The Pine-Box Customs Pine-Box Sirens is a dual channel pedal that puts a chorus/vibrato and an overdrive in one enclosure. Paolo De Gregorio of Demos in the Dark, writing on Delicious Audio, described it as "a very cool chorus/vibrato with an added drive section," one that "can offer you warm, traditional, all analog chorus sounds or a fully wet warble. Add an overdrive on the tail end."1
What it does
The chorus side is an all-analog design that covers the traditional territory of the chorus pedal and goes beyond it into vibrato. The MIX knob blends the wet and dry signal and can be set anywhere from 100% dry to 100% wet, so at one end the effect sits quietly behind your clean tone and at the other the pedal becomes a full vibrato with no dry signal left.1
The overdrive sits after the chorus in the signal and, in De Gregorio's ears, has a distinct character of its own1:
"an added drive section that sounds a lot like tape saturation to me. It's a lo-fi machine!"
Players looking at the Sirens alongside a standalone overdrive pedal should think of it as two effects in one box rather than a chorus with a gain trim: each side has its own footswitch and can be used on its own1.
Controls and switching
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| MIX (chorus) | Blends the wet and dry signal, from 100% dry to 100% wet1 |
| Left footswitch | Overdrive, marked by the black and red knobs1 |
| Right footswitch | Chorus/vibrato1 |
Each effect takes one side of the pedal's footswitch, with the overdrive on the left and the chorus/vibrato on the right, so the two can be switched independently.1
Build and power
The pedal measures 4.67″ x 3.68″ x 1.5″ and uses high quality Neutrik jacks. It runs on standard negative ground power and is true bypass. Pine-Box Customs builds it from start to finish in the USA.1
Where it came from
The Sirens is a collaborative pedal: Pine-Box Customs makes it, but the chorus section was developed by Steve Demedash of Demedash Effects.1 Delicious Audio featured the pedal in March 2021 as part of its Demos in the Dark coverage.1
Videos
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Demos In The Dark
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Questions
Is the Pine-Box Sirens true bypass?
Yes. The Sirens is true bypass, so when the pedal is switched off your guitar's signal passes through without the chorus or overdrive circuits loading it. The pedal also uses standard negative ground power, so it can share a supply with most other pedals on a board.
Who designed the chorus in the Pine-Box Sirens?
The chorus circuit was developed by Steve Demedash of Demedash Effects. That makes the Sirens a collaborative pedal: Pine-Box Customs builds it, while the chorus/vibrato section comes from Demedash's design.
Which footswitch controls the overdrive on the Sirens?
Each effect takes one side of the pedal's footswitch. The overdrive is on the left, marked by the black and red knobs, and the chorus/vibrato is on the right. That lets you switch the two effects independently.
Can the Sirens go fully wet for vibrato?
Yes. The MIX knob blends the wet and dry signal and can be set anywhere from 100% dry to 100% wet. At a full wet setting the pedal works as a vibrato rather than a chorus, since no dry signal remains.
Where is the Pine-Box Sirens made?
Pine-Box Customs builds the Sirens from start to finish in the USA.
What power supply polarity does the Sirens use?
The Sirens runs on standard negative ground power, the same center-negative arrangement used by most modern pedals, so it works with typical isolated pedalboard power supplies.
Sources (1)
- Pine-Box Sirens Chorus/Vibrato + Overdrive, Delicious Audio, 2021-03-17