The Beetronics Swarm Fuzz Harmonizer Limited Edition Majin Bee is a limited run of the Beetronics Swarm, an analog fuzz harmonizer pedal. Where a normal fuzz pedal just clips your signal, the Swarm generates harmony: Beetronics describes it as turning your input signal into a square wave, then multiplying and dividing the frequency of that wave, giving nine possible harmonies in two different octaves1. The maker's own sound description leans on the bee theme: "The Swarm is an Analog Fuzz Harmonizer that sounds like a thousand killer bees coming to get you!"1
The Majin Bee is a finish variant of the same circuit rather than a different pedal. It shares its controls, power requirements and true bypass switching with the other Swarm limited editions, and it is hand made in California1. It is sold out at the maker's store.
What a fuzz harmonizer does
A fuzz harmonizer combines two jobs in one box. First it fuzzes the signal, squaring off the waveform the way a fuzz circuit does. Then it uses that square wave as raw material for pitch: by multiplying and dividing the wave's frequency, the Swarm produces harmony notes above and below what you play, nine possible intervals spread across two octaves1. Modulation is applied to the harmonies as well, so the generated notes can move around rather than sit perfectly still23.
Pedal of the Day's reviewer, covering the Swarm in 2020, put the effect plainly4:
"giving you NINE possible harmonies in two differing octaves"
In practice, that means a single note can come out as a thick, buzzing chord, or as a note with a screaming harmony stacked on top. Beetronics says you can dial in the nine interval options across two octaves, blend upper and lower harmonies against each other, and shape the fuzz from tight to unhinged5. Tracking behavior is part of the design too: the maker describes a range from near-perfect tracking to wild and uncontrollable, so how cleanly the harmonies follow your playing is itself something you can push6.
Controls
The Swarm's control names carry the bee theme. Two of them are documented on the maker's product pages172:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| SPECIES | Selects between 9 different intervals for your harmonies237 |
| WORKER | Sets the level of your input signal, now fuzzy and buzzy1 |
Beyond those two, the maker describes blending of upper and lower harmonies and fuzz shaping from tight to unhinged across the Swarm line5.
Power and setup
The Majin Bee runs on a standard 9V DC center negative power supply and draws 7mA1. That draw is low enough that it shares easily with other pedals on a typical isolated or daisy-chain power supply.
No power supply is included with the Majin Bee, or with any of the Swarm limited editions Beetronics sells1. You need your own 9V DC center negative supply.
Size and weight
Beetronics lists the Majin Bee's pedal size as 5.5" x 4" x 2.75" including knobs and switches, and its pedal weight as 1lbs / 0.5 kilos1. That makes it a mid-sized enclosure, not a compact mini pedal.
Limited editions of the Swarm
The Majin Bee is one of many limited runs of the Swarm Fuzz Harmonizer. Beetronics has released the Swarm in small batches with different finishes, and several of them are sold out at the maker's store123:
- Swarm Fuzz Harmonizer Limited Edition Bambee, sold out3
- Swarm Fuzz Harmonizer Pink Lemonade Limited Edition, sold out8
- Swarm Fuzz Harmonizer The Blackbee Edition9
Alongside the limited editions, Beetronics builds individually numbered Custom Shop Swarms, with units carrying numbers such as SW3337, SW3574 and SW29735. All of these runs share the same core circuit, true bypass switching, 9V center negative power and California hand construction as the Majin Bee1.
Questions
Is the Beetronics Swarm Majin Bee true bypass?
Yes. Beetronics lists the Swarm Fuzz Harmonizer Limited Edition Majin Bee as true bypass, so with the pedal off your dry signal passes through without active buffering. The same true bypass spec appears across the Swarm limited edition runs, including the Bambee, Pink Lemonade and Blackbee editions.
Does the Majin Bee come with a power supply?
No. The maker's product page states the pedal does not include a power supply. It requires a 9V DC center negative supply, which you need to buy separately. Current draw is 7mA, so it is easy to run from a standard pedalboard power supply with plenty of headroom to spare.
What does a fuzz harmonizer do?
It turns your input signal into a square wave, then multiplies and divides the frequency of that wave, giving nine possible harmonies in two different octaves. You pick the interval with the SPECIES control, blend upper and lower harmonies, and shape the fuzz from tight to unhinged, with modulation applied to the harmonies.
Is the Majin Bee still available?
No. The maker's product page lists the Majin Bee as sold out. Like other Swarm limited editions, including the Bambee and the standard Limited Edition run, it was a limited release, so finding one now means the secondhand market rather than the Beetronics store.
Where is the Beetronics Swarm made?
Beetronics states that the Swarm is hand made in California. The same claim appears across the Swarm product pages, including the Limited Edition and Bambee runs, so the Majin Bee comes from the same California workshop as the rest of the line.
Sources (9)
- Swarm Fuzz Harmonizer Limited Edition Majin Bee, Beetronics
- Swarm Fuzz Harmonizer, Beetronics
- Swarm Fuzz Harmonizer • Limited Edition • Bambee • BEE STOCK, Beetronics
- Beetronics Swarm Analog Fuzz Harmonizer, Pedal of the Day, 2020-09-01
- Swarm Fuzz Harmonizer • Custom Shop • 420, Beetronics
- Swarm Fuzz Harmonizer • Limited Edition • TALISMAN (BEE STOCK), Beetronics
- Swarm Fuzz Harmonizer • Limited Edition • Orange, Beetronics
- Swarm Fuzz Harmonizer Limited Edition Pink Lemonade, Beetronics
- Swarm Fuzz Harmonizer The Blackbee Edition, Beetronics (www.beetronicsfx.com)
