A Cutting-edge Stompbox from Beyond the Grave
The pedal gurus at Beetronics FX are no strangers to the wild world of stompbox innovation. That said, we really have to hand it to them: this particular pedal chucks the rulebook right out of the window. The Zzombee crams just about every effect imaginable into its compact enclosure that Beetronics FX proudly calls a “Filtremulator,” including fuzz, swells, tremolo, cross-tremolo, filter, randomized filter, wah, LFO, overdrive, and low octave. While it houses multiple effects, the Zzombee is not a “multi-effects” pedal in the traditional sense, and each element is finely tuned for simultaneous use with the others, resulting in a pedal that simply has no sonic precedent. Featuring three levels of gain, three filter functions, and three filter types, the Zzombee provides an ocean-deep level of control, offering everything from an edge-of-breakup overdrive to an edge-of-amplifier-apocalypse fuzzy, filter-y cascading wave of sound. An instrument unto itself, the Beetronics FX Zzombee catapults the stompbox format to brave new sonic heights.
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4-stage Buzz control
The Zzombee’s 4-stage Buzz toggle is the key to your gain tone, taking you from a basic warm overdrive to a crushing square-wave fuzz that sounds like your amp is on the brink of destruction! What’s more, combining this versatile dirt control with the Zzombee’s other effects unlocks an entire world of spacey sound design. Looking for a massive doomy wall of sound? Pair the Buzz control’s higher gain settings with a growling low-octave foundation. How about textural shoegaze tones? Dial in a deep tremolo to add a percussive chop to your fuzz tone. If you’re looking for more modest dirt, simply hold down the bypass switch to access the Buzz mode’s alternate gain-shaping functions.
Honey, Octave, and Amplitude modes
A 3-position Filter toggle will be your first stop on the Zzombee’s wild ride, allowing you to choose what signal this pedal’s lowpass filter impacts. All the functions are highly interactive, and your choice of position on this switch will drastically change the function of the Zzombee’s other controls.
- Octave and Honey: In both the Honey and Octave modes, the Zzombee’s filter is engaged, modulating different aspects of your signal. Octave mode applies the filter only to the Zzombee’s low octave signal, while Honey mode filters your guitar’s signal.
- Off/Amplitude: In the off position, the Zzombee’s filter is disabled, giving you lush tremolo and an effect that Beetronics FX calls “cross-tremolo,” a unique tremolo style that jumps between octaves. This is the Zzombee’s tamest setting and is great for dialing in standard drive, fuzz, and octave tones when you need a break from the insanity.
Three distinct filter types
Honey, Octave, and Amplitude modes give you the power to choose what the filter is applied to, but Beetronics FX also gives you three distinct ways to change how the filter is applied.
- Ramp Mode: This mode delivers a wah-like tone using the Zzombee’s momentary switch to trigger the filter ramp. Up, down, inverted, locked — your ramp style can be configured in a multitude of ways, and it’s a great tool for improvisation.
- LFO Mode: Just like a synthesizer, this mode’s LFO range goes from a glacial pace to ultra-fast. What’s more, the left-side footswitch can be used as a tap tempo to set your speed or stop and start the LFO.
- Mad Mode: This mode boasts a whopping 65,536 random patterns and allows you to control the step count of each pattern, from two to eight steps. While this setting sounds like complete chaos on paper, when testing it out at Sweetwater, we were astonished at how musical Mad mode is, producing everything from a pummeling rhythmic chop to soft, subtle ambience.
Analog sound, digital control
Yeah, there’s more! The Zzombee may be analog powered, but Beetronics FX has built in plenty of digital functionality for enhanced control. Considering how varied the Zzombee can get, the built-in presets are a lifesaver, all easily accessible on a 3-position toggle switch. Plus, tap tempo on the left footswitch and an expression input offer plenty of real-time control of your sound. Finally, there’s an entire separate level of adjustment under the Zzombee’s surface, with a variety of alternate functions that can be accessed by holding down the bypass switch.
Sleek style and a custom PC-Bee
As much as we love Beetronics FX’s dedication to sonic innovation, we can’t help but be equally amazed by how each of the company’s pedals knocks it out of the park when it comes to the visual department! The Zzombee’s slim, pedalboard-friendly box boasts an old-school slanted enclosure and custom artwork that simply oozes style. Not content to simply wow us with external cosmetics, Beetronics FX also includes a custom, bee-inspired PCB that’s revealed when you crack open the Zzombee.
Beetronics FX Zzombee Filtremulator Features:
- Filter, randomized filter, LFO, wah, tremolo, swells, overdrive, fuzz, and low octave come together to forge a unique “Filtremulator” FX
- A wealth of different gain settings available on the Buzz switch, from a light overdrive to gated fuzz madness
- Lowpass filter can be applied to the low octave FX, your guitar’s dry signal, or completely disabled for a tremolo FX
- Filter On switch shapes your filter response via LFO, Ramp, and Mad modes
- Tap tempo and expression input for enhanced control
- Built-in presets to save your favorite sounds
- Alternate functions available by holding down the right footswitch
