The Bananana Effects Matryoshka is a compact bass synth pedal: a digital circuit that listens to your bass and turns it into synth tones, with eight selectable modes covering pitch shifting, arpeggiation, bit crush, vibrato, and distortion12. Bananana Effects describes it as instantly responding to the pitch and envelope of your input signal, delivering a fat, full synth sound with low latency1. It lists for $199.00 USD as of 26 October 20261.
An eight-mode bass synth
The Matryoshka sits in the synth pedal corner of a bass rig. Rather than modeling a specific keyboard, it processes your playing into synth voices, and the mode knob chooses which effect feeds the out2 output while out1 carries the unprocessed synth signal. Blending the two is central to how the pedal is meant to be used: Bananana Effects suggests mixing out1 with out2 to craft an even fatter sound1.
Bass Musician Magazine's reviewer, Cláudio Ribeiro, described the pedal as capable of replicating classic analog synth tones, from classic Moog-style bass to modern dance and pop music synth textures3. Pedal of the Day, reviewing it in July 2026, summed it up this way:
"Moving quickly from slightly weird to full-blown outer space exploration, this little gem will fatten your sound"
The same review noted that the pedal also works well on guitar, so it is not strictly a bass-only tool4.
The eight modes
| Mode | What it does |
|---|---|
| Pitch Shifter | Shifts the out2 pitch relative to out1: down a 4th, detune, up a 5th, or up an octave1 |
| Arpeggiator | Alternates between the input octave and one octave below; cranking the rate gives a retro 8-bit game-like tone, and the high frequencies of out1 are boosted in this mode1 |
| Aliaser Sample & Hold | Moves the bit crush frequency in a randomly periodic pattern1 |
| Vibrato | Modulates pitch to create a rich, undulating tone; mixed with out1 it achieves a lush chorus effect1 |
| Distortion | Distorts the synth output to dial in a gnarly acid bass tone; the low frequencies of out1 are boosted in this mode1 |
The product page advertises eight selectable modes1; the five above are the ones its page describes individually.
The controls
The pedal is controlled by a single footswitch and eight knobs. Bass Musician Magazine's reviewer called the knobs "tiny but effective"3.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Clean | Adjusts the dry signal volume1 |
| Out1 | Adjusts the volume of the unprocessed synth output; mix with out2 to craft an even fatter sound1 |
| Out2 | Adjusts the volume of the FX synth output selected by the mode knob1 |
| Mode | Selects the FX synth output for out21 |
| Ctrl | Adjusts the sound for each mode; in Pitch Shift mode it selects -4th, Detune, 5th, or OctUp, and in other modes it is labeled Rate, Gain, or Bit Rate1 |
| Oct | Mixes the input octave with one octave below1 |
The dual-output design is the pedal's distinguishing layout compared with single-output synth pedals: you can send out1 and out2 to different places on a board or mixer, or blend them for a thicker combined tone1.
Power and practicalities
The Matryoshka runs on 9V DC, center negative, and draws 60mA1. That is a modest but not trivial draw, worth accounting for on a shared power supply. At 52 x 93 x 49mm and 200g it is a small footprint pedal that fits easily on a crowded board1.
The Matryoshka is a digital pedal2, so unlike a simple analog overdrive it is doing pitch tracking and synthesis under the hood. Its true bypass switching1 means the dry signal is untouched when the pedal is off.
Videos
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Questions
Is the Bananana Effects Matryoshka analog or digital?
The Matryoshka is a digital circuit. RockBoard's PedalPedia lists its circuit type as digital, which fits how it works: the pedal tracks the pitch and envelope of your input and generates synth tones from it, including pitch shifting, arpeggiation, and bit crush effects that a straight analog circuit could not produce.
Is the Matryoshka true bypass?
Yes. Bananana Effects lists the Matryoshka as true bypass on its product page, so when the pedal is off your bass signal passes through untouched. The Clean knob also lets you control how much dry signal is blended in while the effect is on.
What power does the Matryoshka need?
The Matryoshka runs on 9V DC, center negative, and draws 60mA according to Bananana Effects. That is more than some small pedals draw, so it is worth checking your power supply's per-output budget before adding it to a daisy chain.
What does the Pitch Shifter mode do on the Matryoshka?
Pitch Shifter mode shifts the pitch of the out2 synth output relative to the out1 signal. The Ctrl knob selects among four settings: down a 4th, detune, up a 5th, or up an octave. Blending the shifted voice against the unprocessed output lets you build intervals and fatter stacked tones.
How many outputs does the Matryoshka have?
The Matryoshka has two outputs, out1 and out2. Out1 carries the unprocessed synth output and out2 carries the FX synth output selected by the mode knob, each with its own volume knob. Bananana Effects suggests mixing the two to craft an even fatter sound.
Sources (4)
- MATRYOSHKA BASS SYNTH PEDAL, Bananana Effects
- Matryoshka by Bananana Effects, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Review: Bananana Effects Matryoshka Bass Synth Pedal, Bass Musician Magazine, 2025-02-17
- Bananana Effects MATRYOSHKA 8-Mode Bass Synth, Pedal of the Day, 2026-07-06