the up position
As far as the other controls are concerned, you’ll just have to use your ears, which is always the best way to explore new sounds!
We added this pedal to our article about the best Harmonic Percolator clones and variants.
Emerald Ox FX Chimeric Percolator, Builder’s Notes
Once upon a time there was a pedal said to perfectly Percolate the Harmonics of anything one might play through it. But what is this?! Although identical, the individual units could wildly fluctuate from one another! The Albinis of the world have since developed a fondness for particular variations, but what if you had every version smashed together in a single box?
The Chimeric Percolator is exactly that versatile abomination. There is a knob or switch anywhere possible providing both of the most famous sound profiles as well as anywhere in between, and many extremes far beyond!
This pedal is about exploration and requires a unique approach. Think of it like this, each control changes a specific part of the circuit and the sound is but a byproduct, hence the vague labels. There are many settings that yield “unmusical” sounds, but that’s the cost of this level of flexibility. It is a mad science experiment that allows you unfettered access without any knowledge of electronics. The knobs are extremely interactive but supremely rewarding. This beast fights back but don’t be afraid. Dive in, take your time, and check out some recommended settings as a starting point.
Each batch will be adorned with art of a different mythical muddle of beasts. I thought it best to begin with its traditional namesake, a lion-goat-serpent assemblage. We will see what sort of creatures the future holds.
