The Color of the Young Star is a stereo ambient reverb and pitch-processing pedal from Discomfort Designs, a maker whose pedals combine a reverb engine with a dedicated pitch shifter. It pairs those two engines with a three-position Trails toggle that tailors the pedal's response when bypassed, and its footswitches carry momentary functions, including momentary on from a bypassed state and hidden "while on" features.1
What it does
The core idea is a pitch shifter placed ahead of the reverb. Pedal of the Day describes a dedicated Pitch Shifter preceding the reverb in the signal path, allowing the dry signal to be shifted before it enters the reverb engine.2 That means the shifted voices are themselves fed into the reverb, so octaves and harmonies bloom inside the tail rather than sitting dry on top of it.
The pitch shifter offers three selectable modes: +1 Octave, -1 Octave, and a Perfect Fifth Harmony.2 A Pitch Amount control sets how much of the shifted signal is blended in.1
The controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Decay | Sets the length of the reverb tail2 |
| Dry>Wet Mix | Blends the dry and effected signal1 |
| Damp (Hi-Cut) | Shapes the tonal character of the reflections by controlling high-frequency attenuation2 |
| Size | Adjusts the perceived dimension of the virtual space2 |
| Modulation | Introduces movement and chorusing within the reverb tail for added depth and animation2 |
| Pitch Amount | Sets the level of the pitch-shifted signal1 |
| Jitter (Fluctuation) | Listed among the pedal's controls1 |
| Trails | Three-position toggle: On / Off / Reverse21 |
The Trails toggle and footswitches
A three-position Trails toggle tailors the pedal's response when bypassed:
- On: reverb tails decay naturally after the effect is disengaged2
- Off: immediate cutoff for tighter, more controlled transitions2
- Reverse: transforms the reverb envelope into a swelling, reversed-style ambient effect for more experimental texture2
The footswitches also carry hidden functions. Pedal of the Day notes momentary functions for each of the foot switches: momentary on from a bypassed state, and hidden "while on" features.2
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day's reviewer found the pedal did not disappoint, calling it one of the kinds of pedals you can get lost in for days, and concluded that together all of these features make The Color of the Young Star equally suited for subtle ambience, cinematic soundscapes, and dramatic, alienistic spatial effects.2
Videos
Discomfort Designs
Pedal of the Day
Questions
Is The Colour of the Young Star a stereo pedal?
Yes. Pedal of the Day describes it as a stereo ambient reverb and pitch-processing pedal, and it was released by Discomfort Designs as one of three full-stereo pedals at the start of the year, alongside the Queasy Feels and Supreme Balloon.
What intervals does the pitch shifter offer?
The dedicated pitch shifter has selectable modes of +1 Octave, -1 Octave, and a Perfect Fifth Harmony. The Pitch Amount control sets how much of the shifted signal is blended in, and the shifting happens before the dry signal enters the reverb engine.
Does the pitch shifter come before or after the reverb?
It comes before. Pedal of the Day notes that a dedicated pitch shifter precedes the reverb in the signal path, so the dry signal is shifted before it enters the reverb engine.
What does the Reverse setting on the Trails toggle do?
Reverse mode transforms the reverb envelope into a swelling, reversed-style ambient effect for more experimental texture. The other two positions are On, where tails decay naturally after the effect is disengaged, and Off, which gives immediate cutoff for tighter, more controlled transitions.
Can this pedal do reverb trails after it is switched off?
Yes. With the Trails toggle in On mode, reverb tails decay naturally after the effect is disengaged. Off mode instead cuts the sound immediately, and Reverse mode turns the envelope into a swelling, reversed-style effect.
Sources (2)
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2026-10-13
- Discomfort Designs The Colour of the Young Star Stereo Pitch Melting Reverb, Pedal of the Day, 2026-08-28