The Mr. Black Analog Tremolo is a tremolo pedal, announced in November 2025, that modulates the volume of your signal through a high-performance VCA (voltage-controlled amplifier) driven by a precision multi-waveform LFO12. The signal path is 100% analog, the pedal is handmade in the USA, and it is a Jack Deville original design1. What sets it apart from most tremolos is its fourth waveform: alongside triangle, square and sine, a Robot Mode disables the Rate control and pushes the LFO to its physical maximum potential13.
Mr. Black's own framing is simple: tremolo has been around for decades "because for the simple fact that it sounds lovely"3.
A VCA tremolo with three waveforms and Robot Mode
Many tremolo pedals chop the signal with an optocoupler or a transistor shunting it to ground. The Analog Tremolo instead uses a VCA as its core amplitude engine, driven by a precision LFO, which Mr. Black presents as the reason for its performance1. An active master volume output control keeps the output impedance very low, so the pedal drives long cable runs without loading down1.
The LFO offers three classic waveforms, each giving a different character of pulse and throb1:
- Triangle: a symmetric rise and fall
- Square: hard on/off chopping
- Sine: a smooth, rounded swell
The fourth option is Robot Mode. Mr. Black describes it this way:
"Robot Mode disables the Rate control, and dials the LFO up to its physical maximum potential."3
In Robot Mode the speed is fixed at the LFO's ceiling, and the Intense control is what shapes the effect: it "can be tamed to barely audible, or cranked up to full power quickly and easily"1. Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson highlighted this fourth waveform as the pedal's distinguishing feature, writing:
"There's a real elegance about this device and it definitely imparts unique flavours."4
The controls
The control set is small: two knobs, a waveform button and a volume control31.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Rate | Sets the LFO speed, from 0.58Hz (about a 1.72 second cycle) up to 15.4Hz (about a 65ms cycle). Disabled in Robot Mode13 |
| Intense | Sets modulation depth, from 0% up to a full -100dB chop. At 0% the pedal works as a clean boost; in Robot Mode it tames or cranks the effect1 |
| Waveform button | The little black button selects the LFO waveform, shown in real time on the indicator LED13 |
| Volume | Active master volume output control, ensuring very low output impedance1 |
The speed range is wide for an analog tremolo. At 0.58Hz the cycle takes about 1.72 seconds, slow enough for a barely breathing pulse; at 15.4Hz the cycle is about 65 milliseconds, fast enough to sit near ring-modulator territory3.
Because the Intense control goes all the way down to 0% depth, the pedal doubles as a boost. Mr. Black says you can use it "as a powerful clean boost" with the Intense control fully counterclockwise, with the Volume control then setting your level1.
Power and connections
The Analog Tremolo runs on a 9VDC supply with a 2.1mm negative center-pin plug, the standard pedalboard arrangement, or on an internal 9V battery1. Current draw is 17mA at 9VDC, light enough that it shares a daisy chain or a small isolated supply without strain1.
Input impedance is about 470KΩ and output impedance about 2KΩ1. The low output figure comes from the active volume stage, which means the pedal can drive long cables after it in the chain1.
B-stock units and pricing
Mr. Black sells B-stock versions of the Analog Tremolo at a lower price. The maker's description of what B-stock means1:
"While B-stock units have minor cosmetic defects, the internal components are the same as a standard pedal."1
B-stock units carry the standard 1-year Mr. Black warranty, but all B-stock sales are final, with no returns, exchanges or refunds1.
On pricing, the picture has moved since launch. The regular price is $234.951. When the pedal launched in November 2025, Guitar Pedal X reported a discounted price of $199 versus the $234 regular price on the Mr. Black webstore4. As of October 2026, the maker's standard product page lists $199.953, while the B-stock page shows a sale price of $139.95 against the $234.95 regular price1.
B-stock sales are final: no returns, exchanges or refunds. The 1-year Mr. Black warranty still applies1.
News
Questions
Does the Mr. Black Analog Tremolo take a battery?
Yes. It runs on a 9VDC 2.1mm negative center-pin power supply or an internal 9V battery. Current draw is 17mA at 9VDC, so it is easy on a pedalboard power supply as well.
Is the Mr. Black Analog Tremolo true bypass?
Yes. Mr. Black specifies mechanical true-bypass switching, so with the pedal off your signal passes through without active buffering. The signal path itself is 100% analog.
Can the Mr. Black Analog Tremolo be used as a clean boost?
Yes. With the Intense control turned fully counterclockwise the modulation depth is 0%, and Mr. Black says the pedal then works as a powerful clean boost. The active master volume control sets the output level.
How fast and how slow does the Mr. Black Analog Tremolo go?
The LFO runs from a slowest speed of 0.58Hz, about a 1.72 second cycle, up to a fastest speed of 15.4Hz, about a 65 millisecond cycle. In Robot Mode the Rate control is disabled and the LFO runs at its physical maximum.
What is a Mr. Black B-stock pedal?
A B-stock unit has minor cosmetic defects, but the internal components are the same as a standard pedal and it carries the standard 1-year Mr. Black warranty. B-stock sales are final, with no returns, exchanges or refunds.
Sources (4)
- Analog Tremolo B-stock, Mr. Black
- New Pedal: Mr. Black Analog Tremolo, Delicious Audio, 2025-11-14
- Analog Tremolo, Mr. Black
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-11-19
