The Discomfort Designs Supreme Balloon is a stereo pattern tremolo pedal made by Discomfort Designs, the small builder also known for the Queasy Feels modulator and The Color of the Young Star pitch-melting reverb1. It carries internal dip-switches, including a Stereo Spread option and an output setting, and it normally goes for $2951.
Where a conventional tremolo simply raises and lowers volume, the Supreme Balloon is built around pattern modulation: it can pan the signal in stereo, blend in harmonic tremolo, and introduce randomized dropouts and fluctuations in the LFO cycle. Pedal of the Day describes its range as running "from smooth, vintage-inspired pulses to complex harmonic movement and unpredictable modulation patterns"2. Guitar Pedal X's reviewer, Stefan Karlsson, found that "its core tremolo is not the lushest, but it offers glitchy, off-kilter yet musical sounds" and takes you into territories other tremolo pedals cannot1.
Where it came from
Guitar Pedal X frames the Supreme Balloon against the most famous stereo tremolo/panner of all: the Boss PN-2 Tremolo/Pan from 1990. Karlsson calls the Supreme Balloon "a massive evolution over the original Stereo Tremolo Panner," expanding the PN-2's format with harmonic tremolo, waveform morphing and glitch controls rather than copying it34. The pedal has gone through at least two iterations, with the green colourway being Karlsson's favorite3.
The controls
The control set goes well beyond a basic two-knob tremolo. Guitar Pedal X lists the full layout3:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| LFO Depth | Sets the intensity of the modulation2 |
| LFO Rate | Sets the speed of the modulation2 |
| Melt | Deformity / disruption of the LFO4 |
| Split | Blends between standard and harmonic tremolo1 |
| Lag | Phase unsync between modulation phases4 |
| Wave Morph | Smooth transition of the waveform shape4 |
| Skip | Randomized dropouts in the LFO cycle2 |
| Jitter | Serial tiny fluctuations in the pedal's output4 |
| Waveform | Selector for sawtooth, sine or square1 |
The Split control is the heart of the pedal's two tremolo voices. At lower settings the effect behaves as a traditional full-spectrum tremolo; as you turn it up, the signal transitions smoothly into harmonic tremolo, producing what Pedal of the Day describes as "rich, phase-like movement and enhanced dimensionality." It works by dividing the incoming signal into separate frequency bands and modulating them independently2.
The Skip toggle introduces randomized dropouts in the modulating LFO cycle, creating irregular pulses, missing beats and unexpected rhythmic variations2. Jitter, shared with the other two Discomfort Designs stereo pedals, causes serial tiny fluctuations in the pedal's output4.
Wave Morph across sawtooth, sine and square
The Wave Morph control works differently for each of the three waveforms, gradually reshaping the LFO rather than switching abruptly between shapes1:
- Sawtooth: gradual inversion along the X-axis, from a downward to an upward sawtooth1
- Sine: gradual inversion along the Y-axis, from a sine hump wave to a U-sweep1
- Square: gradual transition to shorter pulse width modulation1
Pedal of the Day notes that the selected waveform can also be flipped or inverted within the morphing process, opening up a wide range of asymmetrical and evolving modulation patterns2.
Footswitches: Engage and Speed Multiplier
The pedal has two footswitches: Engage Tremolo and Speed Multiplier x 41. The Speed footswitch multiplies the current modulation rate by four, enabling smooth transitions from slow, subtle movement to rapid stutter-like effects2. Karlsson reports using it for a momentary trill or flutter while engaged1.
Internal dip-switches and stereo options
Stereo behavior is set by an internal 4-way dip-switch3:
| Switch | Setting |
|---|---|
| 1 | ON = SISO output, using TRS cables; OFF = MISO, TS to TRS3 |
| 2 | ON = stereo widening; OFF = no widening3 |
| 3 | OFF = modulation invert; ON = invert off3 |
| 4 | Not referenced in the documentation3 |
The pedal is full stereo and can do both MISO (mono in, stereo out) and SISO (stereo in, stereo out) throughput4. Karlsson ran it with the output set to SISO and Stereo Spread activated via the internal dip-switches1.
Running the pedal in mono means using the MISO output setting, with a TS to TRS cable3. The stereo spread and widening options only apply with a stereo output.
Price and availability
The Supreme Balloon normally goes for $295 on the Discomfort Designs Webstore1. As of October 2026 it is listed there as sold out, though Guitar Pedal X expects a new batch eventually1. Karlsson picked up his own used unit on Reverb.com for £186 including shipping3.
What reviewers said
Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson reviewed the pedal in October 2026 and summed up its character:
"Discomfort Designs' Supreme Balloon is a brilliant sort of quirky / glitchy stereo pattern tremolo"
He qualified the praise by noting the core tremolo is not the lushest, while still finding it musical and capable of sounds other tremolo pedals cannot reach1. Pedal of the Day, featuring the pedal in July 2026, called it "an advanced tremolo pedal designed to cover the full range of classic amplitude modulation" and encouraged readers to hear what "this green machine is capable of"2.
Videos
Pedal of the Day
Questions
What does the Speed Multiplier footswitch do on the Supreme Balloon?
It multiplies the current modulation rate by four, letting you move from slow, subtle movement to rapid stutter-like effects. Guitar Pedal X's reviewer also uses it for a momentary trill or flutter effect while it is engaged.
Is the Supreme Balloon based on the Boss PN-2?
Guitar Pedal X describes it as a massive evolution and expansion of the stereo tremolo/panner format established by the Boss PN-2 Tremolo/Pan from 1990, rather than a clone. It keeps the stereo tremolo and panning concept but adds harmonic tremolo, Wave Morph and glitch-style controls.
How much does the Discomfort Designs Supreme Balloon cost?
It normally goes for $295 on the Discomfort Designs Webstore. As of October 2026 it is listed as sold out there, though Guitar Pedal X's reviewer picked up a used unit on Reverb.com for £186 including shipping.
Can the Supreme Balloon run in mono?
Yes. Its internal dip-switches set the output to either MISO (mono in, stereo out, using a TS to TRS cable) or SISO (stereo in and out, using TRS cables). A mono setup uses the MISO setting.
Who designed the Supreme Balloon?
The circuit was designed by Justin of Discomfort Designs. Guitar Pedal X's reviewer describes the pedal as an introduction to the preferences and design DNA of circuit designer Justin.
Is the Supreme Balloon still available?
As of October 2026 it is listed as sold out at the Discomfort Designs Webstore. Guitar Pedal X notes that a new batch will presumably arrive eventually, and used units have appeared on Reverb.com.
Sources (4)
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X
- Discomfort Designs Supreme Balloon Stereo Tremolo & Panner, Pedal of the Day, 2026-07-29
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2026-10-09
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2026-10-13
