The Milkman Sound F-Stop is a compact pedal that combines two effects players associate with vintage American tube amplifiers: spring reverb and tremolo. RockBoard's PedalPedia describes it as bringing "two effects found in vintage American tube amplifiers into one pedal," using modern electronics to recreate them with circuit topology similar to what you find in tube amps1. The pedal takes its circuit from the company's own amplifier, known as the Amp, and packs that reverb and tremolo circuitry into a standalone small-footprint box2.
The pairing it recreates goes back a long way. The combination of a tube-driven spring reverb with a pulsating "bias" tremolo was first introduced in the early 1960s, and the F-Stop is built to emulate those amp circuits13.
What the F-Stop does to your sound
The F-Stop reproduces the two effects in the order a player would expect from a vintage amp. The reverb side is a digital spring reverb that emulates the tube-driven spring reverbs of decades past; Pedal of the Day's reviewer found it "so warm and inviting you'd never know it wasn't analog"3. The tremolo side is a pulsating "bias" VCA tremolo, with circuit topology similar to that found in tube amplifiers3.
Delicious Audio's take on the sound, in the site's own words:
"The reverb drips, and the VCA tremolo is pure creamy goodness"2
The reverb side offers Blend and Decay controls, which Pedal of Day's reviewer said makes it easy to find the right amount of reverb for any situation3. A rear trim pot controls the tremolo output level5.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Blend (reverb) | Sets the reverb mix level3 |
| Decay (reverb) | Sets the reverb length3 |
| Rear trim pot | Controls the tremolo output level5 |
Using both effects at once
The reverb and tremolo can be used individually or in tandem, with separate footswitches to trigger each effect23. Pedal of the Day called the tandem option "an excellent feature that must be used over and over and over"3. For players comparing two-in-one pedals, this independent switching means you can leave the reverb on while kicking the tremolo in and out, or run both together for the full vintage-amp wash.
Where it sits in your signal chain
The F-Stop runs off a 9V DC pedal power supply but is pumped up to 18V internally13. That internal voltage gives it 18V of headroom, so it can live as comfortably at the end of your signal chain as at the beginning1. Pedal of the Day's reviewer agreed, finding the pedal comfortable in either position3. For players building a board around reverb pedals and tremolo pedals, that headroom means the F-Stop can take overdriven or fuzzed signals late in the chain without collapsing the way some low-voltage pedals can.
The F-Stop draws 200mA at 9V DC, center negative1. That is a real draw for a single pedal, so give it a dedicated, adequately rated output rather than assuming a small supply output will cover it.
Analog or digital?
The F-Stop is a hybrid circuit. The spring portion of the pedal is digital, but the guitar signal path and the tremolo circuit are 100% analog, according to RockBoard's PedalPedia1. Delicious Audio reports the same split: analog signal path and tremolo circuit, digital spring reverb2. So the signal your guitar actually passes through stays analog, and only the reverb emulation happens in the digital domain.
Where the F-Stop came from
Milkman Sound built the F-Stop around the spring reverb and tremolo circuit from the company's amplifier, the Amp2. As JHS Pedals' blog tells it, Milkman Sound "took those effects out and put them into a single pedal called the F-Stop"4.
The F-Stop Reverb Tremolo, released in 2019, was Milkman Sound's first solo pedal, following a collaboration with JHS Pedals3. Pedal of the Day credited "Tim and the crew at Milkman Sound for their first solo pedal" at the time3. The current version, listed as the F-Stop in white, keeps the same tremolo and reverb concept in a flat white enclosure14.
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Questions
Is the white F-Stop the same pedal as the F-Stop Reverb Tremolo?
Yes. Both names refer to Milkman Sound's tremolo and reverb pedal. The 2019 F-Stop Reverb Tremolo was the maker's first solo pedal, and the current white version carries the same circuit in a flat white paint job34.
Can the F-Stop go at the end of my signal chain?
Yes. Its 18V of internal headroom lets it sit comfortably at the end of the chain as well as the beginning, a point both the maker and Pedal of the Day's reviewer make13.
Is the Milkman F-Stop analog or digital?
It is a hybrid. The spring reverb portion is digital, while the guitar signal path and the tremolo circuit are 100% analog, according to Milkman Sound. The tremolo is a bias VCA design with circuit topology similar to what you find in tube amplifiers.
Can I use the reverb and tremolo at the same time on the F-Stop?
Yes. The two effects can be used individually or in tandem, and each has its own footswitch. Pedal of the Day called running both together an excellent feature, and Delicious Audio noted the reverb drips while the VCA tremolo is creamy.
How much current does the Milkman F-Stop need?
The F-Stop draws 200mA from a 9V DC center-negative pedal power supply. That is more than a typical small analog pedal, so plan a power supply output that can deliver it.
Sources (5)
- F-Stop white by Milkman Sound, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Milkman Sound F-Stop Tremolo + Reverb, Delicious Audio, 2024-03-25
- Milkman Sound F-Stop Reverb Tremolo, Pedal of the Day, 2019-09-19
- MUST HAVE 2-IN-1 PEDALS, JHS Pedals
- Best Reverb Pedals With Tremolo In 2023, Delicious Audio (delicious-audio.com), 2023-05-11