The Boredbrain Music Transmutron is a dual FX loop crossover filter, a pedal built to sit between your instrument and two channels of effects. In its main mode it splits the signal from a guitar, bass, synth, or drum machine into separate frequency bands, sends those bands simultaneously to different effects, and then recombines them to a single output or to two separate outputs1. It is at home with both pedals and eurorack units, with ins and outs for both1.
Boredbrain Music is based in Richmond, VA1. As a frequency-splitting tool, the Transmutron sits in a different corner of the filter pedal world from a wah or an equalization pedal: instead of shaping one copy of the signal, it divides the signal so that different effects handle different parts of it.
The three modes
The Transmutron features three modes1:
| Mode | What it does |
|---|---|
| Fission | Crossover filter: the signal is split into separate frequency bands, sent simultaneously to different effects, then recombined to a single output or two separate outputs |
| Fusion | The Splitpoint instead acts as a pre-FX level crossfader, rather than splitting the signal into separate bands |
| Fallout | A resonant wide-notch filter is applied to both pre-FX channel signals, cutting a hole in the signal |
In Fallout mode, cutting a hole and sweeping the Splitpoint back and forth with an expression pedal or an LFO creates a phasing-wah effect1.
Hi and low cut filters
To further shape the signals sent to your effects, the Transmutron is equipped with dedicated hi and low cut filters1. The filters have selectable slopes of 12, 24, or 48 db/oct, which also affects the crossover filter, and greatly enhances the resonance of the wide-notch filter1.
In Fission and Fallout modes, the cutoff frequencies of these filters also define the end-to-end sweepable range of the Splitpoint parameter and its center frequency1.
Control and connectivity
The Splitpoint parameter can be controlled manually or with an expression pedal, and simultaneously injected with a control voltage (CV) source1. That combination of manual, expression pedal, and CV control is what makes the mode-sweeping effects above possible, and it is also where the pedal reaches toward expression pedal and modular workflows.
Both FX channels have two sets of sends and returns: 1/4-inch for guitar pedals and line-level effects, and 3.5mm for eurorack level processing1. Additionally, the 3.5mm FX loops for each channel can be independently switched to pedal or line level using internal dip switches, which allows for seamless integration with the Boredbrain Patchulator 80001.
The 3.5mm loops default to eurorack level but can be switched internally, per channel, to pedal or line level with dip switches, so the same jacks can serve either world1.
Where it came from and what reviewers said
Delicious Audio covered the Transmutron, calling it "this very interesting pedal by Richmond, VA's Boredbrain Music"1.
"At home with both pedals and Eurorack units (it features ins/outs for both), the Transmutron is at its heart a Dual FX Loop Crossover Filter."
Videos
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Questions
What does the Boredbrain Transmutron do?
The Transmutron is a dual FX loop crossover filter. In its Fission mode it splits the signal from a guitar, bass, synth or drum machine into separate frequency bands, sends those bands simultaneously to different effects through two channels of sends and returns, and then recombines them to a single output or to two separate outputs. It also offers a crossfader mode, a resonant notch mode, and dedicated hi and low cut filters for shaping what reaches your effects.
Can the Boredbrain Transmutron be used with an expression pedal?
Yes. The Splitpoint parameter can be controlled manually or with an expression pedal, and can simultaneously be injected with a control voltage (CV) source. In Fallout mode, sweeping the Splitpoint back and forth with an expression pedal or an LFO creates a phasing-wah effect, according to Delicious Audio's write-up of the pedal.
Does the Transmutron work with eurorack level gear?
Yes. Both FX channels have two sets of sends and returns: 1/4-inch jacks for guitar pedals and line-level effects, and 3.5mm jacks for eurorack level processing. The 3.5mm FX loops for each channel can also be independently switched to pedal or line level using internal dip switches, and the pedal integrates with Boredbrain's Patchulator 8000.
What is the difference between Fission and Fusion mode on the Transmutron?
In Fission mode, the signal is split into separate frequency bands that are sent simultaneously to different effects and then recombined. In Fusion mode, the Splitpoint instead acts as a pre-FX level crossfader, rather than splitting the signal into separate bands. A third mode, Fallout, applies a resonant wide-notch filter to both pre-FX channel signals.
Sources (1)
- Boredbrain Transmutron Dual FX Loop Crossover Filter, Delicious Audio, 2018-10-04
