The Mattoverse Drone Tone MkIII is a drone synthesizer pedal: a pitch and rate controllable square wave oscillator in a guitar pedal format, made by Mattoverse Electronics. It can be used on its own as a drone source or alongside an instrument, and it is the third iteration of the Drone Tone12. MusicRadar reported its announcement in May 2019, noting that this third incarnation features an onboard tap tempo footswitch3.
The maker's product page lists the pedal as sold out, and the Black Texture color variant as sold out or unavailable1.
What it does
The Drone Tone generates a square wave oscillator whose pitch and rate you control, so it can hold a drone note under your playing or run on its own. Mattoverse describes it as "A drone synthesizer for your pedalboard"1. The maker's own take on playing it: "It's simple, fun, and I love tuning it to a pitch or key and noodling along. It also does weird things to the clipping of gain based pedals and is fun with delays, loopers, etc."1. In other words, it works three ways: as a standalone drone, as a tunable second voice under your guitar, and as a signal that changes how fuzz and distortion pedals clip when run into them. It sits among other pedal-format synth voices such as the Electro-Harmonix Micro Synthesizer or the Rainger FX MiniDrone, though it is a simpler, oscillator-based design; see the Synth Pedals type page for the wider field.
Controls and connections
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Pitch | Sets the oscillator pitch, so the drone can be tuned to a note or key1 |
| Rate | Controls the oscillator rate1 |
| Volume | Output level for the oscillator1 |
| Tone | Shapes the oscillator tone1 |
| Mix | Sets the volume of the square wave oscillator at the output jack1 |
The instrument input is buffered and passed through to the output jack unaffected, so the pedal can be used stand-alone or with a guitar plugged in without altering the instrument signal itself1.
What the MkIII adds
The MkIII differs from earlier Drone Tone versions in a few concrete ways, per the maker123:
- Onboard tap tempo footswitch3
- Tempo sync input accepting a 0-5V signal1
- Internal pitch range control1
- Top-mounted jacks, described by the maker as high-quality off-board top-mounted jacks1
Power and practicalities
The pedal runs on a DC 9V center-pin-negative power supply only, and the supply is not included1. Current draw is less than 20mA1, which is light by pedal standards. Bypass is true hardwire1. The enclosure measures 4.77" x 2.6" x 1.39"1, a compact footprint helped by the top-mounted jacks.
Videos
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Questions
Does the Mattoverse Drone Tone MkIII come with a power supply?
No. Mattoverse specifies a DC 9V center-pin-negative power supply only, and the supply is not included with the pedal. There is no battery option mentioned, so plan to use a standard 9V center-negative pedal supply. Current draw is less than 20mA, which is light enough for most supplies and daisy chains.
Is the Drone Tone MkIII true bypass?
Yes. Mattoverse describes the bypass as true hardwire bypass. The instrument input is buffered and passed through to the output jack unaffected, so your guitar signal carries on whether or not the oscillator is sounding.
Does the Drone Tone MkIII have tap tempo?
Yes. The MkIII adds an onboard tap tempo footswitch, which the earlier versions of the Drone Tone did not have. It also adds a tempo sync input, an internal pitch range control, and top-mounted jacks.
What does the tempo sync input accept?
Mattoverse specifies a tempo sync input that accepts a 0-5V signal. That lets the Drone Tone's rate follow an external clock or sync source within that voltage range.
What size is the Drone Tone MkIII?
The enclosure measures 4.77 x 2.6 x 1.39 inches, so it fits a standard pedalboard footprint and the jacks are top-mounted to save space.
Can the Drone Tone be tuned to a key?
Yes. Mattoverse says the pedal can be tuned to a pitch or key so you can noodle along with it, using the oscillator Pitch control. The maker describes it as simple and fun, and notes it does unusual things to the clipping of gain-based pedals and pairs well with delays and loopers.
Sources (3)
- Mattoverse Drone Tone MKIII, Mattoverse Electronics
- Mattoverse Electronics Releases the Drone Tone MkIII, Premier Guitar, 2019-05-10
- Mattoverse Electronics' Drone Tone MkIII is a square wave oscillator in a pedal, MusicRadar, 2019-05-23
