HELMS DEEP TREMOLO
The first in the new modulation line from BLACKHAWK is the HELMS DEEP TREMOLO.
The HELMS DEEP with tap tempo and a completely analog signal path uses a vactrol, both reducing and increasing the volume and gain with an LFO.
You can go from a clean, classic tremolo to pulsing waves of gritty boost using the internal "boost" trim pot.
The LFO oscillator chip used to control the HELMS DEEP is absolutely brilliant and was designed and provided by ELECTRIC DRUID.
There are eight waveforms: saw up, saw down, square, triangle, sine, random ramps and random levels.
Speed knob can go from very slow up into the audio range for an almost ring mod like effect (solo in sabbaths paranoid) and of course most importantly, you can tap in the rate to sync up with your drummer.
The internal "offset" switch allows you to flip the effect from from normally off to normally on (quiet/loud to loud/quiet).
In normally off mode, the signal is brought down to zero with the depth down and each wave increases the volume.
In normally on mode it works the opposite so that if the depth is all the way down it works like a boost The HELMS DEEP will ship in loud/quiet mode.
The LFO oscillator chip used to control the MORGOTH is absolutely brilliant and was designed and provided by ELECTRIC DRUID.
There are eight waveforms: saw up, saw down, square, triangle, sine, random ramps and random levels.
I’ve now included what I call a "TAP LINK". This uses a 3.5mm (1/8" inch) cable like those used in eurorack synths to link the tap tempo of more than one BLACKHAWK tap tempo capable pedal.
Simply plug a cable between TAP LINK jacks and the tap from one pedal will set the MODULATION tempo of the other pedal or pedals. (I have of course posted a video on Instagram illustrating this)
I emphasize the word "modulation" because in the case of a delay or reverb (when those are eventually designed and released), it will only set the time of the MODULATION, not the delay itself (at least for now)
The HELMS DEEP is the entry level introduction to this new world of pedals I’ve been designing all year so far.
TAP LINK is connecting a pin of the LFO IC to ground just as the footswitch does. It allows you to jumper between one Blackhawk pedal or another.
In a deluxe designs, there will be a proper “sync input” with the necessary current limiting circuitry to be used with eurorack clock sync as well as a CV LFO output which will both be able to connect to eurorack modular systems.
The MORGOTH MODULATOR is the second in this new line of pedals I’ve been designing all year so far.
UPDATE 1/24: SOFT TOUCH TRUE BYPASS RELAY SWITCH NOW AVAILABLE!
MODULATION/delay control symbols are different from BLACKHAWK dirt pedals and are:
D=depth
R=rate
C=clean
W=waveform
T=time
F=feedback
All BLACKHAWK pedals and preamps are true bypass and standard “one spot style” 9v, Negative tip, 2.1mm barrel.
Please allow 1-2 weeks build time as every BLACKHAWK pedal is made by hand for YOU.
