The Moth Electric M. stellatarum is an all-analog optical tremolo pedal: it raises and lowers the volume of your signal in a repeating cycle, and it does so with an optical circuit rather than digital processing1. What sets it apart from most tremolo pedals is the range of shapes it can give that cycle. It offers four tremolo voices, eight waveforms and a subdivision control, which combine into 32 different modulation settings12.
It was announced in October 2025 and began shipping on October 17th of that year, and it is available from the Moth Electric Webstore2. It is a hand-soldered, through-hole device, handmade in the U.S.34.
Four tremolo voices
The mode selector chooses between four voices, and this is where the M. stellatarum covers more ground than a standard tremolo13.
| Mode | What it does |
|---|---|
| Amp | The warm, amp-like pulse most players know from vintage amplifier tremolo4 |
| Harmonic | A lush, vintage-style harmonic tremolo that swirls highs and lows independently4 |
| Bass Freq Focus | Modulates only the low end, leaving the rest of the signal unaffected4 |
| Treble Freq Focus | Modulates only the high end, leaving the rest of the signal unaffected4 |
Premier Guitar's reviewer found the amp mode the easiest to wrangle and the most familiar, and described the harmonic mode as liquid and enveloping3. The bass and treble voices modulate those frequencies exclusively, which is a less common option on a tremolo pedal3.
Controls, footswitches and waveforms
The top row of the pedal holds four knobs: Volume, Tone, Depth and Speed1. The Tone control is a feature Premier Guitar's reviewer rarely sees on a tremolo; it makes the tremolo more or less prominent and reshapes the intensity of the treble or bass peaks3. Delicious Audio describes it as a dedicated Tone knob for frequency tailoring4.
The Speed knob sets the modulation rate, and Depth sets how deep the effect goes. Premier Guitar's reviewer noted that the speed and depth controls in particular are great friends when you get too deep in the weird weeds, meaning they are useful for regaining control at extreme settings3. A subdivision control sets the rhythmic subdivision, including eighth-note subdivisions, which at fast speeds Premier Guitar's reviewer said throb like melodious, menacing helicopters3.
The waveform selector offers eight shapes13:
- Sawtooth
- Reverse sawtooth
- Square
- Triangle
- Sine
- Hypertriangle
- Reverse hypertriangle
- Random
Two footswitches sit at the front of the pedal: tap tempo on the left and bypass on the right1. With four modes and eight waveforms, the pedal offers 32 combinations in total13.
The controls are very interactive, and not all combinations are easy to work with. Premier Guitar's reviewer found that some settings take more effort than others to dial in3.
What reviewers said
Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson reviewed the pedal after a week of use and called it possibly his favorite tremolo pedal to date, his 35th tremolo overall1.
"It may just be my favourite tremolo pedal to-date (#35!)"
His preferred settings give a picture of how the pedal sits when dialed in: Volume at 3 o'clock, Tone at 1 o'clock, Depth at maximum, Speed at 3 o'clock with tap tempo usually applied as well, subdivision at 1/4, and the waveform mostly sine, in harmonic or amplitude mode1.
Premier Guitar's reviewer found plenty to like in the harmonic mode at slow speeds, suggesting Jerry Garcia's swirly, unconventional pedal steel tones on American Beauty and Garcia as possible points of reference3. On value, the reviewer was direct:
"the $219 you'll spend for this fun, high-quality, thoughtfully designed, handmade-in-the-U.S. modulator is a great deal"
The one gap both reviewers point to is presets. Guitar Pedal X's reviewer noted that presets are the only thing missing here1.
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Questions
Does the Moth Electric M. stellatarum have presets?
No. The pedal has no presets, and Guitar Pedal X's reviewer notes that presets are the only thing missing from it. Settings are made with the knobs, the mode and waveform selectors, and the subdivision control, and the two footswitches handle tap tempo and bypass.
How much does the M. stellatarum cost?
It sells for $219 direct from the Moth Electric Webstore in the US, as of April 2026. In the UK it is available through Northern Stompboxes at £219, a price Guitar Pedal X called exceptional value.
Does the M. stellatarum have tap tempo?
Yes. The left footswitch is a tap tempo switch, so you can set the modulation speed in time with the music rather than only by ear with the Speed knob. The right footswitch is the bypass switch.
Is the M. stellatarum analog or digital?
It is an all-analog optical tremolo. The modulation is done with an optical circuit rather than digital processing, and the pedal is hand-soldered with through-hole construction.
Where is the Moth Electric M. stellatarum made?
It is handmade in the United States. Premier Guitar described it as a handmade-in-the-U.S. modulator, and it is a hand-soldered, through-hole device.
Sources (4)
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2026-04-16
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-10-10
- Moth Electric M. stellatarum Review, Premier Guitar, 2026-04-04
- New Pedal: Moth Electric M. Stellatarum Multi-Mode Tremolo, Delicious Audio, 2025-10-07