The Option Knob Danger Zone is a phaser/tremolo double pedal: two effects in one enclosure, each with its own Rate control, built so that both can be adjusted with your feet while you play. Option Knob, a custom controller company, announced the pedal as a newly offered product1. It carries an MSRP of $249.952.
What it does
The Danger Zone pairs an independent phaser and tremolo side. Premier Guitar's press material describes it as covering "the industry standard sounds needed in both effects, while also providing the ability to make mind-bending bionic phase-shifting sounds," with the design aimed at maximum foot control over the parameters2.
The phaser side carries a Mach II mini-toggle, which Guitar World's Paul Riario describes as "a punchier phase setting"3. Premier Guitar's announcement adds that there are "built-in sonic surprises found at the top end of the Phaser Rate, and by enabling the Secret Weapon Mach II switch"2.
The WingMan foot controls
The pedal's defining feature is its Rate knobs. They are not ordinary knobs but Option Knob's WingMan foot control knobs, which glow in the dark and are made to be turned with a top motion of the foot4. Two of them come equipped, one for the tremolo Rate and one for the phaser Rate, so the speed of both effects can be changed with ease during play5.
The Depth controls work differently. They are large round knobs placed on the left and right outer sides of the pedal, brushed with the foot to change depth while leaving clearance to reach the WingMan knobs on the Rate controls2.
The Depth knobs sit on the outer edges of the enclosure rather than on top, so the pedal's footprint and the space around it on a board matter more than with a conventional pedal.
Controls
| Control | Effect | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| WingMan Rate knob | Tremolo | Foot-turned speed control, glows in the dark54 |
| WingMan Rate knob | Phaser | Foot-turned speed control, glows in the dark54 |
| Depth knob (left side) | Tremolo | Large round knob on the outer edge, brushed with the foot2 |
| Depth knob (right side) | Phaser | Large round knob on the outer edge, brushed with the foot2 |
| Volume knob | Tremolo | Small knob that acts as a boost4 |
| Mach II mini-toggle | Phaser | Selects a punchier phase setting3 |
The tremolo side also carries a Rate LED4.
Volume and boost
The tremolo side's small Volume knob, Pedal of the Day's review notes, "acts as a boost, to be sure your trem sound is as laid back or up front as you want it"4.
What reviewers said
Reviewers picked up on the foot-control concept as the pedal's distinguishing trait:
"the Danger Zone's Rate knobs aren't your usual knobs at all, but a wonderful creation called the Option Knob WingMan"
Guitar World's review, by Paul Riario, notes that the "Danger Zone is handbuilt with analog circuitry"3.
Questions
Can you change the Danger Zone's speed settings while playing?
Yes, that is the pedal's main idea. The two Rate knobs are Option Knob WingMan knobs, made to be turned with a top motion of the foot, and the Depth knobs sit on the outer sides of the enclosure so they can be brushed with the foot as well. Both effects' speed and depth can therefore be adjusted during a performance without bending down.
What is the Mach II switch on the Danger Zone?
The Mach II is a mini-toggle on the phaser side that selects a punchier phase setting. Premier Guitar's press release also describes built-in sonic surprises at the top end of the Phaser Rate control and when the Secret Weapon Mach II switch is enabled.
Sources (5)
- Option Knob Unveils New Danger Zone Phaser/Tremolo, Guitar World, 2019-01-22
- Option Knob Introduces the Danger Zone, Premier Guitar, 2019-01-16
- Wingman FX Danger Zone review, Guitar World, 2020-07-30
- WingManFX Danger Zone Analog Tremolo / Phaser, Pedal of the Day, 2019-07-06
- Wingman Danger Zone Phaser/Tremolo, Delicious Audio, 2019-07-24
