Pigtronix Moon Pool Tremvelope Phaser

The Pigtronix Moon Pool Tremvelope Phaser is a mini pedal that packs two modulation effects into one small, pedalboard-friendly enclosure: a phaser and a tremolo. Both are analog circuits, a 4-stage, VCA-based phase shifter and a variable bias tremolo, and they can be run independently or together in series¹². What sets it apart from a standard two-in-one modulation box is its dynamics response: each effect can speed up or slow down in reaction to how hard you play, which is where the "Tremvelope" name comes from.

The pedal was announced during NAMM's Believe in Music 2021 as part of a trio of space-themed mini pedals from Pigtronix, alongside the Constellator analog delay and the Space Rip synth pedal². Guitar World's Trevor Curwen notes that its circuit harks back to the first Pigtronix pedal, the Envelope Phaser³.

What it does to your sound

The Moon Pool runs two analog modulation circuits side by side. The tremolo is a variable bias design, which Guitar World's reviewer describes as having "a rounded throbby pulse," and the phaser is a 4-stage, VCA-based design rather than the more common photocell or JFET approaches³¹². Function f(x)'s technical analysis of phaser types lists the Moon Pool alongside the Empress Phaser as a commercial example of VCA-based phase shifting⁴.

Run together, the two effects can be set at different speeds, and Pedal of the Day found this opens up a wide range of territory¹:

Guitar World's reviewer found the two effects have distinct characters of their own, preferring the tremolo's pulse to what he called the phaser's "more workmanlike nature," while noting that their combined texture "yields a range of ethereal modulations, some with rhythms that play off each other"³.

Controls and how to set them

The control panel gives each effect its own speed knob plus shared controls for depth and dynamics. Here is what each one does¹:

The three-way Trem / Phase toggle is the heart of the pedal. Guitar World describes it simply: "A three-way toggle switch allows you to use the two effects individually or combined"³. With both engaged, the independent Speed controls let you set the two rates against each other, which is what produces the interlocking rhythms and combined textures reviewers highlighted³¹.

The dynamics response: Dyn and Sens

The "Tremvelope" part of the name comes from the envelope-following dynamics section. Each effect has its own 3-way Dyn toggle that adjusts how it reacts in response to your playing, increasing its speed, decreasing it, or not responding at all¹. On the phaser, up makes the speed increase as you play harder, down makes it decrease, and the middle position disables the response².

The Sens knob is the global sensitivity control for this behavior. As Guitar World puts it, it works "with another knob setting the overall sensitivity" of the dynamics response³. Pedal of the Day explains it in practical terms: it "determines how much signal is required to change the speed of both when the dynamics processing is turned on"¹. Set it low and only strong picking triggers the speed change; set it high and lighter touches do the job.

Where it came from

The Moon Pool's sound spans two extremes depending on how its speed is set. As described at launch, it is capable of "creating wild FM tones at maximum speeds, as well as gradually evolving textures when slowed way down"¹. That range is what reviewers pointed to when assessing the pedal, with one writing that Pigtronix was "still bringing unprecedented quality and tonal bliss to the table"¹.

The pedal arrived as the opening release of Pigtronix's new mini pedal lineup. One reviewer called it "a hell of a way to start off the new mini pedal lineup," adding that Pigtronix was "still bringing unprecedented quality and tonal bliss to the table"¹. Its sound was described as "creating wild FM tones at maximum speeds, as well as gradually evolving textures when slowed way down"¹, giving players both fast, aggressive modulation and slow, evolving movement from one small enclosure.

What reviewers said

Published reviews of the Moon Pool have been positive. Pedal of the Day called it "a hell of a way to start off the new mini pedal lineup," crediting it with "unprecedented quality and tonal bliss"¹. Guitar World's review, published later, went deep on the two effects' characters, finding the bias tremolo's rounded, throbby pulse more to its taste than the phaser alone, while highlighting the combined textures as where the pedal gets interesting³.

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