The Ananashead Optotrem is an all-analog optical tremolo pedal from the Spanish maker Ananashead, announced in May 2019. It is handmade in Barcelona and built around a classic three-knob tremolo layout, with rate, depth and wave controls shaping how the pedal modulates your volume12.
Tremolo pedals work by varying the volume of your signal at a set speed and shape. An optical design uses an internal light-based element to do that varying, and Ananashead geared the Optotrem towards what Guitar.com's Daniel Ong described as "warm and organic" warbles1.
Controls, power and connections
The Optotrem keeps its front panel simple: a classic three-knob tremolo layout with rate, depth and wave controls1. Guitar World's report on the announcement also noted an inside trimmer, set with a screwdriver from the pedal's interior rather than from the top panel2.
- Rate sets the speed of the volume modulation.
- Depth sets how far the volume swings.
- Wave shapes the modulation curve; Guitar.com noted the minimum setting produces a square wave control shape1.
Power comes from a filtered and protected nine-volt DC input, as reported by both Guitar.com and Guitar World12. The pedal's jacks are top-mounted, which helps the pedal fit more tightly on a crowded board1.
The Optotrem's price was announced in euros: Guitar.com reported it "retails at €110" at the May 2019 announcement1.
A similar name from a different maker
A pedal called the OptoTrem also exists from Vahlbruch FX, a German maker whose version is described on its product page as "an analog, hand-build, highly versatile tremolo effect pedal", handmade in Germany, with a volume control for the pedal's output level3. RockBoard's PedalPedia likewise notes that on the Vahlbruch pedal "the volume can be adjusted using the 'Volume' control"4. The two pedals share the OptoTrem name and the optical tremolo approach, but they come from different makers in different countries, so specifications for one do not carry over to the other.
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Questions
Is the Ananashead Optotrem true bypass?
Yes. Guitar World reported that the Optotrem has true bypass switching, announced alongside the pedal in May 2019. True bypass means the pedal's circuit is removed from the signal path entirely when it is off, so your guitar's signal reaches the amp unaltered.
Where is the Ananashead Optotrem made?
The Optotrem is handmade in Barcelona, according to Guitar World's report on the pedal's announcement in May 2019. Guitar.com also described Ananashead as the Spanish maker behind the pedal.
What does the wave knob do on the Optotrem?
The wave knob sits alongside rate and depth in the Optotrem's classic three-knob tremolo layout. Guitar.com noted that at its minimum setting the pedal produces a square wave control shape, one of the wave options that shapes how the volume swells and dips.
How much does the Ananashead Optotrem cost?
Guitar.com reported a retail price of 110 euros when the pedal was announced in May 2019. That figure was given in euros at the time of the announcement.
Sources (4)
- Ananashead’s Optotrem is a box of fluttering sounds, Guitar.com, 2019-05-23
- Ananashead Announces New Optotrem Pedal, Guitar World, 2019-05-22
- Vahlbruch, Analog Tremolo pedal OptoTrem, MagTraB switching, made in Germany, vahlbruch-fx.com, 2022
- OptoTrem by Vahlbruch FX, RockBoard (rockboard.de PedalPedia), 2026