The Catalinbread X/F (Proto 6) is a modulation pedal from Catalinbread that does not choose between phaser and chorus. It splits your guitar signal by frequency: every frequency below the X/F point feeds into a phaser, while everything above feeds into a chorus1. That makes it a different animal from a standard chorus pedal or phaser pedal, which apply one effect to the whole signal.
How the frequency split works
The idea behind the X/F is that the two modulation types act on different parts of your tone. As Catalinbread puts it: "Every frequency below the X/F point will feed into a phaser, while everything above will feed into a chorus"1. The X/F knob sets where that divide happens, and Catalinbread notes that it is not tied to modulation frequency, but rather to the frequency content of the guitar signal itself1. In practice, that means the knob decides which part of your sound gets the phaser's sweep and which gets the chorus's shimmer.
The controls
The pedal has four knobs1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| RATE | Controls the rate of both modulation types at once |
| DEPTH | Governs the intensity of the modulation |
| X/F | Adjusts the frequency at which the two effects separate, by guitar frequency content rather than modulation frequency |
| MIX | The wet-dry blend between the input signal and the effect, from 100% dry to 100% wet |
Because RATE drives both effects from one knob, the phaser and chorus sweep together, and DEPTH scales the overall intensity of the modulation1. The MIX control running to a full 100% wet is a feature Catalinbread has used on other pedals, such as the Callisto chorus, where it allows vibrato sounds.
Power requirements
The X/F accepts a pedal-standard center-negative DC plug capable of supplying between 9 and 18 volts, with at least 64mA of current (over is fine)1. Catalinbread's warning on the product page is blunt: "Anything other than that (higher than 18, center-positive, AC, etc.) will cause the Pads to function improperly, with the worst case scenario being a ruined pedal"1. Check your supply polarity and voltage before plugging in, and avoid daisy-chaining from a supply that cannot deliver the current.
Catalinbread listed the X/F (Proto 6) as "ONLY AVAILABLE UNTIL JUNE 12"1, so it is a limited-availability release rather than a permanent catalog pedal.
Where it sits in Catalinbread's range
Catalinbread's modulation offerings in recent years have leaned toward chorus-based designs234. The X/F (Proto 6) stands apart in that lineup by splitting the signal and running a phaser and a chorus in parallel on different frequency bands.
Videos
60 Cycle Hum
Questions
What does the X/F knob do on the Catalinbread X/F?
The X/F knob adjusts the frequency at which the two effects separate. Catalinbread notes that this is not tied to modulation frequency, but rather to the frequency content of your guitar signal. Frequencies below the X/F point feed the phaser, and everything above feeds the chorus, so turning the knob changes which part of your sound each effect works on.
Is the Catalinbread X/F a phaser or a chorus?
It is both at once. The pedal splits your signal by frequency: every frequency below the X/F point feeds into a phaser, while everything above feeds into a chorus. The result is a single modulation pedal that applies two different effects to different parts of your tone, rather than choosing one or the other.
What happens if I use a center-positive power supply with the X/F?
Catalinbread warns that anything other than the specified supply, including a center-positive plug, AC power, or a voltage higher than 18 volts, will cause the pedal to function improperly, and in the worst case the pedal can be ruined. Use a pedal-standard center-negative DC plug supplying between 9 and 18 volts.
Does the Rate knob control both the phaser and the chorus?
Yes. According to Catalinbread, the RATE control sets the rate of both modulation types at once, so the phaser and the chorus sweep together. The DEPTH knob governs the intensity of the modulation, and the MIX knob blends from 100% dry to 100% wet.
Sources (4)
- X/F (Proto 6), Catalinbread Effects
- Catalinbread’s Callisto MKII is an all-analogue stomper that will “blur the lines” between chorus and flanger, guitar.com
- Catalinbread opens up the Sinkhole, “a harmonically-rich 'hole' reverb with an impossibly deep four-voice chorus” for other-worldly guitar sounds, musicradar.com, 2023-12-07
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X
