The Red Witch Lyria Harmonic Tremolo is a 100% analog harmonic tremolo pedal, hand built in a limited run of 49 units and now sold out. Where a regular tremolo pedal wobbles the volume of your whole signal, a harmonic tremolo splits the guitar signal into two parallel bands, one high frequency and one low frequency, and modulates each with its own tremolo. Red Witch describes the result as "An almost meditative sound. Organic and beautifully mesmerising."1
How it works
Red Witch explains the circuit this way: the Lyria "uses a set of matched FET transistors to control the amplitude modulation of two parallel signals. One signal is a" high frequency band and the other a low frequency band1. Because the two tremolos run in parallel on separate parts of the spectrum rather than on the full signal, the effect moves the tone around in a way a single-band tremolo cannot, which is what gives harmonic tremolo its character.
Controls
The pedal keeps its front panel simple, with the controls placed in the back of the case2:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Speed | Sets the tremolo rate1 |
| Depth | Sets the intensity of the modulation12 |
| Volume | Sets the output level12 |
Inside, the Lyria "includes unique internal trimpot options controlling the two split signals (high and low)", so the balance and behavior of each band can be adjusted with a screwdriver rather than a panel knob1.
A hand-built limited run
Each Lyria is built by hand, using through hole components and hand wiring. "By me," as the builder puts it in the Delicious Audio write-up2. The maker describes the housing as "a gorgeous enclosure with art that encapsulates the beautiful and alluring spirit of Lyria"1.
The designer places the Lyria in a line of modulation projects: "Modulation has always been at the forefront of my designs, from the Moon Phaser and Empress Deus Chorus right through to" the Lyria1. The pedal follows the maker's earlier limited edition Eleutheria Flanger, which, the maker notes, "sold out in 24 minutes from the moment they were publicly availa[ble]"2.
Only 49 Lyria pedals will ever be built, and the pedal is listed as Sold Out on the Red Witch product page1. It is not a pedal you can pick up new from a dealer; it turns up secondhand if at all.
Red Witch has made other tremolos in larger runs, including the Red Witch Pentavocal Analog Tremolo and the Red Witch Seven Sisters Eve Tremolo, but the Lyria's harmonic split circuit and hand-built run set it apart within the maker's range2.
Questions
Is the Red Witch Lyria analog?
Yes. Red Witch describes the Lyria as a 100% analog harmonic tremolo pedal. The circuit uses a set of matched FET transistors to control the amplitude modulation of two parallel signals, one high frequency and one low frequency, and each unit is built by hand using through hole components and hand wiring.
How many Red Witch Lyria pedals were made?
Red Witch states that only 49 Lyria pedals will ever be built. The pedal is a limited edition that follows the maker's earlier limited edition Eleutheria Flanger, and the Lyria is now shown as sold out on the Red Witch product page.
Who designed the Red Witch Lyria?
The Lyria was designed and built by Red Witch's own builder, who says modulation has always been at the forefront of his designs, from the Moon Phaser and Empress Deus Chorus onward. Each Lyria is built by hand, using through hole components and hand wiring.
What is the difference between harmonic tremolo and regular tremolo?
A regular tremolo modulates the volume of the whole signal. A harmonic tremolo splits the signal into two parallel bands, one high frequency and one low frequency, and modulates each with its own tremolo. The Lyria does this with matched FET transistors, and Red Witch describes the result as an almost meditative sound, organic and beautifully mesmerising.
Can you still buy a Red Witch Lyria?
No. The Lyria is listed as sold out on the Red Witch Pedals product page, and the maker states that only 49 units will ever be built. As a hand-built limited run, it only turns up secondhand.
Sources (2)
- Lyria Harmonic Tremolo, Red Witch Pedals
- New LTD Pedal: Red Witch Lyria Harmonic Tremolo, Delicious Audio, 2022-10-20
