The Buzztard is a dirt pedal from Randale Pedale that covers overdrive, distortion and fuzz in one box. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio describes it as a RAT inspired pedal, meaning it takes its cue from the well-known Pro Co RAT distortion circuit, with an added NPN germanium transistor that takes it further into fuzz territory1. Where a standard RAT-style circuit stops at distortion, the extra transistor stage adds another layer of fuzz and overtones on top.
What it does
The core of the circuit is the same chip that gives RAT-style pedals their character. As Delicious Audio puts it, "The germanium transistor is pushed by the rodent's furiously pumping LM308 and yields another layer of FUZZ and overtone"1. The LM308 is the op-amp famously used in the original RAT, and here it feeds the germanium transistor, which responds in the softer, more touch-sensitive way germanium devices are known for. De Gregorio notes that "this beast has also a softer side that can be tickled"1.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| DRIVE | Ranges from overdrive into distortion territory and adds body to the tone1 |
| ACTIVE BASS | Active bass EQ for dialing in tone1 |
| ACTIVE MID | Active mid EQ for dialing in tone1 |
| ACTIVE TREBLE | Active treble EQ for dialing in tone1 |
The Drive control sweeps the pedal's whole range, so it can be set as an overdrive, pushed into distortion, or run with the germanium stage adding fuzz on top. The three-band active EQ is a step beyond the single tone knob found on many RAT-style pedals: active EQ means each band can cut as well as boost, which is useful for shaping how the fuzz layer sits in a mix. For players comparing it with related dirt pedals, the Buzztard sits across overdrive, distortion and fuzz territory rather than in just one of them1.
Randale Pedale also makes the Blackout, another RAT-inspired distortion in the company's range1.
Videos
Alberto Barrero
Dennis Kayzer
Sofa Jams
Sources (1)
- Randale Pedale Buzztard OD/Distortion/Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2019-12-06
