The Rainger FX Binary Pulsar is a stereo sidechainer-panner-tremolo pedal: it dips, pulses, slices or pans your signal in time with an external trigger or its own tap tempo. Rainger FX calls it their first stereo pedal, all digital but with a switchable analog "warm" circuit on board1. Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson described it as evolving the 2017 Deep Space Pulsar into "a stereo sidechainer, panner, tremolo, slicer/stutter and utility device with a warm analog preamp"2.
It is based on the mono Deep Space Pulsar mini-pedal, which is now discontinued1. The pedal launched in June 2026 with preorders at £279 including VAT for UK buyers, and Guitar Pedal X put the US price at "circa $310"21. As of late October 2026 the maker's page lists it as sold out1.
At 165mA on a 9V DC center negative supply2, the Binary Pulsar needs its own dedicated power supply rather than a shared daisy chain.
What it does and how it is triggered
The pedal syncs with a CV/gate signal from a modular synth setup, with the Rainger FX Snare Trap, or it runs on internal tap tempo. You can also plug in a microphone, via XLR or a 1/4" socket, and the mic will trigger a dip (or pulse); any other trigger source with a sharp attack works, including a drum machine percussion voice output1. For a player, that means the effect can duck or pulse in time with a live drummer or a backing track rather than a fixed clock.
The controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| INV switch | As on the original Deep Space Pulsar, gives out pulses instead of dips1 |
| ½ INV switch | Inverts one side, which Rainger FX says gives massive stereo effects1 |
| Wide knob | Delays the right side, turning a simple dip into a stereo effect; at higher settings it doubles up the dips, and higher still gives a swing feel1 |
| Hold knob | Sets the amount of dip; at the lower end of its travel there is not a long enough hold for the dip to fully reach silence1 |
| Warm switch | Adds a gentle analog overdrive, rolls off a little high frequency and boosts the mids slightly1 |
| Tap tempo pad | Programmed by two presses; hold the pad down for a long second to cancel any previous tempo, tap once, then a second time to program the tempo1 |
The warm switch is the analog side of an otherwise digital pedal, a mild preamp-style color rather than a full drive pedal like those on the overdrive page. Rainger FX describes the pedal as "spectacular live with two amps, and in the studio really adds a whole new type of excitement to a mix"1.
Using it in mono and stereo
In mono, both outputs are summed together and sent to the left output, so a single-amp rig still gets the dips and pulses1. The stereo features, the panning and the ½ INV switch, are where the pedal differs most from its mono predecessor, and they come into their own with two amps or a stereo rig. The outputs are a pair of 1/4" TS jacks, left and right2.
Size, power and where it came from
The Binary Pulsar is housed in a brand new custom enclosure with a rolled edge, designed to be floor or desk mounted. Rainger FX gives the dimensions as 127mm at its widest point, 134mm deep and 66mm high1. It runs on 9V DC center negative at 165mA2.
The pedal is a reboot and super-sizing of the 2017 Deep Space Pulsar, which Guitar Pedal X covered when the Binary Pulsar launched in June 20262. Comparing it later that year with Discomfort Designs' Supreme Balloon, another stereo pattern tremolo, Karlsson wrote: "Both are very worthy and quite different - there should be no redundancy impediment to owning both."4
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Questions
Does the Rainger FX Binary Pulsar have MIDI?
No. Rainger FX states on the product page that the Binary Pulsar does not have MIDI control. It syncs instead with a CV/gate signal from a modular setup, with the Rainger FX Snare Trap, with a microphone or drum machine percussion voice output, or on its own internal tap tempo programmed by two presses on the pad.
How much current does the Binary Pulsar draw?
Rainger FX lists the current draw at 165mA, and Guitar Pedal X's review gives the same figure with a 9V DC center negative supply. That is well above what a typical daisy-chain output supplies, so the pedal wants its own dedicated power supply.
Can the Binary Pulsar be used in mono?
Yes. Rainger FX says that in mono use both outputs are summed together and sent to the left output, so a single-amp setup still gets the dip and pulse effects. The stereo panning and half-invert effects are where the pedal opens up, ideally with two amps or a stereo rig.
How is the Binary Pulsar different from the Deep Space Pulsar?
The Binary Pulsar is based on the mono Deep Space Pulsar mini-pedal, which is now discontinued. The Binary Pulsar is Rainger FX's first stereo pedal and adds panning, a wide knob that delays the right side, a half-invert switch, a warm analog preamp switch and a larger custom enclosure.
Can a microphone trigger the Binary Pulsar?
Yes. You can plug a microphone in via XLR or a quarter-inch socket, and it will trigger a dip or pulse. Any other trigger source with a sharp attack works too, including a drum machine percussion voice output or a CV/gate signal from a modular synth setup.
How big is the Rainger FX Binary Pulsar?
Rainger FX gives the enclosure as 127mm at its widest point, 134mm deep and 66mm high. It is a new custom enclosure with a rolled edge, designed to be mounted on the floor or on a desk.
Sources (4)
- Binary Pulsar, Rainger FX
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2026-06-11
- Joey Landreth, Rainger FX
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X
