The Matthews Effects Conductor is a tremolo pedal from the Eastern Washington based manufacturer Matthews Effects, described by Delicious Audio as a new spin on one of the most popular effects in music history1. It sets its speed with a tap-tempo switch, offers four waveforms, and adds a tone control, which put it among the more flexible tremolos of its day: Delicious Audio's reviewer called it "one of the most flexible and unique tremolo pedals around"2.
The controls
The Conductor departs from the standard three-knob tremolo layout. Delicious Audio's review noted that "the depth knob, capable of quite a wide range, is the only 'standard' tremolo control"2. The rest of the panel works like this:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Depth | Sets the strength of the tremolo, with what the reviewer described as quite a wide range2 |
| Tap tempo switch | Sets the speed and rate of the effect2 |
| Division controls | Divide the effect against the tapped tempo2 |
| Tone | Tailors the EQ of the effect to your particular rig2 |
The division controls are the practical difference from a basic tremolo: instead of the LFO only running at the tapped tempo, you can set it against subdivisions of that tempo, which is how the pedal keeps a tapped part locked to a rhythm23.
The waveforms
Waveform options include sine, square, ramp and ramp-down waves2. The shape of the wave determines how the volume modulation moves: a sine gives a smooth swell, a square a harder on-off pulse, and the ramp shapes sweep in between. Four choices on a compact tremolo was the feature that made the Conductor stand out when it launched.
The Conductor V2 Optical Tremolo
The Conductor from Matthews Effects is a tremolo pedal21. Its depth knob, capable of quite a wide range, is the only "standard" tremolo control21. Reviewers found it to be one of the most flexible and unique tremolo pedals around2.
The original Conductor was succeeded by the V2 optical tremolo announced at NAMM 20183.
The V2's control set shows where the design went:
- Wave: six unique waveforms for a variety of undulating textures3
- Depth: controls the strength of the tremolo effect, from light flutter to wavering pulse3
- Tap Division: six tap divisions3
- Gain: output volume control to compensate for any perceived loss of volume at higher depths3
- Ramp Time: controls the time it takes for the Conductor to change its tap speed, from 0 to 10 seconds3
If you are comparing the two, the short version is that the V2 is an optical circuit with more waveforms, more divisions, external tap and expression control, and a ramp feature the original does not have3. For more on the effect type itself, see the site's guide to Tremolo Pedals.
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Questions
Does the Matthews Effects Conductor have tap tempo?
Yes. Speed and rate are set with the tap-tempo switch, and the pedal also includes controls for dividing the effect, so the tremolo can sit in against your tempo rather than just following it. The later Conductor V2 Optical Tremolo expanded on this with onboard tap, an external tap input and an expression input, plus a Ramp Time control that sets how long the pedal takes to change its tapped speed.
What waveforms does the Matthews Effects Conductor have?
The original Conductor offers four waveform options: sine, square, ramp and ramp-down. Each shape changes the character of the volume modulation, from a smooth swell to a sharper pulse. The Conductor V2 Optical Tremolo later increased the selection to six unique waveforms.
How much does the Matthews Effects Conductor cost?
When Matthews Effects announced the Conductor in June 2015, Delicious Audio reported that it retailed for $250.
What is the difference between the Conductor and the Conductor V2 optical tremolo?
The V2, shown at NAMM 2018, is an optical tremolo and more than a graphics update. It adds additional waveforms and subdivisions, six tap divisions, onboard tap plus external tap and expression inputs, a Gain control for compensating volume loss at higher depths, a Ramp Time control, and top-mounted jacks.
Sources (3)
- New Pedals: Matthews Effects Conductor Tremolo, Delicious Audio, 2015-06-11
- Matthews Effects' Conductor And Cartographer, Delicious Audio, 2015-05-11
- Matthews Effects, Delicious Audio, 2018-02-02
