The Cloak Audio Jackdaw is a fuzz pedal with a difference: instead of one fuzz circuit, it runs two synthy-sounding octave fuzzes in parallel, an upper and a lower octave fuzz, mixed together and fed into a filter circuit. The maker describes the result as dirty and snarly on the low notes, almost like a malfunctioning analog synth, and relentlessly precise on the higher notes, and always rewardingly noisy1. It sits in the wider family of fuzz pedals, but its filter section and synth-like character set it apart from a conventional dirt box.
How the circuit works
The Jackdaw's topology is what gives it its character. Two octave fuzzes, one covering the upper frequencies and one the lower, run side by side and are mixed before the filter. The maker says this lets the pedal cover the whole frequency range, and the filter's characteristics can then be changed in three ways1:
- a regular tone control
- a fixed wah
- an envelope-following filter with a more vocal sound
In the envelope mode, the filter responds to note attack, so the wah sweeps with how hard you play rather than sitting in one place. The designer explained the thinking: "Making the fixed-wah respond to note attack with the envelope follower seemed a useful next step."2
Where the filter came from
The filter idea has a lineage. Tim of Cloak Audio, the designer, named the Systech Harmonic Energizer and the Vorg Warp Sound as inspirations, saying "this uses a more extreme version" of those filters2. The same approach, including the ability to swap the wah tone section for a conventional tone stack, had already been tried in the Fredric Pocket Weasel MkII2. Players interested in this family of effects may also want to look at filter pedals and wah pedals more broadly.
What reviewers said
gearnews.com put the Jackdaw on its list of top five fuzz pedals of 2016 so far, with the reviewer writing: "It's filthy! It's synth-like! It's all sorts of wrong and that is exactly why it's in my top 5!"3
On the build, the same reviewer liked the graphics and the large format, old school casing, but noted it would not appeal to everyone, especially players who prefer the build and graphics of Boss style compact pedals2.
The Jackdaw was Cloak Audio's first pedal under that moniker, announced in January 20162. The maker's page lists it at £1901.
Videos
timhulio
Questions
Where is the Cloak Audio Jackdaw made?
The Jackdaw is hand built in London, England. Cloak Audio was a small boutique builder, and the Jackdaw was its first pedal under the new moniker, announced in January 2016. The maker's product page lists it as a unique fuzz pedal, and the large format casing carries graphics that gearnews.com's reviewer liked, though he noted the look would not suit everyone.
What is the Jackdaw's filter based on?
The filter draws on two older envelope and cocked wah effects: the Systech Harmonic Energizer and the Vorg Warp Sound. Cloak Audio's Tim, who designed the pedal, said it uses a more extreme version of those filters. The same filter idea had already appeared in the Fredric Pocket Weasel MkII.
What does the envelope-following filter do on the Jackdaw?
In its envelope mode the filter tracks note attack, producing a more vocal, dynamic response than a plain tone control. The filter can also be set as a regular tone control or as a fixed wah. Making the fixed wah respond to note attack with an envelope follower was, in the designer's words, a useful next step.
How much did the Cloak Audio Jackdaw cost?
The maker's product page listed the Jackdaw at £190. When the pedal was announced in January 2016, gearnews.com reported the same figure as the RRP, with availability expected in early 2016.
Sources (3)
- Cloak Audio Jackdaw Esoteric Synth Fuzz, Fredric Effects
- Cloak Audio announce Jackdaw Esoteric Synth Fuzz, gearnews.com, 2016-01-20
- Top 5 Fuzz Pedals: The best dirt boxes of 2016, gearnews.com, 2016-05-18
