The Kleissonic Tremulant is a tremolo pedal with a built-in overdrive circuit, designed and built by Berlin-based Theo Klissiaris. Premier Guitar's review describes it as combining "an overdrive circuit, deep-pulsing triangle waveforms, and wide-range rate and depth controls," producing tremolo sounds that run from subtle to radical and oddly dynamic1. A related version, the Kleissonic Tremulant Lee, was designed for Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth2.
What the Tremulant does
The Tremulant sits in the tremolo camp but adds gain: the drive stage follows the modulation, so the pulsing effect happens before the overdrive in the signal path. The level control is also situated after the modulation1. For a player, that means the drive responds to the tremolo's swells rather than sitting in front of them, which shapes how the two effects interact.
The rate and depth controls will be familiar to any tremolo user, but Premier Guitar's reviewer found "they have a range and sensitivity that feels unique"1.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Rate | Sets tremolo speed, with a wide range; indicated by a bright LED that pulses at the tremolo rate1 |
| Depth | Sets tremolo intensity, from subtle to radical1 |
| Drive | Overdrive control, situated after the modulation stage1 |
| Level | Output level, also situated after the modulation1 |
Build and design
The pedal lives in a polished steel enclosure adorned with floral filigree and the Kleissonic humanoid hand logo. Inside, the hand wiring is tidy, well ordered, and clean1.
Two things about the lights are worth knowing before you put it on a board. The tremolo rate is indicated by a blindingly bright LED that pulses at the fastest speeds, and it is always on. When the effect is engaged, the status LED slowly morphs from blue to red to green1.
Premier Guitar's reviewer flagged the off-center placement of the footswitch, which sits close enough to the edge of the enclosure that an adjacent pedal could be hit when stomping it1. Worth thinking about on a tight board.
What reviewers said
Premier Guitar's 2024 review called the Tremulant "a powerful and protean modulation effect" and found it "excels at lending bold, stark emphasis to chugging quarter- and eighth-note rhythm parts and languid, soul-ballad arpeggios," while at super-high pulse rates it generates what the reviewer described as throbbing stroboscopic freakouts1.
Videos
Premier Guitar
Kleissonic Audio
Questions
Who designed the Kleissonic Tremulant?
The Tremulant was designed and built by Berlin-based Theo Klissiaris, who works under the Kleissonic name. A related version of the pedal, the Kleissonic Tremulant Lee, was designed for Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth.
How much does the Kleissonic Tremulant cost?
Premier Guitar's 2024 review listed the Tremulant at a street price of $175 in the United States.
Can the Tremulant's drive be used without the tremolo?
The drive control sits after the modulation stage in the signal path, alongside the level control. The published review describes the pedal as combining an overdrive circuit with the tremolo, but does not describe a way to switch the drive on its own.
Is the Kleissonic Tremulant hand-wired?
Yes. Premier Guitar's reviewer opened the pedal and found the hand wiring tidy, well ordered, and clean.
Sources (2)
- Kleissonic Tremulant Review, Premier Guitar, 2015-01-08
- Tremulant Lee by Kleissonic, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
