Chopper

GuitarWorld Magazine - 50 Greatest pedals

Five Effects in One

  • Tremolo: Versatile tremolo with modulation rate controlled on the fly by the pedal.
  • Rotating Speaker: Stereo rotating speaker effect with pedal adjustable rate.
  • Chopper: Entrancing rhythmic fully adjustable short or long pulses in stereo or mono with pedal-adjustable frequency.
  • Delay Emulator: All the texture of multiple echoes but without the encumbrance of a repeated note.
  • Panning Machine: Make your solos soar across the sound stage with a stereo auto-panner, and control your panning rate with the pedal.

Controls

The Chopper has five control knobs and two slide switches, all facing the musician.

  1. There is a four-position selector switch that selects the desired modulation effect. You can switch between Chop, Tremolo / Pan , and two combination effects we call Stir and Shake (these are all represented by icons in some models).
  2. On the left side, the ratio control changes the pulse or chop width (square wave tremolo) from short to long.
  3. On the left side, the rate control controls the chop rate when the slide switch is set to ‘preset’.
  4. On the right side, the depth control adjusts the tremolo from 15% to 100% modulation depth.
  5. On the right side, the rate control varies the tremolo speed when the slide switch is set to ‘preset’.

Specifications

  • All analog circuitry, crystal clear sound, wide dynamic range, no coloration.
  • Easy to use. No programming or scrolling through patches required.
  • Reliable, wear-free, noise-free, pop-free optical operation. Bypassed when the pedal is all the way back (heel down).
  • Easy to use. Patented ergonomic design with the control knobs facing you. The unique pedal shape allows more controls in a smaller footprint.
  • Mono in, stereo out, even when in bypass mode. Both outputs are equal with zero gain.
  • 9V working with very low current consumption. Batteries just keep on going…
  • Will accept standard 2.1mm power supply plug, center negative.
  • Flashing blue and red LED’s to show modulation rates.
  • Compact Size: 9” x 4” (228mm x 103mm).
  • Lightweight, high-quality aircraft aluminum casting and rugged construction, only 2.2lbs (1.1kg).

How it works

There are two oscillators on the Chopper that can run separately or simultaneously. On the left side of the pedal, the controls adjust the square wave attributes (which produce modern, pulsing guitar chops such as the intro to Green Day’s ‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams’ or ‘How soon is now?’ by the Smiths), and the controls on the right side adjust the triangle wave attributes which produce the vintage tremolo or pan sounds. By combining both waves, some stunning new effects can be created.