A Swarm of Fuzz, Harmony, and Modulation
Beetronics FX manufactures some of the most boundary-pushing pedals around, so when they describe the Swarm fuzz harmonizer as their “most insane bee yet,” it’s safe to assume that this one might not be your typical fuzz pedal! The Swarm begins by transforming your guitar signal into a square wave, then it divides and multiplies the frequency to give you nine separate intervals to choose from on the species knob. These intervals span two octaves, and the Queen and Drone controls allow you to mix the intervals both above and below your input note. This results in some serious fuzz tones that you simply can’t get anywhere else! Add in the Flight and Sting controls’ synth-like modulation, and it’s almost a disservice to call the Swarm a fuzz pedal — this particular Beetronics FX creation defies categorization. And while it’s not for the faint of heart, it’s just the stompbox for musicians looking to take the 6-string to brave new sonic heights.
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Tap into nine intervals across two octaves
The Swarm fuzz harmonizer’s species knob is the key to its harmonization madness, boasting nine different intervals across two whole octaves. Once you’ve chosen your interval, the Queen and Drone knobs allow you to choose the level of sub-harmony and upper-harmony (one octave apart), leading to a galaxy of sonic possibilities. For as sonically wild as the Swarm is, they didn’t skimp out on the note tracking — this pedal is just as capable of handling more modest octave fuzz styles.
Flight and Sting modulation
Fuzz, harmony, modulation — is there anything this pedal can’t do? The Flight and Sting controls dictate how your harmony modulates, taking you from gliding glissando to robotic talkbox-style tones. Flight dictates the response of your harmony, sliding between notes or causing them to continuously oscillate up and down, while Sting controls the rate of frequency modulation. These two controls are highly interactive, and for all the theory and design involved, Sweetwater guitarists agree with Beetronics FX when they say that “the Swarm is best when played by instinct!”
Sleek style and a custom PC-Bee
As much as we appreciate Beetronics FX's dedication to sonic innovation, we can’t help but be equally blown away by how each of their pedals knocks it out of the park when it comes to the visual department! The Swarm’s vintage-style slanted enclosure and side-mount Master knob are endlessly cool, and like every Beetronics FX pedal, half the fun is figuring out what exactly each bee-themed control does. Not content to simply wow us with external cosmetics, cracking open the Swarm Fuzz Harmonizer reveals a custom PCB that features bee-inspired art!
Beetronics FX Swarm Fuzz Harmonizer Pedal Features:
- A truly one-of-a-kind pedal that combines fuzz, harmony, and modulation
- Wild and nasty-sounding fuzz tones
- 9 different intervals of harmony across two octaves available on the species knob
- Queen and Drone controls set the level of upper and lower harmony
- Flight and Sting knobs modulate your harmonies for some seriously experimental fuzz sounds
- Vintage-style slanted enclosure and side-mount Master knob
- Custom PCB with bee-inspired art
- All-analog design
