The Fjord Fuzz BIFROST is a fuzz and analog delay in one pedal, built by the Norwegian pedal builder Fjord Fuzz. Rather than keeping the two effects separate, Delicious Audio describes it as "a fuzz + delay circuit tuned for controlled self-oscillation", built around "this classic analog delay trick" of pushing a delay into repeating oscillation on purpose.1
That combination puts the BIFROST in unusual territory: it is a fuzz that feeds a delay, with the delay's feedback designed to run away in a controlled way, the way vintage analog delays do when you push their repeats past the point of stability1.
Expression control and delay time
The key feature, in Pedal of the Day's view, is a small 1/4-inch jack on the bottom of the pedal, which the reviewer noted is not the usual placement. That jack accepts an expression pedal and uses it to control the delay time. The expression control opens the delay's full spectrum up, going all the way to 1300ms.2
When the expression jack is in use, the Delay Time knob on the panel, labeled X, is disabled, so the pedal takes its delay time from your foot instead of the knob.2
Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio argued that this way of moving the delay time beats a conventional approach1:
"I find it to be a much more musical feature than a tap-tempo module. You have to bend and morph in and out of time and it's a really wonderful thing1."
Paolo De Gregorio, Delicious Audio1
Footswitches and feedback
The BIFROST carries two footswitches. The lower left footswitch toggles between two feedback settings, which lets you set two different amounts of delay repeat and switch between them at a moment's notice.2 Paired with the circuit's tuned self-oscillation, that gives a player a way to move between a settled delay and a runaway one without reaching for a knob mid-song.
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day reviewed the BIFROST in December 2020 and came away enthusiastic, calling it unlike anything else they had encountered2:
"The BIFROST is not like any other effect we've come across, and we love when something new and special arrives on our doorstep2."
Pedal of the Day2
The same review noted that the reviewer had previously been completely blown away by Fjord Fuzz's BJØRN Dual Octave Fuzz, another pedal in the builder's range.2
Videos
Fjord Fuzz AS
Ponderer Sounds
Pedal of the Day
Questions
Can you control the Fjord Fuzz BIFROST with an expression pedal?
Yes. The BIFROST has a 1/4-inch expression jack on the bottom of the pedal, an unusual placement that Pedal of the Day noted approvingly. Plugging an expression pedal in there lets you control the delay time with your foot, opening up the delay's full spectrum up to 1300ms. When the expression jack is in use, the Delay Time knob on the panel is disabled.
How long is the BIFROST's maximum delay time?
The BIFROST's delay reaches a maximum of 1300ms. That full range is available through the expression pedal input: Pedal of the Day describes the expression control as letting you open up the delay's full spectrum, going all the way up to 1300ms, with the Delay Time knob disabled while the expression jack is in use.
What does the left footswitch on the BIFROST do?
The lower left footswitch toggles between two feedback settings. According to Pedal of the Day, this allows you to set two different feedback settings and toggle between them at a moment's notice, which suits the pedal's design as a fuzz and delay circuit tuned for controlled self-oscillation.
Is the BIFROST a fuzz, a delay, or both?
Both. Delicious Audio describes the BIFROST as a fuzz plus delay circuit tuned for controlled self-oscillation, built around the classic analog delay trick of pushing a delay into oscillation. Pedal of the Day called it unlike any other effect the reviewer had come across and said they loved when something new and special arrives.
What happens to the Delay Time knob when an expression pedal is plugged in?
The Delay Time knob, labeled X on the panel, is disabled when the expression jack is in use. The expression pedal takes over control of the delay time entirely, sweeping across the pedal's full delay range up to 1300ms while the knob sits out of the circuit.
Sources (2)
- Fjord Fuzz Bifrost Fuzz + Delay, Delicious Audio, 2021-03-02
- Fjord Fuzz BIFROST Fuzz Delay, Pedal of the Day, 2020-12-16
