The Fairfield Circuitry Long Life is an analog, one-band parametric equalizer pedal with a tilt control. Fairfield describes it as "very much a one-band parametric equalizer with gritty extras", with a filter curve that can go from lo-pass to band-pass to high-pass by turning the Tilt knob1. Reviewers found it "extremely useful also for more subtle tone sculpting and boosting operations, in particular when stacked before other gain devices"2.
What it does to your sound
At its core the Long Life is a single band of parametric EQ: you pick a frequency, decide how wide or narrow the band is, and cut or boost it. Around that, Fairfield adds a tilt section and a resonant filter that can sweep from lo-pass through band-pass to high-pass, which is why the maker calls it a filter "with wide range and application"1. The fully variable Q control can push the filter into self-oscillation, a territory Pedal of the Day's reviewer highlighted as one of the pedal's more extreme capabilities3.
Delicious Audio also found it useful well beyond dramatic filter sweeps: "the Long Life is actually extremely useful also for more subtle tone sculpting and boosting operations, in particular when stacked before other gain devices"2. Players using overdrive pedals, distortion pedals or fuzz pedals can therefore place it in front of them as a shaping and boost stage, and it sits naturally among other equalization pedals.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Freq | Sets the corner frequency of the filter; the pedal's main control. Can also be driven by an expression pedal via the EXP jack3 |
| Q | Resonance control. Before noon you get softer equalization, with a more aggressive stance past 12:003 |
| Gain | Chooses negative or positive gain on the bandpass filter section, letting you notch or boost the selected frequency3 |
| Tilt | Tilts the frequency response around the center frequency: flat at noon, low-pass to the left, high-pass to the right, with various degrees of shelving3 |
| Volume | A unity gain or output level control, with a flat response around 2:003 |
Expression and CV control
The Long Life offers two ways to move its filter from outside. An expression pedal plugged into the side-mounted EXP jack controls the Freq knob3, and Fairfield describes this input as one that "controls center frequency"1. On top of the case there are two 1/8 inch CV In connections that "allow external control of these two parameters", the resonance Q and the frequency F2.
The two inputs are not the same. Fairfield's FAQ explains that the EXP input "is tuned to have a range similar to that of a standard Wah pedal", so it does not sweep the full range of the Frequency knob, while the frequency CV input can control the full range of the filter5. If you want the whole sweep, use CV rather than expression.
Circuit and presets
The pedal combines tilt and notch/boost equalization around a 2nd-order state-variable core, a design that gives a slope of -12dB per octave13. A state-variable filter is a topology that can produce several filter responses from one core, which is why a single Tilt knob can take the curve from low-pass through band-pass to high-pass12. The Long Life can also save up to three presets, which Delicious Audio's EQ buying guide noted when describing it as "a utility stompbox with EQ and Boost"4.
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Questions
Is the Fairfield Circuitry Long Life analog or digital?
The Long Life is analog. Delicious Audio described it as "in its essence an analog, parametric, resonant EQ channel". Its circuit combines tilt and notch/boost equalization around a 2nd-order state-variable core, and its filter can move from low-pass to band-pass to high-pass using the Tilt knob.
How many presets can the Long Life save?
The Long Life can save up to three presets. Delicious Audio's EQ buying guide described it as a utility stompbox with EQ and boost that lets you save up to three presets, which makes it usable as more than a set-and-forget tone-shaping box.
Can an expression pedal control the Long Life?
Yes. An expression pedal plugged into the EXP jack controls the center frequency. Fairfield Circuitry notes that the EXP input is tuned to have a range similar to a standard wah pedal, so it does not cover the full range of the Frequency knob. The separate frequency CV input can control the full range of the filter.
What is a state-variable filter?
A state-variable filter is a filter design that can produce several filter responses, such as low-pass, band-pass and high-pass, from one core circuit. The Long Life uses a 2nd-order state-variable core, which means a slope of -12dB per octave, and combines it with tilt and notch/boost equalization.
Is the Long Life still available?
Fairfield Circuitry's product page for the Long Life currently lists it as sold out. Availability can change, so the maker's own page is the place to see whether new stock has appeared.
What does the tilt control do on a parametric EQ?
A tilt control shifts the overall balance of the frequency response around a center point. On the Long Life, the response is flat at noon, becomes low-pass to the left of noon and high-pass to the right, with various degrees of shelving in between, all around the filter's center frequency.
Sources (5)
- Long Life, Fairfield Circuitry
- Fairfield Circuitry Long Life EQ, Delicious Audio, 2021-07-22
- Fairfield Circuitry Long Life Parametric EQ, Pedal of the Day, 2020-11-16
- 2023 UPDATE! Best EQ Pedals For Guitar: Graphic & Parametric, Delicious Audio, 2023-12-13
- FAQ - Fairfield Circuitry, Fairfield Circuitry
