The Malekko Heavy Industries Omicron TREM is an analog tremolo pedal, part of the maker's Omicron line of miniature pedals. Tremolo modulates a guitar's volume in a repeating cycle, giving the classic pulsing amp-style effect, and the TREM covers that ground in a housing of roughly 3.6 by 1.5 by 1.2 inches1.
What it does
The TREM's range runs, in Pedal of the Day reviewer Eddie H's words, "From a slow shallow pulse to a rapid-fire chop, it really sounds good."1 In other words, the Speed knob sets how fast the volume swells and dips, and the Depth knob sets how pronounced that swell is: a gentle breathing effect at one end, a hard on-off stutter at the other.
Eddie H judged it against four common tests for a tremolo, and found it passed all of them: "The [Malekko Omicron Tremolo] meets all four hands down." Those criteria were no significant volume drop, no tone coloration, noiseless operation and realistic amp-style undulation1.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Speed | Sets the rate of the volume modulation, from slow pulses to fast chop1 |
| Depth | Sets how strong the volume modulation is1 |
That is the whole control set: two knobs, no presets, no tap tempo. Players who want pattern-based or sequenced tremolo from the same maker can look at the Malekko Goatkeeper, a separate analog tremolo and sequencer design3.
Power and size
The pedal draws 50mA1, which is more than some simple analog pedals take, so it is worth checking against the output ratings on a pedalboard power supply before adding it to a daisy chain. The miniature enclosure, approximately 3.6" x 1.5" x 1.2"1, is the same footprint Pedal of the Day later reported for the Omicron Analog Vibrato, a related analog pedal in the same line3.
On the road
Eddie H, who wrote the Pedal of the Day review, reported using the Omicron Tremolo himself on the road, performing at the Grand Ole Opry and on his upcoming CD1.
For more on how tremolo works and what else is available, see the site's page on Tremolo Pedals.
Videos
Music Gear Reviewed
Guitar Learner
Questions
Is the Malekko Omicron TREM true bypass?
Yes. Pedal of the Day's review describes the Omicron TREM as a true bypass, analog pedal with two knobs for Speed and Depth. True bypass means that when the pedal is off, your guitar's signal passes through it without going through the tremolo circuit, so it does not color your tone when switched out.
How much current does the Malekko Omicron TREM draw?
Pedal of the Day's 2014 review lists the current draw at 50mA. That is worth knowing when you are planning a pedalboard power supply, since some small isolated outputs supply less than that, and it is a figure to check against whatever supply you plan to run it from.
Is the Malekko Omicron TREM analog?
Yes. Malekko Heavy Industries marketed it as the Omicron TREM Analog Tremolo, and Pedal of the Day's review likewise describes it as an analog, true bypass pedal with Speed and Depth controls.
How big is the Malekko Omicron TREM?
Pedal of the Day's review gives the enclosure size as approximately 3.6 inches by 1.5 inches by 1.2 inches. That puts it in the miniature pedal category, small enough to fit several of them on a board where a standard-sized pedal would take up much more room.
Sources (3)
- Malekko Heavy Industries Omicron TREM Analog Tremolo, Pedal of the Day, 2014-10-31
- Malekko Heavy Industries Omicron TREM Analog Tremolo, Pedal of the Day, 2014-10-13
- Malekko Heavy Industry Omicron Analog Vibrato, Pedal of the Day, 2016-11-02
