“On the chorus setting, this feels like a churning wave – with reverb, it's a monster growing out of your guitar”: Rainger FX has found a way to make distortion pedals fresh again – fade-in multi-FX

John Frusciante and Vernon Reid-approved boutique pedal company Rainger FX has introduced a high-gain analog distortion pedal with the unusual feature of a secondary fade-in reverb or chorus. As the brand puts it, “It’s a multi-effects pedal, of a very particular kind.”

The main effect, distortion, is built from a combination of the Rainger FX Reverb-X overdrive circuit and the Tonebender circuit that the brand had used for its Colorsound pedal. The result is a “full-range, balanced tone” that goes from “very mild overdrive to thick, chunky distortion,” with separate controls for volume and tone.

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The chorus or reverb comes in as a fade-in effect, made possible by the ramp knob. It can be adjusted so that this secondary effect is always on, comes in after a delay (up to four seconds), or is off completely, depending on the player's preferences.

There’s also an intuitive effect knob responsible for switching between chorus and reverb. The rate-adjustable chorus ranges from a “very slow twist” à la Jane's Addiction and Smashing Pumpkins to a “fast psychotic wobble” reminiscent of Devo.

On the reverb side, you can easily toggle between a “spectacular” digital reverb effect, a subtle small-room reverb, and a hall reverb.

The fade-in element of the secondary effect is supported by an in-built active sustain feature, which ensures that the chorus or reverb does not simply “die away” but rather results in a noticeable increase in the guitar signal level.

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As Rainger FX describes it, “On the chorus setting, this feels like a churning wave coming from behind to lift you forwards. With reverb, it’s a monster growing out of your guitar!” To top it off, there's a noise gate, which unobtrusively keeps the pedal buzz-free when you're not playing.

This inventive, true-bypass pedal, priced at $239, is currently available directly from the brand's website and partner distributors. For more information, head to Rainger FX.