SolidGoldFX adds to its arsenal of fuzz pedals with the LYSIS MKII Polyphonic Modulator

Montreal-based effects pedal specialist SolidGoldFX has introduced the latest addition to its extensive lineup of revered fuzz pedals, the LYSIS MKII.

Perhaps labeling it as simply a fuzz pedal does this neat little unit a disservice, given that it also aims to cook up an array or octave, filter and synth sounds alongside the fuzz circuit’s raucous high-gain tones.

The unit itself is a new-and-improved version of the brand’s flagship LYSIS, with the latest iteration coming equipped with a whole host of new tonal and functional features that seek to open up new sonic avenues and improve user experience.

Ditching the original black chassis for a sleek white patterned design, the new LYSIS features an entirely redesigned control layout, comprising six control knobs, four toggle switches and two footswitches.

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Controls for Speed, Ramp, Blend, Fuzz and Level work alongside Wave, Res, Voice and High Pass/Low Pass Filter toggles, as well as an 11-position Mode knob, with a tap tempo switch sitting adjacent to a soft touch true bypass engage switch.

In practice, the LYSIS MKII boasts polyphonic pitch shifting abilities, which materialize in the form of octave down, octave down/up and super power chord voicings. Elsewhere, the Wave switch comes loaded with triangle, sine and square modes that, when paired with the tap tempo LFO, offer up to 33 individual settings.

As for the electronics, at the pedal’s core is a FET preamp and high-gain fuzz circuit, both of which feed into the filter generator before being directed to a transistor output stage for a blend of both analog and digital signal processing.

Further features include a configurable internal dip switch board that, when paired with an external expression pedal, lets you assign a number of the knob functions to a third party unit for smoother, on-the-fly adjustments.

The LYSIS MKII is available now for $250.

For more information, head over to SolidGoldFX.

It’s the brand’s second fuzz offering of the year, following on from its previously released Imperial MKII, which sought to recreate the rare JEN Jumbo Fuzz.