Rainger FX Minibar

The Rainger FX Minibar is a small analog distortion pedal with an unusual twist: instead of a gain knob, it has a small watertight container mounted in the top panel that you fill with a liquid. Rainger FX calls it a "liquid analyser pedal," a stompbox that uses the properties of a liquid to decide the character of the distortion¹. MusicRadar summed it up at NAMM 2020 as "a pedal you pour your beer into"².

How it works is simple in principle. The conductivity of the guitar's electrical signal passing through the fluid generally decides the amount of gain, and the opacity of the liquid decides the amount of treble and bass¹. In other words, the liquid you choose is the pedal's gain and tone control. Rainger FX says the Minibar often creates satisfying "band-pass" tones, nicely uncompressed, with plenty of harmonics and plectrum "cluck"¹.

A distortion shaped by the liquid you add

The pedal's only knob is a volume control for the level; everything about the distortion itself comes from what you pour into the container¹⁴. The liquid must cover the zinc-plated contacts at the bottom of the container for the pedal to pass sound⁶.

According to David Rainger, the secret is the number of free ions in the liquid of choice. Water has many, so it conducts well and produces low distortion. Alcohol has very few and creates high distortion. Olive oil has none, resulting in silence⁶. Delicious Audio reports the same principle from the maker: David Rainger says darker liquid makes it bassier⁷.

Rainger FX suggests a range of liquids to try¹:

• De-ionised water (from a hardware store): great distorted sound
• Red wine or coffee, a few drops added: tones down the high end and adds bass
• Jagermeister: a great dark drive
• Coca cola: a nice mild overdrive with plenty of lower mids
• Nail polish remover: sounds good

Because the liquid is doing the work of a gain stage, swapping liquids is the equivalent of swapping clipping characteristics and tone settings. A player who wants a mild, lower-mid heavy overdrive can reach for cola; a player who wants a darker, higher-gain drive can reach for Jagermeister. The pedal sits in Rainger FX's line of unconventional mini pedals, alongside designs like the Break Box and the DFST-1 Stealth Distortion/Fuzz¹⁷.

Volume and the analyzing LED

Beyond the container, the Minibar's panel is minimal. The volume knob sets the output level, and a green "analysing" LED shows when signal is present¹. The pedal uses a Rainger FX custom mini-pedal enclosure with no sockets on the side, a design detail Premier Guitar highlighted in its launch coverage⁴.

GuitarPlayer reviewed the Minibar Liquid Analyser and found plenty to like about the tones it produces⁶:

GuitarPlayer review⁶

Power, price and warranty

The Minibar runs on a standard 9V PSU with center earth (center negative), which is not supplied, and draws about 14mA¹. There is no battery option.

The product page lists the Minibar at £133.00, with UK buyers entitled to free shipping but liable to VAT, bringing the UK price including VAT to £159.00¹. At its 2020 launch, Premier Guitar reported a street price of $159⁴. The pedal debuted in 2020 and was covered among the new effects of NAMM that year⁵⁷.

Videos

Click to load

Click to load

Click to load

Questions