Oscillator Devices Imp

The Oscillator Devices Imp is a MIDI-controlled switcher that controls, or replaces, exactly one switch. Where a typical MIDI switcher handles several loops, the Imp is built for the single pedal on a board that has no MIDI of its own: a MIDI command from a controller makes the Imp do what a foot would do, pressing that one switch for you. It sits in the wider family of MIDI pedals and switching pedals, and Oscillator Devices makes a companion unit, the Goblin-SPST, covered in the same maker documentation¹.

What it does

The Imp's job is narrow by design. Oscillator Devices states plainly: "It controls (or replaces) exactly one switch."¹ That makes it a way to bring a non-MIDI pedal, such as an overdrive or a delay, under MIDI program control without replacing the pedal itself.

A key part of how it works is that the Imp does not switch blindly. Oscillator Devices explains that "the Imps/Goblins have a way to measure voltage. A good way to check if the effect is on is to check the status LED (or t"¹. In practice, the Imp reads the voltage across the pedal's status LED to know whether the effect is currently on or off before it switches, so it can match the pedal's real state rather than assuming one.

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