The Coda Effects Montagne is a tap tempo tremolo, documented by its maker as a DIY project while still in prototyping. The signal path is analog, built around a TL072 dual op amp with the guitar signal modulated by an LDR (a light-dependent resistor, sometimes called a vactrol), while the tap tempo side uses a digital LFO, the TAPLFO2D. The maker notes that implementing tap tempo is not easy, because it requires digital circuitry, so the Montagne mixes an analog audio path with a digital control path1.
Status and history
The Montagne was not a released product when it was documented. In a May 2016 post, the maker of Coda Effects described prototyping a tap tempo tremolo he had conceived, after nearly six months of work. He wrote that "With a bit of luck, this tremolo should be available soon (PCB, kit or full pedal :) )", meaning the design was planned for release in three forms: as a bare PCB, as a kit, or as a finished pedal1.
The page documents the second prototype. The first prototype had no relay bypass, some noise issues and a different PCB, and at least five versions of the PCB were designed along the way1.
How the circuit works
The audio path is deliberately simple: a double op amp, the TL072, with the signal modulated by an LDR driven by the TAPLFO2D digital LFO. The maker points out that the TL072 is a dual J-FET op amp well known for its transparency, and since that is the part the signal passes through, he describes the analog section as super-transparent1.
The name comes from the waveforms: "Montagne" means "mountain" in French, like the shape of the waveforms1.
Controls and footswitches
The Montagne carries six potentiometers, which the maker describes as many options. Among them, the Depth knob sets the tremolo's deepness, from very subtle tremolo to huge choppy tremolo1.
There are two footswitches:
- Tap tempo, on the right side
- True bypass, using a clickless relay bypass system the maker conceived, described as completely silent and more reliable than a classic 3PDT true bypass1
Enclosure
The pedal fits in a 125B enclosure. The maker explains the choice: he wanted it to fit in a 125B because BB enclosures are not fitted for a pedalboard, and tall 1590BB enclosures are gigantic1.
For other tremolo designs, see the Tremolo Pedals page, or the related Coda Effects Montagne Tremolo.
Videos
Benoit M
Questions
Is the Coda Effects Montagne available to buy?
As of the maker's May 2016 post, the Montagne was still a prototype and had not been released. Coda Effects wrote that, with a bit of luck, it should be available soon as a PCB, a kit or a full pedal. The page documents the second prototype of a project the maker had been working on for nearly six months.
Is the Montagne true bypass?
Yes. The bypass footswitch uses a clickless relay bypass system that Coda Effects describes as completely silent and more reliable than a classic 3PDT true bypass. An earlier prototype had no relay bypass and some noise issues; the relay bypass appears on the second prototype.
What enclosure does the Montagne use?
The Montagne fits in a 125B enclosure. The maker chose it because BB enclosures are not well suited to a pedalboard and tall 1590BB enclosures are gigantic.
Why is it called Montagne?
Montagne means mountain in French. The maker named it that because of the shape of the waveforms.
Sources (1)
- Coda Effects, Coda Effects (www.coda-effects.com), 2016-05
