The Dusky Electronics Hypatia is a fuzz, overdrive and distortion pedal from Dusky Electronics, the North Carolina pedal and amp builder run by Chris Rossi. Dusky announced it in September 2018 at a list price of $180, describing a pedal that covers everything from "singing, sustaining fuzz and distortion at one extreme, to crunchy, textured overdrive at the other"1. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio and Chris Rossi called it "a fantastically versatile fuzz/overdrive/distortion pedal"2.
The Hypatia was shown as a prototype at the 2018 Brooklyn Stompbox Exhibit, and the circuit was still in development when Delicious Audio described it: "We're still working on this circuit (we want to get it just right!), but most of the basic elements are here"2.
What it does
The Hypatia's headline feature is its wide gain range. Dusky's own description, as reported by Delicious Audio, is "a gain range that takes you from ragged crunch to blown out, bludgeoning fuzz and enough low end for bass players, but tailorable, via the Meat knob, for guitar or any instrument"2. In practice that puts one pedal across territory normally split between fuzz, overdrive and distortion pedals, with the low-end control deciding how much bottom survives the dirt.
Controls
The pedal is a four-knob dirt pedal according to Guitar.com's launch report4. Two controls are documented in detail:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Meat | Adjusts the low end for any style, tailorable for guitar or any instrument2 |
| More | Volume4 |
Buffers and circuit lineage
The Hypatia carries two buffers. The input buffer was specially designed for flexible signal-chain placement, meaning it can sit elsewhere on a board than a typical fuzz, which usually wants to be first in line3. The output buffer is MOSFET-based, and Delicious Audio notes it was "lifted almost verbatim from the Mandorla", Dusky's earlier pedal2.
Reception
Premier Guitar gave the Hypatia a "Premier Gear" tag, and the pedal went on to make the cover of the magazine's Best of 2019 issue2.
Videos
Premier Guitar
Premier Guitar
Dusky Electronics
Questions
Who designed the Dusky Electronics Hypatia?
The Hypatia was designed by Chris Rossi, a pedal and amp builder from North Carolina who works under the name Dusky Electronics. He first showed the pedal as a prototype at the 2018 Brooklyn Stompbox Exhibit and demoed it in person at the Delicious Audio Stompbox Booth at NAMM 2019.
What does the Meat knob do?
The Meat knob adjusts the low end of the pedal. Dusky describes it as letting you tailor the bass response for any style, with enough low end for bass players while remaining adjustable for guitar or any other instrument.
What voltage does the Hypatia run on?
The Hypatia operates from 9 to 18V power supplies, according to Dusky Electronics' press material. That range gives players headroom to run it at a higher supply voltage if they choose.
Does the Hypatia work for bass players?
Yes. Dusky describes the Hypatia as having enough low end for bass players, with the low end tailorable through the Meat knob for guitar or any instrument. The pedal's adjustable low-end response is one of its headline features.
Sources (4)
- Dusky Electronics Announces the Hypatia, Premier Guitar, 2018-09-11
- Dusky Electronics Hypatia Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2020-07-20
- Dusky Electronics unveils versatile Hypatia overdrive/fuzz/distortion pedal, MusicRadar, 2018-09-12
- Dusky Electronics releases the Hypatia, Guitar.com, 2018-09-13
