Keeley releases Larry LaLonde signature Le Bubble Tron pedal

April 29, 2022 · 2 sources

Keeley Electronics and Larry "Ler" LaLonde of Primus have collaborated on a new signature edition of the Bubble Tron flanger, phaser and filter pedal, available now at $229¹². Both MusicRadar and Guitar World reported the release on April 29, 2022¹².

The Larry "Ler" LaLonde Bubbletron comes in a reworked enclosure, with a new paint job and a slightly augmented set of controls¹. The envelope filter mode is now accessed on the top of the enclosure via the three-way mini-toggle mode switch, with the sample/hold filter now accessible via an internal mini-switch¹. Guitar World reports that the envelope filter effect, previously accessible only via an internal dip switch, has been moved to the front of the control panel². The pedal has knobs for Resonance, Sensitivity, Depth and Level, with each performing a little differently depending on which mode is active¹.

Guitar World describes a "trilogy of tone modes" selected via a toggle switch: DynaMoPhase, DynaFlanger and, the product of LaLonde's tweaks, LerVelopeFilter². The DynaFlanger takes inspiration from the MicMix DynaFlanger, a favorite of Frank Zappa in the late-'70s and mid-'80s, and is said to adapt depending on the strength of pick attack². MusicRadar writes that the louder you get with your electric guitar, the longer the delay time and the more pronounced the flanger gets¹. The DynaMoPhase runs two phasers in parallel but with opposite sweeps¹. The LervelopeFilter's Resonance dial sets the Q value, while the Depth control helps find the sweet spot between the hi- and lo-pass¹.

Inside, there is an internal mini-toggle for selecting a modern or vintage analog filter mode, the latter rolling off a little high-end, and a mini-toggle for choosing between Bank 2 and Bank 1 of your effects, where you can add classic flanger and a standard eight-stage phaser to the Bubble Tron's tricks¹. Guitar World reports the secondary Bank provides the conventional Sample and Hold filter sound effect².

Guitar World reports that LaLonde started using the BubbleTron in 2016 when the original iteration debuted, and that he calls it "the greatest pedal ever made"².