The company's own description of what it is about comes from its founder:
"we like LEDs a lot, and a visual representation of the sound (from a basic on/off indicator upwards) is very important"
The story: a London maker since 2009
David Rainger set the company up in 2009 in North West London, and it has since grown a catalog of more than 30 products sold internationally1. Its early history includes the El Distorto overdrive pedal from 2009, whose circuit was later revived as the basis of the Break Box distortion pedal3.
A notable collaboration sits in the family tree: the Freakenbender, a pedal Rainger FX designed and made at the suggestion of Colorsound themselves3. The back half of its Tonebender tone stack was carried over into the Break Box, which Rainger FX describes as a "HUGE SOUND WIDE-FREQUENCY-RANGE DISTORTION PEDAL"3. Players interested in more Freakenbenders are directed by the company to email Anthony Macari, the Colorsound boss, about making some more4.
Known for odd sounds, LEDs and custom enclosures
Rainger FX's identity is original sounds in custom knobs and custom enclosures, a point the company makes even when defending a Tonebender-based design against the charge of copying4. Its mini-pedals use a custom steel enclosure with no sockets on the side, as on the Minibar5, and the Reverb-X ships in what the maker calls a "DEEPLY COOL RAINGER FX CUSTOM MINI-PEDAL STEEL ENCLOSURE"6.
The Pull Focus shows the range of ideas at work: Rainger FX describes it as a multi-effects pedal of a very particular kind, a distortion with a reverb or chorus fade-in and a noise gate4.
The Igor foot controller
Igor is Rainger FX's pressure-sensitive expression pad, a small, light pad that gives real-time control of effects pedal parameters by foot or by hand7. It is dual-sensitivity and, by the maker's own account, "very light (35 times lighter than a standard cast metal treadle-type pedal!!!)"7. The company is candid about its limits:
"It's not as precise as a 'rocker' style expression pedal, but is a simple solution to foot-controlled expression on-the-fly"
Every Rainger FX pedal that uses an Igor is supplied with one, other than the Stealth, and the pad is sold separately as a replacement7. It ships with pedals such as the Reverb-X6 and the Chop Fuzzz8. With the Echo-X, a regular rocker expression pedal can most probably be used instead of Igor with a ¼" to minijack adaptor9, and on the Chop Fuzzz the maker notes that expression pedals vary between brands but may be tried8. Not every pedal uses one: the Drone Rainger has no Igor facility, with all foot-operated aspects handled by footswitches mounted on the enclosure10.
The X series of mini digital pedals
The X series is Rainger FX's line of digital mini-pedals, each pairing a compact custom enclosure with the Igor pad116.
| Pedal | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Echo-X | Digital delay mini-pedal | Fits a mini pedal-sized enclosure912 |
| Reverb-X | Digital reverb mini-pedal | Up to 6 seconds of reverberation time; a counterpart to the Echo-X613 |
| Flanger X | Digital flanger mini-pedal | Third pedal in the X series, after the Echo X and Reverb X11 |
The Echo-X offers what the maker calls unprecedented real-time control over crucial parameters, with controls for echo level, rate, feedback, input and volume9. The Reverb-X is a counterpart to the Echo-X mini delay pedal14.
The Minibar liquid analyser
The Minibar is the company's most unusual design: a liquid analyser/overdrive pedal5. Rainger FX showed it at Winter NAMM 2020, at booth #3645 in Hall D15.
Discontinued products
The Binary Pulsar, a stereo sidechainer-panner-tremolo pedal and the company's first stereo pedal, is based on the mono Deep Space Pulsar mini-pedal, also now discontinued; it is all digital with a switchable analog "warm" circuit, and is currently sold out16. The Chop Fuzzz is likewise sold out8.
Power, warranty and shipping
All Rainger FX pedals run on sleeve 9V, center pin earth DC power supplies, the standard center-negative arrangement shared by most modern pedals2. Current draw varies, so the company advises checking each pedal for its requirements2.
Support details from the maker2:
- Warranty: three years on all pedals, one year on the Minibar
- Custom pedals: the company does not make them, but welcomes ideas and suggestions
- UK shipping: first class, tracked
- International shipping: tracked, 5 to 12 working days
- UK buyers: entitled to free shipping on pedals such as the Amp Crash and Minibar, but liable to VAT517
The range (30)
News
Questions
Where are Rainger FX pedals made?
Rainger FX is a North West London-based company that designs and manufactures its pedals in the UK and sells them worldwide. It was set up by David Rainger in 2009 and has launched more than 30 different products over the years.
What is the Rainger FX Minibar liquid analyser?
The Minibar is a liquid analyser pedal: a mini overdrive pedal whose tone is set by the properties of a liquid poured into its onboard container. It was shown at NAMM 2020 and carries a one-year warranty rather than the company's usual three years, because of its experimental nature.
Why were the Rainger FX Dwarf pedals discontinued?
Rainger FX retired the Dwarf pedals range in 2022. The Bleep Fuzz, introduced that March, is described as a compilation of sounds from the recently discontinued Dwarf range, using the Dr Freakenstein Fuzz circuit in an enclosure about four times smaller.
What is the Igor foot controller?
Igor is Rainger FX's pressure-sensitive expression pad: a small, light pad that gives real-time control of pedal parameters by foot or by hand. It is dual-sensitivity, about 35 times lighter than a standard cast metal treadle pedal, and is supplied with every Rainger FX pedal that uses one, other than the Stealth.
Does Rainger FX make custom pedals?
No. The company states plainly that it does not make custom pedals, though it invites players to contact it with ideas and suggestions.
What is the Colorsound Freakenbender?
The Freakenbender is a pedal Rainger FX designed and made at the suggestion of Colorsound, the classic British effects brand. Its Tonebender tone stack was later reused in the Rainger FX Break Box distortion pedal.
How long is the Rainger FX warranty?
All Rainger FX pedals carry a three-year warranty, except the Minibar, which has a one-year warranty due to the experimental nature of the pedal.
Sources (17)
- About Us, Rainger FX
- Support - Rainger FX, Rainger FX
- Break Box, Rainger FX
- PULL FOCUS, Rainger FX
- Minibar - Rainger FX, Rainger FX
- Reverb-X (incl. Igor), Rainger FX
- Igor Expression Pad, Rainger FX
- Chop fuzzz (incl. Igor), Rainger FX
- Echo-X (incl. Igor), Rainger FX
- Drone Rainger, Rainger FX
- New Pedal: Rainger FX Flanger X, Delicious Audio, 2023-02-21
- The Rainger FX Echo-X digital delay pedal is a "major game changer for real-time control", MusicRadar, 2015-11-02
- Rainger FX Introduces the Reverb-X, Premier Guitar, 2018-01-19
- NAMM 2018: Soundscapers rejoice: Rainger FX introduces overdrive-equipped Reverb-X mini pedal, MusicRadar, 2018-01-15
- NAMM 2020: Rainger FX Mini Bar, gearnews.com, 2020-01-17
- Binary Pulsar, Rainger FX
- Amp Crash, Rainger FX