The Scoop on KittycasterFX: Groovy Wizard & Tremdriver

https://www.kittycasterfx.com/
The KittycasterFX Tremdriver is both a high headroom Preamp and Harmonic Tremolo. These circuits are not entirely independent because they share a heart made of 3 JFET gain stages which run at 24 Volts internally from a standard 9V plug. The result is a massive increase in your pedalboard’s headroom and roundness, just like the AC powered preamps aboard the Echoplex in the 70s.
The harmonic tremolo takes two of the stages and runs them in parallel, with one signal handling low frequencies and the other high, except they are 180 deg out of phase. This method of tremolo is still amplitude (volume) modulation but the overlap from panning these two filters can sound swirly at times, considering the oscillator circuit stems from a Univibe circuit. Swishier sounds are dialed in with the LFO bias in lower regions, outlined in black, while choppier peaks live in higher settings.
With the Volume and Gain of the Tremdriver’s preamp, you can push your whole pedalboard into the foreground or really add amp grit and punch with the gain control.
The KittycasterFX Groovy Wizard was designed to conjure up the most beloved qualities of a classic fuzz-- one that cleans up effortlessly and has a wide dynamic range with transparency to let the most nuanced playing through to the amp. To achieve this, the Groovy Wizard uses a hybrid of silicon and germanium transistors and a circuit inspired by a 60s console preamp. The Groovy Wizards punch and wide range of tones comes from the ability for it to run anywhere under 9 to 18 Volts. In fact, opening up the pedal reveals two battery snaps to get there and among the case candy are custom branded KittycasterFX 9V batteries.
Lower voltages from either older batteries or variable DC power supplies provide a bit more softness to the feel along with the warmth of vintage fuzzes. So, experimentation is encouraged as there are a huge range of sweet spots for everyone! Along with Volume and Fuzz, the Presence and Contour help you match this fuzz to your rig by changing the peak frequency and the amount of low end getting to the circuit, a big help if you’re looking to avoid the mud of neck pickups or playing into various amplifiers with different tone stacks.
KittycasterFX are handbuilt in Portland, OR with great attention to detail using top shelf through-hole components for a no compromise approach. For more info on the origin story and many applications of the Groovy Wizard and Tremdriver, check out KittycasterFX.com.

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Gear in Video Amp: Fender ‘65 Deluxe Reverb RI and Hamstead 1x12 cab
Guitar: Suhr Classic S (Radioshop HSS Evolution pickups), Nik Huber Twangmeister, Gibson Custom CME Les Paul
Recording Gear: Universal Audio Apollo 8 QUAD, OX Amp Top Box, de Lisle Amp-Speaker Switcher 4x4 Pro Plus, Royer R-121 Mic
Strings: StringJoy Signature 10-46 https://tinyurl.com/StringjoyAndy
Cables: Sinasoid, Evidence SIS & Revelation Guitar Cables
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