The Beetronics Swarm Fuzz Harmonizer The Blackbee Edition is a limited edition finish of Beetronics' analog fuzz harmonizer pedal. Like the standard Beetronics Swarm, it takes your input signal, turns it into a square wave, then multiplies and divides the frequency of that wave, giving you nine possible harmonies in two different octaves, with modulation applied to the harmonies1. Beetronics describes the result as an Analog Fuzz Harmonizer "that sounds like a thousand killer bees coming to get you!"1.
The Blackbee Edition is sold out at the maker's own store1, so it now turns up only on the secondhand market. The circuit inside is the same analog design as the rest of the Swarm family, which Beetronics builds by hand in California1.
A square-wave fuzz that multiplies and divides your note
The Swarm works differently from a conventional fuzz. Instead of just clipping your signal harder, it converts the input into a square wave and then shifts that wave's frequency up and down, stacking pitch-shifted copies of your note on top of the fuzz. Pedal of the Day's reviewer described the process the same way Beetronics does: "the Swarm takes your input signal and turns it into a square wave. It then multiplies and divides the frequency"2. The maker's own words on the Blackbee Edition page:
"It basically turns your input signal into a square wave, than multiplies and divides the frequency of that wave, giving you nine possible harmonies in two different octaves."
Because the harmonies are derived from a square wave rather than a pitch-tracking DSP engine, the effect is analog throughout1, and the modulation layered on top of the harmonies can sweep, pulse or detune them. Compared with Beetronics' octave-focused pedals like the OctaHive or WhoctaHell, which add one low or high octave to a fuzz, the Swarm generates a whole spread of intervals at once, which is what makes it a harmonizer rather than a straight octave fuzz.
The controls: Worker, Species, Queen, Drone, Flight and Sting
The Blackbee Edition carries the Swarm's six bee-themed controls. Each has a distinct job in shaping the harmony stack1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Worker | Sets the level of your input signal, "now fuzzy and buzzy"1 |
| Species | Selects between 9 different intervals for your harmonies1 |
| Queen | Sets the level of the higher harmony3 |
| Drone | Sets the level of the lower harmony4 |
| Flight | Sets the response of the modulation1 |
| Sting | Sets how fast or slow the harmonies follow your playing1 |
The Queen and Drone controls work as a pair: they "set the levels for each of the harmonies that stay one octave apart"1, so you can lean the stack toward the upper or lower octave, or balance the two. On other Swarm listings Beetronics describes them as a way to "balance higher and lower harmonies and sculpt a wide range of textures"4.
Flight and Sting are the modulation side of the pedal, and Beetronics calls them highly interactive. On its Custom Shop listings the maker says these two controls "let you sweep, pulse, or detune your harmonies," and that Sting sets the rate of modulation while Flight adjusts how the modulation tracks your playing, "ranging from precise sweeps to unpredictable glitches"5. For players who want a fuzz that reacts to dynamics and picking rather than sitting in one place, that tracking control is the heart of the pedal.
Power and connections
The Blackbee Edition runs on a 9V DC center-negative power supply and draws 7mA1, a light enough load that it shares easily with other pedals on a powered board. There is no battery option and no supply in the box: Beetronics states plainly that the pedal "does not include power supply"1, so you need your own 9V center-negative adapter.
The Swarm requires a 9V DC center-negative supply, and none is included with the pedal1. Check your adapter's polarity before plugging in, since a center-positive supply can damage the pedal.
Physically, the pedal measures 5.5" x 4" x 2.75" including knobs and switches, in an enclosure of 5.5" x 3.25" x 2", and weighs 1 lb (0.5 kg); the packaged weight is 1 lb 8 oz (0.75 kg)1. It is true bypass, so your clean signal passes untouched when the pedal is off1.
Where it came from and what reviewers said
Beetronics is a California builder whose whole line runs on the bee theme, from the Royal Jelly overdrive/fuzz to the Vezzpa Octave Stinger and the budget Tuna Fuzz. The Swarm has appeared in many finishes beyond the Blackbee Edition, including the Limited Edition Bambee, the Pink Lemonade Limited Edition, and individually numbered Custom Shop builds4. The Blackbee Edition is one of these limited runs, and its page now shows it sold out1.
Beetronics backs the pedal with a 30-Day Hive Happiness Guarantee, shipping not included: you email the maker within 30 business days of receiving your order and they send an RMA form for the return1. One exception is worth knowing: products labeled "Scratch and Dent" are sold in their current condition and are not refundable1.
Questions
Is the Beetronics Swarm true bypass?
Yes. Beetronics lists the Swarm Fuzz Harmonizer The Blackbee Edition as true bypass, so your signal stays clean when the pedal is switched off. The same true bypass switching appears on the standard and other limited edition Swarm listings.
How many harmony intervals does the Swarm have?
Nine. The Species control selects between 9 different intervals for your harmonies, spread across two different octaves. Queen and Drone then set the levels of the harmonies that stay one octave apart.
Does the Swarm come with a power supply?
No. Beetronics states the Blackbee Edition does not include a power supply. It requires a 9V DC center-negative supply, which you need to buy separately, and draws about 7mA.
Is the Swarm Blackbee Edition still available?
No. The maker's product page lists the Blackbee Edition as sold out. It was a limited edition finish of the Swarm Fuzz Harmonizer, and other limited Swarm runs have sold out as well.
Where is the Beetronics Swarm made?
Beetronics builds the Swarm by hand in California. The maker states this on the Blackbee Edition product page, and the same hand-made-in-California note appears across the Swarm's standard and limited edition listings.
Sources (5)
- Swarm Fuzz Harmonizer The Blackbee Edition, Beetronics (www.beetronicsfx.com)
- Beetronics Swarm Analog Fuzz Harmonizer, Pedal of the Day, 2020-09-01
- Swarm Fuzz Harmonizer Custom Shop Ouija, Beetronics (beetronicsfx.com)
- Swarm Fuzz Harmonizer • Custom Shop • SW3577, Beetronics
- Swarm Fuzz Harmonizer • Custom Shop • 420, Beetronics
