The Dwarfcraft Devices Grazer is a granular pitch shifting looper pedal, released by Dwarfcraft Devices in 2018. It grabs sections of your signal, varying in size, as micro-samples, then repeats them, pitch shifts them and plays them back forward or in reverse1. The result sits somewhere between a glitchy delay and a sample mangler: instead of echoing your whole phrase, it slices off fragments and reworks them.
The pedal is hosted in an attractively chunky, orange "brick-style" enclosure1. Pedal of the Day described the experience in plain terms:
"Like a pitch shifted delay pedal on steroids, the Grazer definitely opens up your ears in amazement, and will make you"2
The Grazer was also picked in Delicious Audio's Best Stompboxes of 2018 according to Dennis Kayzer3.
How the Grazer works
The Grazer belongs to the category of granular pitch shifting loopers1. In practice, it records tiny slices of whatever you play into a sample pool. When you trigger a grab, it snatches a slice of audio, randomly from that pool, and repeats it with pitch shifting and forward or reverse playback14. Because the slices are chosen at random, the same phrase played twice will not produce the same result twice.
The forward/reverse behavior depends on your settings. Delicious Audio notes that the effect can be subtle in some settings, and is most obvious with a percussive input and a large "size" setting1. If you want the reverse effect to jump out, play something spiky and turn the size knob up.
The controls and Grab footswitch
The Grazer has two silent relay footswitches: one activates the effect, and one initiates granular sampling, the "grab" switch4. When you click the grab switch, the Grazer snatches a slice of audio randomly from the sample pool4.
Grabbing can also happen automatically rather than only on demand. The AGR switch engages timed automatic grabbing, and a dedicated grab knob sets the rate of that automatic sampling14.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Grab footswitch | Triggers the grabbing of a section of signal; each click snatches a random slice from the sample pool14 |
| Grab knob | Sets the rate of automatic sampling in automatic mode4 |
| AGR switch | Engages timed automatic grabbing1 |
| XPD switch | Chooses the destination for expression pedal control, size or pitch1 |
| F/R switch | Selects forward or reverse playback; most obvious with percussive input and large size setting1 |
Expression pedal control
The Grazer accepts an expression pedal, which is not included, to pilot either the pitch control or the grain-size knob4. Which one it controls is set by the XPD switch on the pedal1. Premier Guitar's reviewer found that things get even more provocative and noisy when you connect an expression pedal, letting you sweep grain size or pitch in real time while the pedal repeats its slices4.
What reviewers said
Premier Guitar reviewed the Grazer Sample Slice Repeater in 2021 and summed up its character this way4:
"For experimentally minded players, Grazer definitely merits investigation. Its processes may confound you, but you're no"4
The same review noted the street price of $2294. Earlier, Pedal of the Day called it a pitch shifted delay pedal on steroids that opens up your ears and encourages creativity2, and the pedal earned a place in Delicious Audio's Best Stompboxes of 2018 according to Dennis Kayzer3. The common thread across the reviews is that the Grazer rewards players who enjoy unpredictable, experimental results rather than predictable repeats.
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Questions
Does the Dwarfcraft Grazer have an expression input?
Yes. The Grazer accepts an expression pedal, which is not included with the pedal. The expression input is assignable: an XPD switch on the pedal chooses whether the expression pedal controls the grain-size knob or the pitch control. Premier Guitar's reviewer found that connecting an expression pedal made the pedal even more provocative and noisy.
Can the Grazer play in reverse?
Yes. The Grazer does forward and reverse playback of the samples it grabs. Delicious Audio notes that the forward/reverse effect can be subtle in some settings, and is most obvious with a percussive input and a large size setting, so the reverse effect is easiest to hear with spiky playing and big grains.
How much does the Dwarfcraft Grazer cost?
Delicious Audio listed the Grazer at $225 when it was released in 2018. Premier Guitar's 2021 review gave a street price of $229. The two figures are close, but they come from different dates and different publications, so treat both as what those sources reported at the time.
Sources (4)
- Dwarfcraft Devices Grazer, Delicious Audio, 2018-06-04
- Dwarfcraft Devices Grazer Granular Repeater Glitch, Pedal of the Day, 2018-02-19
- Best Stompboxes Of 2018 According To Dennis Kayzer, Delicious Audio (delicious-audio.com), 2018-12-31
- Dwarfcraft Grazer Sample Slice Repeater Review, Premier Guitar, 2018-06-26
