The Catalinbread Bitters is a compact multi-effects pedal from Catalinbread that reimagines the Alesis Bitrman, a quirky tabletop multi-effects unit from 2002 that was aimed at tabletop musicians and DJs and later discontinued12. Where the Bitrman lived on a desk, the Bitters is a pedalboard-friendly stompbox, and it delivers a range of bizarre, lo-fi digital effects: a bitcrusher, a decimator, pitch vibrato and a ring modulator, plus fixed distortion and phaser stages13.
Guitar Pedal X's reviewer thought the transformation worked, writing that "Catalinbread has done an amazing job of transforming the quirky 2002 Alesis Bitrman into a compact stompbox pedal format"2. The pedal was released in July 2024 and was available at launch1.
What it is based on, and who designed it
The Bitters is a pedal version of the Alesis Bitrman, a multi-effects pedal aimed at tabletop musicians and DJs that Guitar World says wanted to be disruptive and ended up being discontinued5. Catalinbread's chief designer Nicholas Kula had written about the Bitrman, and the Bitters is his pedal-format take on it1. Delicious Audio groups it among lo-fi pedals, the kind that trade fidelity for digital artifacts6.
The pedal keeps the spirit of the original's mangling. Guitar Pedal X later called it "a really quirky mangling modulator, based on the Alesis Bitrman"4. Beyond the Bitrman's effects, Catalinbread added a seventh effect known as "Bitters," which the company calls "a beast all of its own"5.
The effects and what they do
The selectable effects are chosen with the Bitters dial, and an eight-way program dial changes up the modes that dial controls, presenting various configurations of the bitcrusher, decimator, frequency modulation and ring modulation effects, and the signal path1.
| Effect | What it does |
|---|---|
| Bitcrusher | Lowers the fidelity of the input signal, introducing digital distortion; a noise gate is applied to the noise it introduces1 |
| Decimator | Takes the input signal, samples it and reduces the sample rate1 |
| Frequency modulation | A pitch vibrato; MusicRadar suggests using the Mix control "to get a killer chorus sound!"1 |
| Ring modulator | MusicRadar calls it "just that, a bonkers sound"1 |
| Bitters | A seventh effect Catalinbread calls "a beast all of its own"5 |
Two further effects are fixed and always part of the design: Distortion and Phaser, controlled by the Dual knob3.
Controls
- Distort: Dials in what MusicRadar describes as a "tastefully appointed and harmonically-rich digital distortion"; fully counterclockwise it is taken out of the signal path1.
- Dual: Controls the fixed Distortion and Phaser effects3. MusicRadar describes it as setting the speed of a deep sine-wave phaser, with a range from "low and syrupy to a lightning fast 20Hz"; at zero it is out of the signal1.
- Mix: A wet/dry blend for dialling in how much of the effect you hear1.
- Bitters dial: Selects the effect mode1.
- Program dial: An eight-way dial that changes up the modes the Bitters dial controls, presenting various configurations of the bitcrusher, decimator, frequency modulation and ring modulation effects, and the signal path1.
- Rotary knob: Gives you the option to run the selectable effects last or first in your chain3.
That rotary knob is the feature that sets the Bitters apart from a straightforward effect pedal: you can place the mangling before or after the rest of your pedalboard without replugging anything3. Delicious Audio also notes the Bitters works well with all instruments, not only guitar3.
Price and availability
The Bitters launched in July 2024 and was available at launch1. Published prices differ by source and date:
| Source | Price | Date |
|---|---|---|
| MusicRadar | $209 street (also £199 street in the UK) | July 20241 |
| Guitar World | $209.99 | July 20245 |
| Gearnews | $226.00 at Thomann (also £208.00 / 249.00€) | July 20247 |
| Guitar Pedal X | $199 from the Catalinbread Webstore | December 20244 |
Guitar Pedal X reported at launch that the pedal was available from the Catalinbread Webstore and imminently at international dealers for $199 / £1994. The pedal comes with a three-year warranty5.
What reviewers said
Coverage at launch was positive about the concept. Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson called the Bitters "fantastic" in his headline and later named it his next Catalinbread acquisition, writing "my next Catalinbread acquisition will definitely be the recent Bitters Signal Mangler!"8. In the site's roundup of the best new modulation, pitch and utility pedals of 2024, the Bitters appeared as "a really quirky mangling modulator" at $1994.
"Catalinbread has done an amazing job of transforming the quirky 2002 Alesis Bitrman into a compact stompbox pedal format."
MusicRadar highlighted the practical details: the Mix control for wet/dry blending, the Distort knob that drops out of the signal path at zero, and the noise gate applied to the bitcrusher's self-generated noise1.
Videos
Mike Hermans
Demos In The Dark
Brett Kingman
News
Questions
What is the Catalinbread Bitters based on?
It is based on the Alesis Bitrman, a tabletop multi-effects unit released in 2002 and aimed at tabletop musicians and DJs, which was later discontinued. Catalinbread rebuilt its effects as a compact, pedalboard-friendly stompbox, and Guitar Pedal X's reviewer felt the transformation into pedal format was well done.
Who designed the Catalinbread Bitters?
Nicholas Kula, Catalinbread's chief designer, is behind the Bitters. He had written about the original Alesis Bitrman, and the pedal is his take on reworking that discontinued unit's effects for a stompbox.
Can the Bitters run its effects before or after the rest of the chain?
Yes. A rotary knob gives you the option to run the selectable effects either last or first in your signal chain, so you can place the mangling before or after the rest of your pedals without replugging anything.
What does the Dual knob do on the Bitters?
The Dual knob controls the pedal's two fixed effects, distortion and phaser. MusicRadar describes it as setting the speed of a deep sine-wave phaser with a range from low and syrupy up to a lightning fast 20Hz, and at zero the phaser is out of the signal path.
Does the Bitters come with a warranty?
Yes. Guitar World reports that the Bitters comes with a three-year warranty from Catalinbread.
Sources (8)
- “Dial in everything from a lush chorus to a crushing barrage of noise”: Catalinbread reimagines cult classic Alesis Bitrman as Bitters, MusicRadar, 2024-07-12
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-07-12
- Catalinbread Bitters Multi-FX Processor, Delicious Audio, 2024-07-10
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-12-19
- “A multi-effects pedal on steroids”: Catalinbread's Bitters reimagines Alesis' cult sound-mangling DJ effects unit as a guitar pedal, Guitar World, 2024-07-17
- The Best LoFi Guitar Pedals In 2024: Analog & Digital Artifact Simulators, Delicious Audio, 2024-07-22
- Catalinbread Bitters: Modernizing the Iconic Alesis Bitrman, gearnews.com, 2024-07-11
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-08-13
