The Rainger FX Minibar is a Liquid Analyzer distortion pedal from the mad scientists at Rainger FX.
As if by magic, the tone of the distortion varies its properties depending on what liquid is in the pedal’s little container placed on top of it. Which is best for your sound? Coffee? Dark beer? Water? You decide! We only wonder how much wine it needs before going bonkers! And… does it care if it’s corked?
David Rainger tells us that darker liquid makes it bassier, while fizziness adds extra high end. Pure water is lo-gain, wine adds extra drive.
Here are some videos of the Rainger FX Minibar.
The Rainger FX Minibar is a liquid analyser pedal, a truly revolutionary stompbox that uses the properties of a liquid to decide the sound of your guitar!
A journey into sound…
Rainger FX are inviting you to take part in an experiment in tone-shaping discovery…. This mini-pedal makes no sound at all until you pour liquid into it – any kind at all – and the various qualities of that liquid decide the amount – and to some degree the quality – of the distortion, and also the amount of treble and bass. What you use to do this is entirely up to you – any sort of mixture you can dream up!
The pedal is simplicity itself; it has a volume knob, and a small watertight container mounted in the top panel; unscrew the lid, get pouring – and analyse! Then, when you’ve got your own unique sound, screw the lid on tightly and you’re ready to go. (Finger tight is fine – but don’t get too forceful as some liquids can give a sticky-ness over time that makes the lid harder to undo) .
To start again with experimenting, just open the lid and wipe out the container with a paper towel. You’ll hear the guitar sound crumble away to nothing, but as the new liquid hits the container the resulting new sound appears.
Some technical stuff…
The conductivity of the guitar’s AC signal generally decides the amount of gain, and the opacity (how easily light passes through it) decides the amount of treble and bass. The Rainger FX Minibar often creates satisfying ‘band-pass’ tones – nicely uncompressed, and with plenty of satisfying harmonics and plectrum ‘cluck’.
Note; the pedal is sold with no liquid in it, and so will make no noise at all – until you do your bit! It’s up to you to go and experiment….
