EffectsBay.com recently blogged about this very interesting pedal by Richmond, VA’s Boredbrain Music, called the Transmutron.
This is a very useful and creative device that, rather than simply applying an effect to your signal, also allows your other effects to interact with it – and with each other – in a way that’s very different from the usual in>out connection.
At home with both pedals and Eurorack units (it features ins/outs for both), the Transmutron is at its heart a Dual FX Loop Crossover Filter: which means that it lets you mix two signals coming from separate audio sources and also allows you to apply some (synth-style) filters to them.
The Transmutron features three modes: Fission (crossover filter), Fusion (crossfader), and Fallout (resonant wide-notch filter).
In Fission mode, the signal from your guitar, bass, synth, or drum machine is split into separate frequency bands, sent simultaneously to different effects, and then recombined to a single output (or two separate outputs).
In Fusion mode, the Splitpoint instead acts as a pre-FX level crossfader, rather than splitting the signal into separate bands. This allows for less extreme blends, especially when modulating.
In Fallout mode, a resonant wide-notch filter is applied to both pre-FX channel signals, cutting a hole and creating a phasing-wah effect when using an expression pedal or LFO to sweep the Splitpoint back and forth.
The pedal’s filter can be switched to slopes of 12, 24 or 48 db/oct. for a more or less aggressive resonance, and the “split point” (i.e. the balance between the two signals) can be controlled with CV and expression pedal.
This is a pedal that opens up a lot of sonic possibilities for guitarists and synth players with creative tendencies. Check out the manufacturer’s video below.
Are your effects chains suffering from radioactive decay? The Transmutron allows you to combine pedals (and eurorack effects) within its sonic reactor to create new and exciting compounds! Different results can be achieved using one of three modes: Fission (crossover filter), Fusion (crossfader), and Fallout (resonant wide-notch filter).
In the primary mode, Fission, the signal from your guitar, bass, synth, or drum machine is split into separate frequency bands, sent simultaneously to different effects, and then recombined to a single output (or two separate outputs). The Splitpoint parameter can be controlled manually or with an expression pedal, and simultaneously injected with a control voltage (CV) source for extremely dynamic reactions!
In Fusion mode, the Splitpoint instead acts as a pre-FX level crossfader, rather than splitting the signal into separate bands. This allows for less extreme blends, especially when modulating. In the third mode, Fallout, a resonant wide-notch filter is applied to both pre-FX channel signals, cutting a hole and creating a phasing-wah effect when using an expression pedal or LFO to sweep the Splitpoint back and forth.
To further shape the signals sent to your effects, the Transmutron is equipped with dedicated hi and low cut filters. In Fission and Fallout modes, the cutoff frequencies of these filters also define the end-to-end sweepable range of the Splitpoint parameter and its center frequency. The filters have selectable slopes of 12, 24, or 48 db/oct, which also affects the crossover filter, and greatly enhances the resonance of the wide-notch filter. If further separation of the parallel FX channels is needed, a dedicated phase switch is on-hand.
Both FX channels have two sets of sends and returns: 1/4-in for guitar pedals and line-level effects, and 3.5mm for eurorack level processing. For each channel, the 1/4-in and 3.5mm FX loops can be used simultaneously, as they are in series (3.5mm then 1/4-in). The FX sends are half-normalled so they can be used as buffered copies without affecting the returns. Additionally, the 3.5mm FX loops for each channel can be independently switched to pedal/line-level using internal dip switches, which allows for seamless integration with the Boredbrain Patchulator 8000.
How complex the reaction is up to you! From simple tone shaping using only a couple effects, to interconnected combinations of pedals and eurorack modulation madness, the Transmutron is just the tool you need to reactivate your effects!
