The MidValleyFX Mad Robot is an oscillating octave-up fuzz pedal: a dirt box with a built-in oscillator that plays a constant drone under, or on top of, whatever you play. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio described it as "an oscillating octave up drone fuzz capable of everything from 8 bit tone eating robot malfunctioning sounds to lower gain octave up tones!"1 Guitar.com called it "a dirt box that's capable of oscillating drones and octave-up fuzz"2, and Premier Guitar's press release promised "an oscillating fuzz pedal that will light up any pedalboard with volume and all-out crazy heaviness"3.
What it does to your sound
The core of the pedal is the oscillator. Once engaged, it plays a constant drone beneath or over your guitar, and the fuzz section can run from lower-gain octave-up tones to the kind of collapsing, eight-bit, robot-malfunctioning sounds the pedal is named for12. The circuit is built around silicon transistors and a 1n914 germanium diode4.
Premier Guitar's reviewer, in a 2023 Quick Hit review, summed up the tones this way4:
"Gloriously gnarly, chaotic, and splatty tones perfect for everything from doom metal to MC5 mayhem, post-punk, and dysfunctional funk."
Modes and controls
The V3 control set, as listed by Guitar Pedal X, runs: Master, Low, Gain, Octave, Tone, OSC, plus the Mad and Robot footswitches5. The volume knob deserves a warning of its own: Delicious Audio's product page notes "Knob 1 is volume and its LOUD!"1.
The toggle switch marked 4 is what separates the pedal's two personalities. Flicked down, it engages "Danger Robot in Operation", the oscillation mode; flicked up, it activates octave-up mode2. In that second position the pedal runs as a low-gain to high-gainish octave-up tone with no oscillations, depending on how hot your pickups are1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Master | Volume, described as very loud1 |
| Low, Gain, Octave, Tone, OSC | Full V3 control set5 |
| Switch 4 | Down: "Danger Robot in Operation" oscillation mode; up: octave-up mode2 |
| Mad / Robot footswitches | Footswitch control on V35 |
The pedal has been through versions. Guitar Pedal X's 2024 guide notes that "the new V3 is really where it's at - these are now properly UV-printed and have more refinement in their finish" compared with the V25.
Price and availability
At launch in September 2018, the Mad Robot was on sale for $90, with a usual price of $1202. Premier Guitar's 2023 review listed a street price of $1304, and Guitar Pedal X's May 2024 buying guide listed the Mad Robot V3 at $1505. The pedal can be purchased directly from the Mid Valley FX online store at www.midvalleyfx.com, according to the launch press release3.
For context within the maker's range, Guitar Pedal X's 2024 high-gain selection lists the MidValleyFX Peaks V3, a tube-amp-style high-gain distortion, at $1996, and MidValleyFx has also released the Elevation Fuzz, a gated fuzz.
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Questions
What does the MidValleyFX Mad Robot do?
It is an oscillating octave-up fuzz. A built-in oscillator plays a constant drone under or on top of your guitar signal, and the pedal can produce everything from eight-bit, tone-eating, robot-malfunctioning sounds to lower-gain octave-up tones. Premier Guitar's reviewer heard gloriously gnarly, chaotic, splatty tones suited to doom metal, post-punk and dysfunctional funk.
Is the MidValleyFX Mad Robot true bypass?
Yes. The pedal has a true bypass on/off switch, according to the press release carried by Premier Guitar, and runs on 9-volt operation with a standard DC input in a die-cast aluminum box.
How much does the MidValleyFX Mad Robot cost?
Premier Guitar's 2023 review listed a street price of $130. Guitar Pedal X's 2024 buying guide listed the Mad Robot V3 at $150. At launch in 2018 it was on sale for $90, with a usual price of $120.
Can the Mad Robot be used without the oscillator?
Yes. The toggle switch marked 4 selects between oscillation mode, called Danger Robot in Operation, and an octave-up fuzz mode with no oscillations, whose gain depends on how hot your pickups are.
Where can you buy the MidValleyFX Mad Robot?
According to the press release carried by Premier Guitar, the pedal can be purchased directly from the Mid Valley FX online store at www.midvalleyfx.com.
Sources (6)
- MidValleyFx Mad Robot Distortion With Oscillator, Delicious Audio, 2018-10-01
- Mid Valley FX launches the Mad Robot, Guitar.com, 2018-09-20
- MidValleyFX Unveils the Mad Robot, Premier Guitar, 2018-09-19
- Quick Hit: MidValleyFx Mad Robot Review, Premier Guitar, 2019-05-20
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-05-09
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-06-19
