The Dwarfcraft Grazer Sample Slice Repeater is a granular delay pedal, a type that until recently lived mostly in software. Premier Guitar notes that granular delay has migrated to the pedalboard via effects like the Grazer, describing granular delay, or granular synthesis, as a noisy, chaotic effect1. Where a conventional delay pedal repeats what you play, the Grazer grabs slices of your audio and repeats them, shifting and scrambling them as it goes.
What the Grazer does to your sound
Granular processing cuts audio into short grains and replays them, and the Grazer applies that to a guitar signal. Premier Guitar's reviewer described the results as blurry psychedelic trails, frantic flickering, and ringing metallic noises that evoke a horde of mechanical insects1. One detail sets its pitch behavior apart from smoother pitch-shifting effects: the transpositions ascend step by step, rather than in a continuous smear1. Players after conventional echoes should look elsewhere; this is a synth-adjacent texture and glitch tool.
Controls and footswitches
The Grazer carries two silent relay switches: one activates the effect and one initiates granular sampling, the "grab" switch1. When you click the grab switch, the Grazer snatches a slice of audio randomly from the sample pool1.
- Grab switch: Clicks to grab a random slice of audio from the sample pool1
- Grab knob: A dedicated grab knob sets the rate of automatic sampling1
- Automatic sampling mode: Activated via toggle; in this mode the Grazer grabs short samples at a steady, LFO-driven rate1
- Pitch knob: Steps through transpositions rather than smearing them1
Expression pedal input
Things get even more provocative and noisy when you connect an expression pedal, which is not included. You can choose whether the pedal pilots the pitch control or the grain-size knob1. Players with an expression pedal on the board can therefore sweep between granular textures live.
Size and price
Premier Guitar measured the Grazer at 4.5" x 3.5" x 2", and its reviewer found it captures a large palette of granular tones in that footprint1. The review listed a street price of $2291.
"Nice build. Fair price. Super-freaky noises that once required a computer."
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Questions
What is a granular delay pedal?
A granular delay works by cutting incoming audio into very short slices, or grains, and replaying them in ways a conventional delay does not. Premier Guitar describes granular delay, or granular synthesis, as a noisy, chaotic effect. The Dwarfcraft Grazer brings that kind of processing to a pedalboard, grabbing slices of audio and repeating them with pitch shifts and glitches.
How much does the Dwarfcraft Grazer cost?
Premier Guitar listed the Grazer at a street price of $229 in its August 2021 review. The reviewer summed the pedal up as nice build, fair price, and super-freaky noises that once required a computer.
Does the Grazer work with an expression pedal?
Yes. The Grazer accepts an expression pedal, which is not included, and you can set it to pilot either the pitch control or the grain-size knob. Premier Guitar noted that things get even more provocative and noisy when an expression pedal is connected.
What does the grab footswitch do on the Grazer?
The grab switch initiates granular sampling. When you click it, the Grazer snatches a slice of audio randomly from the sample pool. There is also an automatic sampling mode, activated via toggle, in which the pedal grabs short samples at a steady, LFO-driven rate set by the grab knob.
How big is the Dwarfcraft Grazer?
Premier Guitar measured the Grazer at 4.5 by 3.5 by 2 inches, and noted that it captures a large palette of granular tones in that enclosure.
Sources (1)
- Dwarfcraft Grazer Sample Slice Repeater Review, Premier Guitar, 2018-06-26