The Keeley Electronics Keeley Larry 'Ler' LaLonde Artist Series Edition Le Bubble Tron is a signature edition of the Bubble Tron, the company's flanger, phaser and filter pedal. Keeley and LaLonde, guitarist of Primus, collaborated on the edition, which MusicRadar reported as available at $229 when it launched in April 20221. It is a dynamic, envelope-driven take on three effect types at once, and its circuit reaches back to the MicMix DynaFlanger, a rack unit associated with Frank Zappa1.
Three modes: DynaFlanger, DynaMoPhase and LervelopeFilter
The pedal's three modes cover flanging, phasing and envelope filtering, and each reacts to how hard you play1.
DynaFlanger. In this mode the flanger's delay time depends on how hard you hit the strings: the louder you get with your electric guitar, the longer the delay time and the more pronounced the flanger becomes1. MusicRadar's Jonathan Horsley described two feedback characters: "The a negative feedback mode hollows the effect out, making it more vocal, while the positive feedback mode is a thicker and smoother, more classic sounding flanger"1.
DynaMoPhase. This mode runs two phasers in parallel but with opposite sweeps, with depth controlled by how loud you play and a second phaser reacting with another layer of modulation1. Dialling the Rate control all the way back allows running with just the one DynaPhase line, with everything reacting to your playing1.
LervelopeFilter. The envelope filter mode uses a Resonance dial to set the Q value, which Horsley described as able to be "precise and narrow or wider and less discriminating", while the Depth control helps find the sweet spot between the hi- and lo-pass1. A Sensitivity control adjusts for your picking attack and the guitar's pickups; the advice is to start with it all the way counterclockwise, then adjust it until the pedal responds how you like it1. For more on this effect type, see Filter Pedals; Keeley's Neutrino is the company's dedicated envelope filter.
Controls and switches
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Rate | Sets modulation speed; all the way back in DynaMoPhase runs a single DynaPhase line1 |
| Sensitivity | Adjusts for picking attack and pickups; start counterclockwise and adjust to taste1 |
| Resonance | Sets the Q value of the LervelopeFilter, narrow and precise or wider1 |
| Depth | Finds the sweet spot between hi- and lo-pass in filter mode1 |
| Three-way mini-toggle (top panel) | Accesses the envelope filter mode1 |
| Internal mini-switch | Gives access to the sample/hold filter1 |
| Internal filter mini-toggle | Selects modern or vintage analog filter mode; vintage rolls off a little high-end1 |
| Internal bank mini-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 Bubble Tron's tricks1 |
Several of the pedal's options live inside the enclosure: the sample/hold filter, the modern/vintage filter toggle and the Bank 1/Bank 2 selector are all internal mini-switches, so changing them means taking off the back plate1.
From the MicMix DynaFlanger to a Primus signature
MusicRadar described the Bubble Tron circuit as "a fantastic contemporary tribute to the classic MicMix DynaFlanger, as used by Frank Zappa", and summed up the pedal as remaining "off the wall, dynamic, at times random"1. The LaLonde edition carries that circuit into a signature pedal.
LaLonde has a longer history with Keeley: the company's artist page states that "Larry uses 3 custom-shop Keeley workstations, designed especially for him"2. In a 2017 Premier Guitar rig rundown, he showed off his Fender and PRS guitars3.
How it differs from the standard Bubble Tron
The LaLonde edition comes in a reworked enclosure, with a new paint job and a slightly augmented set of controls1. Two changes stand out: the envelope filter mode, previously an internal option, is now accessed on the top of the enclosure via the three-way mini-toggle mode switch, and the sample/hold filter is now accessible via an internal mini-switch1.
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Questions
Who is the Le Bubble Tron made with?
It is a collaboration between Keeley Electronics and Larry 'Ler' LaLonde, the guitarist of Primus. MusicRadar reported the signature edition in April 2022, and Keeley's own artist page describes LaLonde as the Primus guitarist, noting that he also uses three custom-shop Keeley workstations designed especially for him.
Is the Le Bubble Tron based on the MicMix DynaFlanger?
MusicRadar's Jonathan Horsley called the Bubble Tron a fantastic contemporary tribute to the classic MicMix DynaFlanger, a unit associated with Frank Zappa. The pedal's DynaFlanger mode carries that idea forward, with the flanger's delay time reacting to how hard you hit the strings.
What does the internal mini-switch do on the Le Bubble Tron?
The internal mini-switch gives access to the sample/hold filter. There is also an internal mini-toggle for choosing a modern or vintage analog filter mode, the vintage setting rolling off a little high-end, and an internal bank mini-toggle for choosing between Bank 1 and Bank 2 of the pedal's effects.
How much does the Keeley Le Bubble Tron cost?
MusicRadar reported the pedal as available at a list price of $229 when it launched on 29 April 2022.
How is the Le Bubble Tron different from the standard Bubble Tron?
The LaLonde edition comes in a reworked enclosure with a new paint job and a slightly augmented set of controls. The envelope filter mode is now accessed from the top of the enclosure via a three-way mini-toggle mode switch, and the sample/hold filter is accessible via an internal mini-switch.
Sources (3)
- Keeley Electronics and Primus guitarist Larry LaLonde join forces for the Artist Series Edition Le Bubble Tron, MusicRadar, 2022-04-29
- Larry "Ler" LaLonde, robertkeeley.com, 2023-03-02
- Rig Rundown: Primus' Larry LaLonde 2017, Premier Guitar, 2017-11-08
