The DOD Gonkulator is a ring modulator pedal with a distortion circuit built in, made by DOD. A ring modulator multiplies your guitar signal with an internal carrier wave, so what comes out is metallic, robotic and often atonal rather than the note you played. The Gonkulator's twist is that its distortion circuit, taken from the DOD Grunge, runs in parallel to the ring modulator, so the two effects are mixed rather than stacked1.
The pedal was originally released in the 90s and became a cult classic2. DOD and DigiTech reissued it in 2015 with updated circuitry and, importantly, an adjustable carrier signal, which lets you tune the ring modulation instead of being stuck with one fixed carrier23. The reissue has since been discontinued2.
The 2015 Gonkulator is discontinued. A 2019 review noted that examples could still be found relatively inexpensively on the secondhand market at that time2.
What it does to your sound
Ring modulation is one of the more extreme effects you can put on a guitar. The Gonkulator produces what Pedal of the Day described as "crazy, robotic modulation sounds", and its five controls yield "an enormous spectrum of sonic marvels, including oscillation, octaves, distortion and more"2.
The big change in the 2015 reissue is the adjustable carrier signal. Guitar Interactive Magazine explained what that means in practice352:
"The adjustable carrier signal allows you to tune the ring modulation giving you the ability to go from slightly-skewed modulation to wildly, atonal chaos."
MusicRadar made the same point at the reissue's announcement: the pedal "delivers the same robotic resonance" as the original, but the new carrier control lets you tune the modulation "for more usable, and even crazier" results3. In other words, you can dial the effect back toward something musical or push it into full noise.
Because the Grunge-derived distortion runs in parallel rather than in series, the distorted and ring modulated signals are blended at the output. That gives you a distorted guitar sound and the ring modulated sound on top of each other, each shaped by its own controls1.
The controls
The Gonkulator has five knobs: Gain, Dist, Output, Freq and Ring4. DOD's own product page describes the two ring modulation controls, and press reviews cover the rest.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Sets the gain of the distortion side of the circuit54 |
| Dist | Sets the amount of distortion54 |
| Output | Sets the overall level of the signal output2 |
| Freq | Adjusts the frequency of the carrier signal applied to the input signal62 |
| Ring | Adjusts the ring modulation output level when the effect is on; turn clockwise to increase it62 |
The Freq knob is the heart of the reissue. DOD describes it as adjusting "the frequency of the carrier signal (wave) being applied to the original input signal"6, which is what lets you move between subtle skew and atonal chaos. The Ring knob then sets how much of that ring modulated signal reaches the output62.
History and versions: the 90s original and the 2015 reissue
The original Gonkulator was released in the 90s2, and MusicRadar called it one of "two 90s cult classics" that DigiTech brought back under the DOD name in 2015, alongside the Meatbox Subsynth3. The reissue shipped from August 2015, priced at £154 each in the UK3.
The 2015 version differs from the original in several ways:
- Updated circuitry and more flexible carrier signal control compared with the 90s pedal2
- Adjustable carrier signal, a new feature that lets you tune the ring modulation53
- True bypass circuitry, where the original "would colour your bypassed tone"5
- An updated 9V DC power supply jack5
- A vintage-style aluminum chassis that is lighter than the original5
The reissue did not stay in the lineup for long. Pedal of the Day reported that DOD "decided to discontinue making this pedal once again", though the reviewer noted that "these can be found relatively inexpensively" on the used market2.
What reviewers said
Reviews of the reissue were positive about what the pedal does, with the caveat that ring modulation is a niche taste2.
Pedal of the Day's 2019 review concluded:
"Ring Mod fans will love this pedal, and the distortion circuit is an added bonus for sure."
The same review found the pedal "sounds incredible when put in line with other effects as well", so it rewards experimentation in a larger signal chain2. Guitar.com's review described the pedal plainly as "a distortion circuit (taken from the DOD Grunge) running in parallel to a ring modulator", made in China1.
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Questions
What does a ring modulator do to a guitar?
A ring modulator multiplies your guitar signal with an internal carrier wave, producing the sum and difference frequencies rather than the original note. The result is metallic, robotic, often atonal tones that bear little resemblance to the note you played. On the Gonkulator, the Freq knob moves the carrier frequency, so you can tune the effect from slightly skewed modulation to wild, atonal chaos.
Is the DOD Gonkulator true bypass?
Yes. The 2015 reissue features true bypass switching, so it leaves your bypassed tone alone. That is a change from the 90s original, which coloured your tone even when the effect was off. The reissue also uses an updated 9V DC power supply jack.
What distortion circuit does the Gonkulator use?
Its distortion circuit is taken from the DOD Grunge, and it runs in parallel to the ring modulator rather than in series. That means the distorted and ring modulated signals are mixed at the output, with independent Gain, Distortion and Output controls shaping the distortion side.
Is the DOD Gonkulator discontinued?
Yes. DOD discontinued the 2015 reissue, and as of a 2019 review the pedal was no longer in production. The reviewer noted that used examples could still be found relatively inexpensively at that time, so secondhand units remain the way to get one.
Sources (6)
- DOD Overdrive Preamp 250, Phasor 201 and Gonkulator review, Guitar.com, 2023-03-24
- DOD Gonkulator Ring Modulator (2015), Pedal of the Day, 2019-06-01
- DOD revives Gonkulator Ring Modulator and Meatbox Subsynth effects pedals, MusicRadar, 2015-07-01
- DOD Gonkulator review, Guitar World, 2023-06-28
- DOD Gonkulator Ring Modulator and Meatbox Sub Synth Pedal Updates Introduced, Guitar Interactive Magazine, 2015-09-10
- DOD Gonkulator, DigiTech, 2025-05-26
