The Laowiz Cyst Mode Filter Drive is a filter drive pedal from Laowiz, designed by Richard McIntosh. Guitar Pedal X describes it as combining resonant filters, clipping diodes and tone shaping to produce distortion, fuzz and filter-distortion textures, and calls it suited to sludgy, doomy and speaker-shredding tones1. It sits in the territory of distortion pedals, fuzz pedals and filter pedals at once, rather than cleanly in any one of them.
Controls and layout
The pedal is arranged in three sections, which Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson laid out as follows in his December 2023 roundup2:
| Section | Controls |
|---|---|
| POST | Hi, Lo, Volume |
| MODES | Clipping: LED / Si, Mode: DP / CY, Selector: 1 to 4 |
| FILTER | Distortion, Depth, EQ |
The Post section handles tone shaping and output level. Karlsson wrote that it "fully holds together with its combination of Hi and Lo tone-shaping and Output Volume"1.
Modes and the filter
The central Mode Switch selects between DP (Depth) and CY (Cyst) modes, and the filter only applies when the switch is flipped to the DP position1. On the CY / Cyst Mode side, a 4-position Filter Selector Dial takes over instead, offering different presets for the core filter, each delivering different sensitivity and attack, sustain and resonance1.
The filter section behaves differently depending on mode: in DP (Depth) mode the filter applies, while in CY (Cyst) mode the 4-position Filter Selector Dial presets take over1.
Price and availability
Guitar Pedal X listed the Cyst Mode Filter Drive at $200, sold via the Laowiz Fuzz Shop, in its November 2023 profile, and repeated the $200 price in its December 2023 roundup of the year's new distortion pedals12.
What reviewers said
Guitar Pedal X's review is the published verdict on record. Karlsson described the pedal as generating "some of the most visceral distortion and fuzz textures available anywhere" in his headline, and wrote that with its resonant filters, clipping diodes and tone shaping, "we get one of the ultimate 'noise-boxes' with richly textured gain overall"1.
"here with the astute use of resonant filters, clipping diodes and powerful tone-shaping we get one of the ultimate ’noise-boxes’."
How it compares
Karlsson compared the Cyst Mode Filter Drive with Intensive Care Audio's Vena Cava Filter, which he called "also a Filter-Distortion of sorts", but one that adds an LFO, different wave shapes and ring modulation1. The Cyst Mode, by contrast, concentrates on resonant filters, clipping options and tone shaping without those modulation features1.
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Questions
How much does the Laowiz Cyst Mode Filter Drive cost?
Guitar Pedal X listed the Cyst Mode Filter Drive at $200, first in a November 2023 profile and again in its December 2023 roundup of the year's distortion pedals, sold via the Laowiz Fuzz Shop.
Who designed the Laowiz Cyst Mode Filter Drive?
The pedal comes from Richard McIntosh, whose name Guitar Pedal X attached directly to the design in its November 2023 profile of the Cyst Mode Filter Drive.
What does the Mode Switch do on the Cyst Mode Filter Drive?
According to Guitar Pedal X, the filter only applies when the central Mode Switch is flipped to the DP (Depth) position. The switch also selects between LED and silicon clipping and between DP and CY (Cyst) modes.
How many filter settings does the Cyst Mode Filter Drive have?
On the CY / Cyst Mode side, a 4-position Filter Selector Dial offers different presets for the core filter, each delivering different sensitivity and attack, sustain and resonance.
How is it different from the Intensive Care Audio Vena Cava Filter?
Guitar Pedal X's reviewer said the Cyst Mode reminded him of the Intensive Care Audio Vena Cava Filter, which is also a filter-distortion of sorts, but adds an LFO, different wave shapes and ring modulation, features the Cyst Mode does not have.
Sources (2)
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2023-11-23
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2023-12-17
