The Origin Effects RevivalTREM is an all-analog tremolo and overdrive pedal that recreates the power tube bias tremolo of the 'brown' Fender Deluxe, from clean to distorted, plus Tweed and Blackface tones, paired with an amp-style drive channel derived from the company's RevivalDRIVE technology12. It offers two tremolo waveforms, a classic vintage-style sine wave or a choppier asymmetrical 'full wave'12, and it won a Premier Guitar Gold Premier Gear Award123.
The bias tremolo the pedal models is the kind found in certain Fender tweed and brown-panel amps, generated by modulating the bias voltage supplied to the power valves1. That is what gives the effect its particular character, and it is the reason the pedal carries an amp-style drive alongside it.
A brown-panel Deluxe bias tremolo with an amp-style drive
The RevivalTREM is based on the power tube bias tremolo from the brown-panel Fender Deluxe, a circuit Premier Guitar described as achieving a musical seamlessness few tremolos match2. The pedal also gives you a wide range of amp sounds from the "brown" Fender Deluxe, from clean to distorted, plus Tweed and Blackface tones21.
The tremolo waveforms are selectable with the Shape switch. Guitar World found it wonderfully expressive both with the classic vintage-style sine wave and with the choppier asymmetrical waveform1. Guitar.com described the same switch as offering a sine wave and a "full wave" that brings a much stronger thump to the peak of each cycle4. Premier Guitar found the tremolos exceptionally smooth, liquid and dreamy, but also beguilingly complex, with stronger settings subtly suggesting pitch shifting and phasing without dynamic penalties2.
The drive channel generates what Premier Guitar called sweet and malleable low-to-mid-gain drive and body2. Guitar.com's reviewer found it smoother and more saturated than the Magma57, about as organically amp-like as drive from a stompbox gets, with a much higher gain range and a controlled fullness to the low end closer to modern boutique than ragged tweed4.
"killer brown Fender Deluxe tube breakup overdriven tone with that delicious biased tremolo added as well"
Footswitches, tap tempo and the Post Drive EQ
The pedal carries two soft-relay footswitches, which Premier Guitar noted cleverly enable operation of the drive channel independent of the tremolo2. That means you can use the drive on its own, the tremolo on its own, or both together.
Guitar World's review lists the full control set1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Output, Tone, Drive | Preamp controls for the drive channel6 |
| Intensity, Speed | Tremolo controls |
| Shape switch | Selects the tremolo waveform |
| Multi switch | Quarter-note, eighth-note or eighth-note triplet modes |
| Post Drive EQ switch and adjust | Output filter for feeding different destinations |
| Bypass (On) footswitch | Engages the pedal |
| Tremolo footswitch | Engages the tremolo independently |
The Multi toggle significantly extends the range of the speed control, enabling super-fast flutters2. Tap tempo and remote tremolo on/off are available via an optional external footswitch, with an LED flashing synced to speed, and there is an input for an external footswitch or effects switching system1.
The Post Drive EQ is an output filter with three choices: P/Amp for feeding a power amp, mixer or audio interface, EQ1 for a Fender-style amp, or EQ2 for a Marshall-style amp1. It follows the Re-Amp EQ approach Origin Effects introduced on the RevivalDRIVE7.
From RevivalDRIVE to DELUXE61
The RevivalTREM's drive circuit is derived from the company's Revival Drive, as Premier Guitar noted2, and Guitar World describes the pedal as derived from RevivalDRIVE technology1. Origin Effects launched the RevivalDRIVE in 2018 as an amp-in-a-box pedal with Re-Amp EQ controls7.
Origin Effects later renamed the RevivalTREM Bias Tremolo the DELUXE61 Amp Tremolo & Drive, a name that reflects the pedal's amp-style circuitry, which is derived from RevivalDRIVE technology1. A Knob Kit for the DELUXE61 / RevivalTREM is listed by Origin Effects as coming soon8.
If you see a RevivalTREM and a DELUXE61 side by side, they are the same circuit under different names, apart from the slight output level adjustment made at the rename8.
What reviewers said
The RevivalTREM won Premier Guitar's Gold Premier Gear Award in November 202023. Guitar.com scored it 9/10, calling it rich, throbby tremolo and sweet amp-like drive in one luxurious box4. Premier Guitar's reviewer found it "takes a heady trip through Fender amp tones of yore, offering some unique sounds and plenty of territory for the adventurous player to explore"1.
Guitar World's later review was positive about the sounds but flagged the price1:
"Verdict: A unique pedal with a delightful interaction between drive and tremolo that just has to be heard."
The same review found the RevivalTREM takes a heady trip through Fender amp tones of yore, offering some unique sounds and plenty of territory for the adventurous player to explore, while listing it as expensive1. Premier Guitar also called it expensive at 430 dollars, and noted it is built almost absurdly well by stompbox standards, with an enclosure that feels close to bulletproof, built for heavy touring and meant to be serviced2. Guitar.com's reviewer found the tremolo every bit as warm and throbby as expected, and highly dynamic: hammer the strings hard and you barely hear it until a chord starts to fade4.
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Questions
Is the Origin Effects RevivalTREM true bypass?
No. The RevivalTREM uses buffered bypass with silent switching, according to Guitar World's review. The buffer keeps the signal consistent when the pedal is off, which suits long cable runs and larger pedalboards.
Is the RevivalTREM analog or digital?
It is all-analog. Premier Guitar described the RevivalTREM as an all-analog pedal built on a two-tiered circuit board holding the components of the modulation and drive circuits. The tremolo recreates the power tube bias tremolo of a brown-panel Fender Deluxe.
Can you use the drive on the RevivalTREM without the tremolo?
Yes. The pedal has two soft-relay footswitches, and Premier Guitar noted that they cleverly enable operation of the drive channel independent of the tremolo. You can run the amp-style drive on its own, the tremolo on its own, or both together.
Does the RevivalTREM have tap tempo?
Yes. Guitar World's review lists tap tempo and remote tremolo on/off via an optional external footswitch, with an LED that flashes in sync with the speed. A Multi switch offers quarter-note, eighth-note and eighth-note triplet subdivisions.
What is the difference between the RevivalTREM and the DELUXE61?
They are the same pedal under different names. In October 2021 Origin Effects renamed the RevivalTREM Bias Tremolo to DELUXE61 Amp Tremolo & Drive, saying the new name better reflects its amp-style circuitry, with a slight output level adjustment to match the MAGMA57.
How much does the Origin Effects RevivalTREM cost?
At launch in February 2020 the RevivalTREM sold for $430 in the United States and £360 in the UK. Premier Guitar called it expensive at that price, and Guitar World's later review also listed its cost as a downside.
Sources (8)
- Origin Effects MAGMA57 & RevivalTREM review, Guitar World, 2021-04-30
- RevivalTREM Wins PREMIER GUITAR, Premier Guitar (republished on origineffects.com), 2020-11-04
- Reviews - Origin Effects, Origin Effects, 2020-11-04
- Review: Origin Effects Magma57 & RevivalTrem, Guitar.com, 2020-12-23
- OE Artist: Johnny Hiland checks out the RevivalTREM Bias Tremolo!, Origin Effects, 2021-05-01
- NAMM 2020: Origin Effects packs a Brownface-in-a-box with the RevivalTREM, Guitar.com, 2020-01-22
- The RevivalDRIVE: Origin Effects' First Overdrive Pedal, Origin Effects, 2018-03-01
- Origin Effects Baseball T-Shirt, Origin Effects, 2026
