The Lake Effects FVD Distortion is a distortion pedal built on a Rat-style circuit, and it was the first release by Lake Effects. It keeps the classic Filter, Volume and Drive control layout of the original Rat unit, and adds a clipping toggle that switches between silicon and germanium diodes, something the pedal it takes after does not offer. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio described it as "a Rat-style pedal with versatile controls (Filter, Volume, and Drive, like in the original unit)"1.
Is it a Rat clone?
Not exactly. Both reviewers place it in the Rat family rather than calling it a copy. Pedal of the Day described the circuit as "based loosely on the Rat distortion philosophy"2, and Delicious Audio noted that "the design of the circuit makes it more flexible than the model that inspired it"1. The added clipping toggle is the most visible part of that flexibility: where the original Rat fixes its clipping, the FVD lets you choose between two diode types on the fly.
The controls: Filter, Volume and Drive
The three knobs follow the original Rat layout1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drive | Sets the amount of distortion from the circuit2 |
| Filter | Shapes the tone, as on the original Rat unit1 |
| Volume | The classic volume control for the circuit2 |
| Clipping toggle | Right for silicon diode clipping, left for germanium diode clipping2 |
On the toggle, Pedal of the Day put it plainly: "To the Right, you get Silicon Diode Clipping; to the Left, Germanium Diode Clipping."2
Power, jacks and enclosure
The FVD runs on 9VDC center negative power, standard Boss style, so it takes the same supply as most pedals on a board12. The 2.1mm DC power jack and both 1/4" mono jacks are top mounted, which helps pedals sit close together on a crowded pedalboard1. The enclosure is a 1590BB measuring 4.67 in x 3.68 in x 1.18 in12.
What it sounds like
Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio summed up the range this way: "The versatility in the control knobs allow for a range from low gain boosts to gnarly shoegaze."1 That puts the pedal's span from a light low-gain push up to full distortion territory, with the two clipping options widening the tonal choices further12.
Videos
Pedal of the Day
Ambient Endeavors
Pedal Haven
Questions
Is the Lake Effects FVD Distortion a Rat clone?
Not exactly. Delicious Audio describes it as a Rat-style pedal, and Pedal of the Day says it is based loosely on the Rat distortion philosophy. The design of the circuit, according to Delicious Audio, makes it more flexible than the model that inspired it, with the same Filter, Volume and Drive controls as the original unit plus a clipping toggle the original does not have.
What does the toggle on the Lake Effects FVD do?
It selects the clipping diodes. To the right you get silicon diode clipping, and to the left you get germanium diode clipping, according to Pedal of the Day. Switching between the two changes the character of the distortion without touching the Drive knob.
What power supply does the Lake Effects FVD use?
It runs on 9VDC center negative power, standard Boss style, with a top mounted 2.1mm DC power jack. That is the same supply standard used by most pedalboards, so a regular daisy chain or isolated supply output will run it.
What size is the Lake Effects FVD enclosure?
It is built in a 1590BB enclosure measuring 4.67 in x 3.68 in x 1.18 in, as listed by Delicious Audio and confirmed by Pedal of the Day.
Can the Lake Effects FVD do shoegaze tones?
Yes, among other things. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio says the versatility in the control knobs allows for a range from low gain boosts to gnarly shoegaze, so it covers everything from a light push to full distortion.
Sources (2)
- Lake Effects FVD Rat-Style Distortion, Delicious Audio, 2021-05-17
- Lake Effects FVD Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2021-04-03