The Keeley Larry LaLonde Artist Series Edition BubbleTron, also called the Le Bubble Tron, is a signature version of Keeley Electronics' Bubble Tron flanger/phaser pedal, built in collaboration with Larry "Ler" LaLonde, guitarist of Primus. It launched on April 29, 2022, priced at $229, and was available at launch12.
The pedal is a dynamic effects unit rather than a conventional flanger. Its three modes, a dynamic flanger, a dual phaser and an envelope filter, all react to your picking, so the effects start and stop with your playing instead of running continuously. MusicRadar's Jonathan Horsley described the result as "off the wall, dynamic, at times random, and a fantastic contemporary tribute to the classic MicMix DynaFlanger, as used by Frank Zappa"1.
From the original BubbleTron to the Le Bubble Tron
The Artist Series Edition keeps that circuit philosophy but presents it differently. It comes in a reworked enclosure, with a new paint job and a slightly augmented set of controls1. Guitar World described LaLonde's own unit as "pretty similar to the original" in circuit terms2, with the changes concentrated on how you reach the effects.
The clearest lineage is in the DynaFlanger mode, which takes inspiration from the MicMix DynaFlanger, the studio processor Frank Zappa used12. Where a standard flanger sweeps continuously, the DynaFlanger concept ties the sweep to your playing dynamics, which is what gives the BubbleTron family its reactive character.
How the Artist Series BubbleTron differs from the original
The functional difference between the two versions comes down to the envelope filter. On the original BubbleTron, the envelope filter effect was accessible only via an internal dip switch. On the Artist Series Edition it has been moved to the front control panel, selected by the three-way mini-toggle mode switch on top of the enclosure12.
That change matters for a player who wants the envelope filter as a primary sound rather than a hidden option. On the original, switching into the filter meant opening the pedal; on the signature edition it is a toggle away, alongside the flanger and phaser modes21.
The signature edition also adds internal switching options that expand the pedal's range beyond the three front-panel modes, covered below1.
The three modes
A three-way mini-toggle mode switch on top of the enclosure selects between the three modes, which Guitar World called a "trilogy of tone modes"12. All three are governed by the same four controls: Resonance, Sensitivity, Depth and Level2.
| Mode | What it does |
|---|---|
| DynaFlanger | A dynamic flanger that adapts to the strength of your pick attack, triggering and stopping the flanger when you start and stop playing2 |
| DynaMoPhase | Described as two phasers in one: a true dynamic phaser that caters to pick attack, plus an additional phaser with speed dictated by the Rate control2 |
| LerVelopeFilter | An envelope filter promising a "super smooth filter sound" and an additional "tonal push"2 |
In DynaFlanger, feedback behavior is switchable between two personalities: a negative feedback mode that hollows the effect out and makes it more vocal, and a positive feedback mode that is thicker, smoother and more classic sounding as a flanger1.
In DynaMoPhase, dialling the Rate control all the way back lets you run with just the one DynaPhase line running, with everything reacting to your playing1.
In LerVelopeFilter, the controls take on filter roles. Resonance sets the quality of the filter frequency2; MusicRadar describes adjusting the Resonance dial to set the Q value, which can be precise and narrow or wider and less discriminating, while the Depth control helps find the sweet spot between the hi- and lo-pass settings. Depth provides a range of High Pass and Low Pass tones12.
Controls and setup
The Sensitivity control is the one to set first, since it matches the pedal to your instrument and touch. MusicRadar's guidance: "Start with it all the way counterclockwise, then adjust it until the pedal responds how you like it"1. It adjusts for both your picking attack and your guitar's pickups, so single-coils and humbuckers can be dialed in equally well.
The internal switches
Inside the pedal are three mini-switches that extend the three front-panel modes1:
- Sample/hold filter: accessible via an internal mini-switch, bringing the randomized stepped filter effect from the original design1.
- Modern/vintage analog filter toggle: selects between a modern filter mode and a vintage analog filter mode, the latter rolling off a little high-end1.
- Bank toggle: chooses between Bank 2 and Bank 1 of your effects, where you can add a classic flanger and a standard eight-stage phaser to the BubbleTron's tricks1.
The bank toggle effectively gives the pedal a second set of conventional, non-dynamic effects: a straight flanger and an eight-stage phaser, the classic phaser stage count, alongside the reactive modes on the front panel12.
Larry LaLonde and the signature edition
Larry "Ler" LaLonde is the guitarist of Primus and a long-standing Keeley artist. His relationship with the builder goes beyond this pedal: according to Keeley's own artist page, "Larry uses 3 custom-shop Keeley workstations, designed especially for him"3. The Artist Series Edition BubbleTron is the signature pedal that came out of that collaboration, announced by both parties on April 29, 202212.
For players coming to the pedal through LaLonde's work, the appeal MusicRadar identified is the combination of unpredictability and control: the dynamic modes make the effect follow your hands, while the Sensitivity and Resonance controls let you shape how closely it tracks1.
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Sources (3)
- Keeley Electronics and Primus guitarist Larry LaLonde join forces for the Artist Series Edition Le Bubble Tron, MusicRadar, 2022-04-29
- Keeley collaborates with Primus' Larry LaLonde for Artist Series Edition BubbleTron flanger/phaser, Guitar World, 2022-04-29
- Larry "Ler" LaLonde, robertkeeley.com, 2023-03-02
