The Electro-Harmonix Super Pulsar is a stereo tap tremolo pedal. It carries eight preset slots for storing settings, and it arrived in the rectangular enclosure familiar from other pedals in the EHX range, sharing its dimensions with the Cathedral Reverb and the Deluxe Memory Man: 146 mm wide, 121 mm deep and 64 mm high1. It sits above the simpler Stereo Pulsar in the company's tremolo line and belongs to the broader family of tremolo pedals. At review it was listed at £219 in the UK1.
What it does and how it is controlled
The Super Pulsar's control set is unusually deep for a tremolo. Gary Walker's review for Guitar.com lists the full panel: volume, right-channel phase, wave, shape, depth, wave invert, tap divide, exp mode, envelope depth, envelope rate, xRate, a tap tempo switch, mode preset and bypass1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Output level, including a boost of up to 12 dB1 |
| Wave / shape | Selects and adjusts the modulation waveform; sine, triangle and pulse shapes are available1 |
| Depth | Amount of tremolo applied to the signal2 |
| Rt. phase / wave invert | Phase and inversion options for the stereo outputs1 |
| Tap tempo / tap divide | Tap tempo footswitch; the tap divide switch splits the tap into seven note types1 |
| Envelope depth / rate | Link the effect speed to your picking dynamics1 |
| Exp mode | Sets behavior of the expression pedal input1 |
| Mode preset / bypass | Preset mode and bypass switching1 |
The envelope controls are the feature most tremolos leave out. As Walker put it, "These two mini knobs link the effect speed to your picking dynamics," so the tremolo rate responds to how hard you play rather than only running free1. Eight LED lights on the top panel correspond to the eight preset slots1.
Power, bypass and practicalities
The pedal runs on the included 9V DC adaptor1. Its rectangular enclosure will be familiar to fans of the Electro-Harmonix range, sharing the same dimensions as the Cathedral Reverb and Deluxe Memory Man, so it takes correspondingly more board space than a compact pedal1.
The Super Pulsar is true bypass according to Guitar.com's review1. The related Stereo Pulsar, a different and simpler pedal in the same family, is specified by Electro-Harmonix with buffered bypass, so check which of the two you are reading about when comparing bypass types2.
How it compares in the Pulsar family
Electro-Harmonix has built the Pulsar name across its tremolo line. The Stereo Pulsar is a variable shape analog tremolo with stereo audio, now marked discontinued as of 20252. The Super Pulsar sits above it in the range, adding eight preset slots on top of the tremolo basics1.
What reviewers said
Guitar.com's verdict was strong. Walker wrote, "we'd go as far as to say it's the most feature-full, innovative tremolo pedal we've ever encountered"1.
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Questions
Is the Electro-Harmonix Super Pulsar true bypass?
Yes. Gary Walker's review for Guitar.com lists true bypass among the Super Pulsar's features, alongside its stereo inputs and outputs. Note that the related Stereo Pulsar, a simpler variable shape analog tremolo in the same family, is specified by Electro-Harmonix with buffered bypass, so the two pedals differ on this point.
Can the Super Pulsar sync to MIDI clock?
Yes, indirectly. Molten Voltage explained in 2015 that the Super Pulsar's 1/4-inch tap jack allows the pedal to sync to MIDI clock when connected to the company's CTL-Sync pedal. The Super Pulsar has no MIDI input of its own, so the CTL-Sync acts as the bridge between a MIDI clock source and the tap tempo circuit.
What is the difference between the Super Pulsar and the Nano Pulsar?
The Nano Pulsar, released in 2022, is a compact version of the Stereo Pulsar priced at $99, with stereo operation, triangle or square waves and a volume knob added. The Super Pulsar is the larger, deeper pedal: analog stereo tremolo with tap tempo, tap divide, eight preset slots, envelope controls, expression pedal control and a volume boost of up to 12 dB.
Does the Super Pulsar come with a power supply?
Yes. Guitar.com's review lists a 9V DC AC adaptor as included with the Super Pulsar. That matters on a pedal of this size, since the feature set goes well beyond what a battery-powered pedal would typically carry.
Can you use an expression pedal with the Super Pulsar?
Yes. Expression pedal control is listed among the Super Pulsar's features in Guitar.com's review, and the pedal's control set includes an exp mode switch for setting how the expression input behaves.
Sources (2)
- Electro-Harmonix Super Pulsar Stereo Tap Tremolo review, guitar.com, 2015-10-14
- Stereo Pulsar, Electro-Harmonix (ehx.com), 2025
