The Mid Valley FX Lo-Fi Giant is an oscillating sub-octave fuzz pedal, announced in August 2019 as part of the company's line of fuzz effects pedals. Premier Guitar's coverage of the release quotes Mid Valley FX calling it "an all-original, oscillating sub octave fuzz," designed to produce "everything from crazy oscillating feedback to gating the oscillating feedback or getting low voltage ripping effects for the most saturated fuzz pedals you've ever played!"1 Guitar.com, writing a week later, describes it as a high-gain fuzz unit best suited for guitarists looking to experiment with oscillations, one that "dials in massive sub octave fuzz."2
Controls
The Lo-Fi Giant keeps things simple: four knobs and a single footswitch.1
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Governs the output12 |
| Fuzz | Sets the fuzz amount1 |
| Voltage | Controls the voltage to the circuit, the heart of the lo-fi and oscillation effects1 |
| Tone | All the way down adds to the sub octave; turning it up increases the midrange for more punch1 |
Guitar.com adds that the tone knob "fine-tunes attack and adjusts clarity," and notes that as you'd expect, volume governs the output.2
Oscillation and the Voltage and Fuzz knobs
The interaction between the Voltage and Fuzz controls is what sets this pedal apart from a straightforward fuzz pedal. According to Guitar.com, the Lo-Fi Giant "can go from no oscillation, to motorboating, to a slight hint of oscillation at the end of a note."2
- Both controls low: a gated oscillation sound that only comes through at the end of notes, so the fuzz dies away and then flickers back briefly as the note fades2
- Both controls high: gain is increased and the pedal produces a motorboat-style oscillation, a chugging, self-oscillating pulse2
- Voltage low on its own: low-voltage ripping effects, the heavily saturated, starved-sounding fuzz the pedal's name points at1
Motorboating is worth a word for players new to oscillating fuzzes: it is a rapid pulsing oscillation, and on this pedal it is a deliberate design feature rather than a fault. Where a conventional fuzz aims to stay stable, the Lo-Fi Giant is designed to break apart on purpose, and Guitar.com characterizes it as best suited for players who want to experiment with that behavior.2
Who it is for
Mid Valley FX claims the pedal produces a plethora of sounds best suited to stoner rock, alternative, grunge, industrial rock and doom.2 That tracks with the sub-octave emphasis: the Tone knob's ability to reinforce the sub octave at the bottom of its travel1 is the kind of control that matters most in heavy, down-tuned styles, where a thick low foundation under the fuzz is the point.
"This is a high-gain fuzz unit best suited for guitarists looking to experiment with oscillations."
Videos
Mid Valley Fx
Questions
Is the Mid Valley FX Lo-Fi Giant true bypass?
Yes. The pedal has a true bypass on/off switch, so when it is off your guitar signal passes straight through without the fuzz circuit loading it. It runs on 9 volts with a standard DC input, and it was sold directly from the Mid Valley FX online store at a street price of $130.
What does the Voltage knob do on the Lo-Fi Giant?
The Voltage knob controls the voltage feeding the fuzz circuit, which is what gives the pedal its lo-fi character. Set low, it produces ripping, heavily saturated low-voltage fuzz effects. Combined with the Fuzz knob, it sets the oscillation behavior, from none at all to motorboating to a slight hint of oscillation at the end of a note.
What is motorboating in a fuzz pedal?
Motorboating is a rapid, pulsing oscillation that sounds like a boat engine chugging. On the Lo-Fi Giant it happens when the Voltage and Fuzz controls are dialed up: gain increases and the pedal produces a motorboat-style oscillation on its own. It is a deliberate feature here, not a fault.
What music styles is the Lo-Fi Giant aimed at?
Mid Valley FX claims the pedal produces a plethora of sounds best suited to stoner rock, alternative, grunge, industrial rock and doom. Guitar.com describes it as a high-gain fuzz unit best suited for guitarists looking to experiment with oscillations.
Sources (2)
- MidValleyFX Introduces the Lo-Fi Giant Fuzz, Premier Guitar, 2019-08-12
- Mid Valley FX’s Lo-Fi Giant dials in massive sub octave fuzz, Guitar.com, 2019-08-23