The FXdoctor Super 8-Bit Fuzz is a fuzz pedal with a gimmick that goes well beyond ordinary fuzz: as a picked note decays, it produces a descending arpeggio with an 8-bit, video-game character. Delicious Audio's reviewer Howard Stock described the result as "creating an unpredictable racket that sounds like a Commodore 64 that's been dunked in acid"1.
What it does
The pedal's signature behavior is the arpeggio: the harder the string pluck, the longer the descending arpeggio that follows the note as it dies away1. With the Stability control turned down to zero, Stock found the Super 8-Bit is "a rather nasty fuzz pedal," so it can double as a straight fuzz when the effect is dialed out1.
Controls
The three knobs on the face of the pedal are unmarked, which Stock resolved after playing it: "The mystery knobs turn out to be Volume, Gain and Stability"1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Output level1 |
| Gain | Drive into the fuzz circuit1 |
| Stability | Shapes the arpeggio effect; at zero the pedal behaves as a plain fuzz1 |
What reviewers said
Stock's verdict was that the pedal is a specialty effect rather than an always-on tool: "It certainly isn't a pedal you'd ever leave on and can't be incorporated into a formalized song structure because it isn't designed to do the same thing twice"1. At $175, he noted, a buyer would have to be willing to spend that much on an effect of this kind1.
Videos
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Questions
What does the FXdoctor Super 8-Bit Fuzz do?
It is a fuzz pedal with a twist: as a picked note decays, it produces a descending arpeggio with an 8-bit, video-game character. The harder the string is plucked, the longer the descending arpeggio runs. Its three knobs are unmarked on the face of the pedal and turn out to be Volume, Gain and Stability, with Stability shaping how much of the arpeggio effect comes through.
How much does the FXdoctor Super 8-Bit Fuzz cost?
At the time of Delicious Audio's January 2013 review by Howard Stock, the pedal carried a price of $175 in US dollars. The reviewer noted that anyone picking one up would have to be willing to drop $175 on an effect.
Sources (1)
- Pedal Reviews: FXdoctor Super 8-Bit Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2013-01-21