The Malekko Heavy Industry Thicken is a digital chorus pedal that does more than chorus. Announced in March 2018, it combines delay and chorus effects, with up to three delay lines in total: two multi-tap delay modes plus a separate chorus line1. Pedal of the Day described it as "blending elements of chorus, reverb, delay and more into a tornado of auditory bliss"2.
The design has an unusual pedigree. In an interview with Delicious Audio, Malekko's Paul Barker said, "We worked with Colin Newman of Wire on this unique design"3. The pedal was announced at a list price of $1891, and Premier Guitar's 2021 review gave it the same $189 street price4.
Chorus blended with delay and more
The chorus section has three knobs: C Rate controls the chorus speed, C Depth sets the intensity, and C Vol adjusts the overall chorus volume2. The delay section has its own volume control, S Vol2. Pedal of the Day found the results consistent across settings: "The chorus sounds are sweeping and rich, full of warm echoes and powerful modulation at any settings"2.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Preamp | Sets input gain level2 |
| C Rate | Chorus speed2 |
| C Depth | Chorus intensity2 |
| C Vol | Overall chorus volume2 |
| S Vol | Delay volume2 |
| Spread | Delay times and time transitions, depending on mode21 |
The Preamp knob sits ahead of everything else and sets the input gain level. Pedal of the Day called it "perfect for evening out any signal loss in your chain, or giving" an overdriven boost-ish tone2, and Guitar.com noted it simply "lets you dial in more gain"1. In practice it works like a built-in boost stage: a little to compensate for a long chain, more to push the effect into grittier territory.
Delay modes: Spread and Random
The delay side is where the Thicken departs from a standard delay pedal. It offers two selectable multi-tap delay modes, Exponential and Random, selected by holding down the stomp switch when powering the pedal up3. The Spread knob behaves differently in each.
In the default Exponential mode, "Spread determines the delay times, and increasing the spread exponentially widens the delay times," as Barker explained to Delicious Audio3. Pedal of the Day described the same behavior in knob terms: counterclockwise gives two fast delays, clockwise gives two slower delays, widening the delay times the more you turn it2.
The Random mode is hidden. You reach it by holding down the bypass switch when powering the pedal on, and it "turns the delay sweep from smooth to aggressive"2. Guitar.com framed the choice the same way: pick from the two modes and use Spread "to either increase delay time or adjust between smooth and aggressive time transitions, depending on the mode"1.
The delay modes are not switchable from a normal knob or toggle. Both Exponential and Random are selected by holding down the bypass switch while powering the pedal up23.
Expression and CV control
The Thicken has an external expression pedal input on the side of the pedal, assignable to control various parameters of the effect5. Pedal of the Day went further on its flexibility: "you can connect an expression pedal to control any combination of the on-board parameters"2. It also works with CV (control voltage) input2, which opens the pedal up to control from modular synth sources rather than only a foot pedal.
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day's overall verdict was enthusiastic about its strangeness: "The Thicken is a wonderfully weird and exciting effect to use, experiment with and decipher just where it fits into the" wider picture, calling it a great but different chorus sound with a hint of wacky delay and expression control2. Premier Guitar's review listed its unconventional modulation sounds as a pro4.
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Malekko HeavyIndustry
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Questions
What does the Spread knob do on the Malekko Thicken?
In Exponential mode, Spread determines the delay times, and increasing it exponentially widens the delay times. Counterclockwise gives two fast delays, clockwise gives two slower delays. In Random mode, the same knob adjusts between smooth and aggressive time transitions instead.
How do you get the Random mode on the Malekko Thicken?
Hold down the bypass switch while powering the pedal on. This switches the delay section from the default Exponential mode into the hidden Random mode, which turns the delay sweep from smooth to aggressive. The two multi-tap delay modes are both selected this way.
Does the Malekko Thicken accept an expression pedal?
Yes. There is an external expression pedal input on the side of the pedal, and it can be assigned to control any combination of the on-board parameters, so you can sweep things like the chorus rate or the delay spread with your foot while playing.
Does the Malekko Thicken work with CV?
Yes. Alongside the expression pedal input, the Thicken works with CV (control voltage) input, which lets you control parameters from modular synth gear or other CV sources rather than only from an expression pedal.
What does the Preamp knob do on the Malekko Thicken?
Preamp sets the input gain level. You can use it to even out signal loss elsewhere in your chain, or to dial in more gain for an overdriven, boost-ish tone before the chorus and delay sections.
Is the Malekko Thicken analog or digital?
It is a digital pedal. Premier Guitar described it as a digital chorus pedal, and its multi-tap delay modes, with three delay lines in total, are a digital design from Malekko Heavy Industry of Portland.
Sources (5)
- Malekko has a new multi-tap delay/chorus pedal, Guitar.com, 2018-03-16
- Malekko Heavy Industry Thicken MultiTap Delay Chorus, Pedal of the Day, 2018-04-13
- Paul Barker From Malekko Explains The Thicken's Delay Modes, Delicious Audio, 2018-05-09
- Malekko Thicken Review, Premier Guitar, 2018-10-05
- Malekko Downer and Thicken: Two new pedals that invite you to experiment, gearnews.com, 2018-03-15