The Polarbear Effects Drowner Fuzz/Crush/Reverb Ultimate is a shoegaze-oriented multi-effect pedal that puts a fuzz, a crush (bitcrusher-style) section, and reverb or delay in one box. The Ultimate edition, confirmed as V4, follows the V3 released in February 2023 and the original V1 from 2021. For this version, Polarbear's Darko essentially absorbed his delay shoegazer pedal, the Ascender, into the Drowner design, making the V4 significantly different from earlier versions, which were smaller and mostly cosmetic refinements1.
Modes, footswitches and the mix control
The pedal runs two footswitches: a Reverb / Delay & Crush footswitch and a Fuzz footswitch. The reverb and delay sides are selectable rather than simultaneous, so you pick one mode at a time1.
| Section | Modes |
|---|---|
| Reverb | Modulated, Shimmer, Octave Down |
| Delay | Digital, Reverse, Pitch Up |
The control set covers Dry/Wet Mix, Reverb Decay/Delay Repeats, modulation, Delay Time, Master Volume, Order, Sample Rate and Crush. The V4 also adds a mini Fuzz Gain control, a new addition for the Ultimate edition1.
The fuzz and where it came from
The fuzz is Big Muff voiced, sitting alongside the Crush and the reverb/delay section in one enclosure. Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson, covering the release, placed the Drowner in exalted company1:
"I’ve long held this to be one of the most foremost / greatest Shoegazer all-in-one pedals - probably alongside the OBNE Screen Violence - both are phenomenal."
Availability and price
The Drowner Ultimate is priced at €229 when in stock. Polarbear makes it in small and somewhat infrequent batches, and the first batch sold out very rapidly, so it is often unavailable between runs1.
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Questions
Can the Drowner Ultimate run reverb and delay at the same time?
No. The Ultimate edition absorbs Polarbear's Ascender Delay into the Drowner, adding selectable Reverb or Delay modes rather than simultaneous operation. You choose one mode at a time: the reverb side offers Modulated, Shimmer and Octave Down, while the delay side offers Digital, Reverse and Pitch Up. A footswitch handles the Reverb/Delay and Crush functions, and a second footswitch handles the fuzz.
What reverb modes does the Drowner Ultimate have?
The Drowner Ultimate's reverb side has three modes: Modulated, Shimmer and Octave Down. The same section also covers three delay modes, Digital, Reverse and Pitch Up, since the V4 absorbed Polarbear's Ascender Delay pedal. Controls cover Dry/Wet Mix, Reverb Decay or Delay Repeats, modulation, Delay Time, Master Volume, Order, Sample Rate and Crush.
What type of fuzz is in the Drowner?
The fuzz in the Drowner is Big Muff voiced, according to Guitar Pedal X's coverage of the Ultimate edition. The V4 also adds a mini Fuzz Gain control, giving players more control over how hard the fuzz section is driven alongside the pedal's Crush, reverb and delay functions.
Who designed the Polarbear Drowner?
The Drowner comes from Polarbear Effects, and for the Ultimate edition Polarbear's Darko essentially absorbed his delay shoegazer pedal, the Ascender, into the Drowner design. That made the V4 significantly different from earlier versions, which were smaller and mostly cosmetic refinements.
Why is the Drowner often sold out?
Polarbear Effects makes the Drowner Ultimate in small and somewhat infrequent batches, and the first batch of the V4 sold out very rapidly. It is priced at €229 when in stock, so availability comes and goes depending on when the next batch is produced.
Sources (1)
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-11-19
