Vintage Tremolo

VINTAGE TREMOLO recreates the classic vintage tube amp tremolo effect. Tremolo was popularized in the 1960s, first with Surf Guitar, and later with keyboards, such as the Wurlitzer and Rhodes electric pianos. The blackface Fender amps from that time were considered the best for achieving this kind of “creamy” tremolo.

It was originally (and ingeniously) achieved by using an opto-isolator (opto for short) circuit. The opto sensor detects a light source (often a simple incandescent bulb) which is modulated electrically to flash on and off. It then converts the pulsing light to an electrical impulse which modulates the volume of the audio.

Originally a mono effect, a stereo version was introduced by Fender for their Rhodes electric pianos. The audio alternated from left to right—a really cool effect, especially on stage!

• SPEED
  This control sets the speed of the tremolo.
  Range 0.3 Hz ~ 13.0 Hz

• DEPTH
  The DEPTH control adjusts the depth of the amplitude modulation. From all ON and all OFF to just a subtle rise and fall in volume.
  Range 0 ~ 1.0

• AGE
  As opto circuits got older, they lose their ability to modulate completely ON or OFF (and that’s actually a good thing!). This makes for a smoother ON/OFF or L/R that is not as jarring. Use this knob to control the modulated amount of ON/OFF or L/R. Higher settings yield a smoother, “older-sounding” tremolo.
  Range 0.006 ~ 0.645

• WAVE
  This drop-down menu allows you to select from the different tremolo waveforms:
  Opto (Square), Sine, and Triangle.

• LEVEL
  Master volume.
  Range -inf dB ~ 9.54 dB

• PANNING
  Engaging this switch enables alternating left-right panning.