'60s Valco-style Tremolo in a Pedal Enclosure
If you're looking for the ultimate '60s Valco amp tremolo sounds in a pedal, look no further. Catalinbread has revamped their now-collectible "bantam" form factor Valcoder pedal, and the new model's separate Input and Output knobs let you dial in some dirty garage grit along with old-school tremolo. You also get a Depth knob for taking it from a soft, bubbly tremolo to a choppier tremolo. The Speed knob sets the frequency, and both Depth and Speed affect the tremolo's pulse shape. The Valcoder gives you plenty of control, all housed in a tough metal enclosure with a high-quality footswitch that's ready for life on the road. Even the Valcoder's power options (9V–18V via an external power supply — not included) give you creative control, and powering it at 18V instead of 9V will give you a stronger and choppier tremolo.
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Analog LFO for authentic vintage sound
The Valcoder's all-discrete analog circuitry reacts to your picking style just like a classic amp would. Its preamp and transistor-based Low-Frequency Oscillator (LFO) act just like a tube-driven tremolo circuit, giving you the real-feel '60s amp experience — and the sound to match. But you don't have to lug around an old heavy tube amp to get it; all you need is your guitar, the Valcoder, and a couple of cables.
Detailed controls yield enhanced creative power
The 2008 Valcoder only had Depth and Rate controls — no separate Input and Output circuits. Catalinbread has given its successor control over input gain and overall output level to offer greater creative flexibility and simply let you create more sounds. Cranking the Input adds harmonic sophistication and lets you drive the tremolo into gritty breakup. If you want a cleaner boost, you can lower the Input and spin the Output clockwise for amplitude that will match your bypassed signal's volume level. The Depth knob lets you control the amount of chop in the tremolo — from soft and bubbly to major staccato chop — and the Valcoder's Speed knob controls the tremolo frequency, just like its predecessor's Rate knob.
Gear that makes you want to play
The self-avowed gearheads at Catalinbread focus on making musical devices that they want to use themselves — "gear that gets us excited and inspires us to play." The result of that authentic focus and unwavering integrity is the type of innovation that isn't market-driven; Catalinbread creates its own market for products players love, whether overdrive, delay/reverb, fuzz/distortion, or tremolo/modulation pedals (many of which are available at Sweetwater). The Valcoder Valco-style Tremolo Pedal is a powerful example of Catalinbread's commitment to exciting, inspiring innovation.
Catalinbread Valcoder Valco-style Tremolo Pedal Features:
- 1960s Valco amp tremolo sound in a pedalboard-friendly enclosure
- Discrete analog LFO and preamp interact to offer authentic tube amp tremolo
- Input gain control lets you dial in gritty garage trem and harmonic complexity
- Output knob for calling up some generous boost to cut through the mix
- Old-school Depth and Speed controls set the tremolo's intensity and frequency
- All-metal chassis and high-quality true-bypass footswitch for long-lasting performance
- Powered by 9V–18V power supply (not included)
- Made in the USA
