The Red Witch Pentavocal is an analog tremolo pedal that takes a different path from most trem boxes: instead of one fixed character, it gives you five different voices, selected by a rotary voicing control. Red Witch describes the range as running "from a delicate, shimmery, flutter trem to a pulsy low end throb"1. The name spells out the idea: Penta for the five voices, Vocal for the tonal color each one carries.
What makes it stand out among tremolo pedals is how much of the design is about tone shaping rather than just speed and depth. A Bottom control splits the effect between high and low end, a Volume control carries enough gain to push an amp, and a wave switch flips the character between smooth and choppy. Reviewers at both Pedal of the Day and Delicious Audio found the voicing control to be the heart of the pedal23.
The Pentavocal Tremolo is currently shown as Sold Out on Red Witch's product page, so it is not available new direct from the maker at the time of this page's verification1.
Five voices of analog tremolo
The core of the Pentavocal is its voicing system. Red Witch gives it five different voices, and you select the voicing, meaning the frequency response, by turning the rotary selector1. Pedal of the Day's reviewer, Mike B, described the practical effect of turning the knob: "Low, murky, throbbing trem sounds give way to tight, high, shimmery cleans as you adjust this knob"2.
Delicious Audio's reviewer, Paolo De Gregorio, mapped the range in more detail, describing the five options as running from "full and lush" at voice #5 to "almost lo-fi and brittle" at voice #1, with voice #3 as "probably the more balanced" of the five3. For a player, that means one knob moves the pedal from a dark, thick throb to a thin, vintage-style shimmer, with a middle setting that keeps things even.
The controls and footswitches
The Pentavocal carries four knobs and two footswitches. Pedal of the Day counted "2 footswitches make up this beastly trem"2: the Tremulate footswitch is the on/off switch, and the left footswitch triggers the wave settings, changing the character of the tremolo between square and round23.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Voicing | Selects one of five voices, the pedal's frequency response12 |
| Velocity | Controls the speed of the tremolo, from super slow to super fast23 |
| Depth | Adds or subtracts the amount of the effect in your signal chain2 |
| Volume | Sets output level so there is no signal drop when on, and can add a little boost23 |
| Bottom | Dials the high end pulse in and out while the low end stays affected1 |
| Wave footswitch | Flips between a standard, smooth tremolo and an aggressive, choppy sound23 |
| Tremulate footswitch | The on/off switch2 |
The Bottom control is the one that separates the Pentavocal from a basic tremolo. Red Witch describes it as letting the user "dial in and out the high end pulse whilst the low end remains effected"1. In practice, that means the low frequencies keep pulsing no matter where the knob sits, while you decide how much of the high end joins the chop. Delicious Audio describes the underlying circuit as one that works either as a hi or lo cut filter, fine tuning the amount of low end of the original signal3, and Pedal of the Day calls it "an EQ of sorts, to help adjust the Mids and boost either the Low or High End of the effect"2.
The Volume control does more than match levels. Delicious Audio's reviewer found it "not only lets you compensate the signal loss you get when the tremolo is active (a common problem for" tremolo pedals, it also has enough gain to overdrive an amp3. Pedal of the Day agrees, noting you "won't ever need to worry about a drop in your signal when clicking this pedal on, and it can even punch a little add" of boost2. Players who like running an amp on the edge can use that gain the way they would a boost pedal.
What reviewers said
Both published reviews were positive, each with one wish. Delicious Audio's verdict framed the Pentavocal as a tremolo pedal worth considering, unique for its emphasis on tone color and gain23:
"If you are looking for a tremolo, definitely consider this one."
Delicious Audio, 20133
Pedal of the Day's reviewer had a single complaint about connectivity rather than sound: "The only option I would like to see here would be Stereo Out"2. The Pentavocal is a mono pedal, so players running stereo rigs would need to look elsewhere or double up.
Where it sits in the Red Witch range
Red Witch also makes other tremolos, including the Lyria Harmonic Tremolo and the Seven Sisters Eve Tremolo, for players comparing options within the maker's lineup. The Pentavocal remains the company's voicing-focused take on the effect, with its five-way rotary selector and Bottom control as its distinguishing features1.
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Questions
How much current does the Red Witch Pentavocal draw?
Red Witch lists the current draw at 35 mA1.
Is the Red Witch Pentavocal discontinued?
The maker's product page shows it as Sold Out, so it is not available new direct from Red Witch at the time of this page's verification1.
What does the Bottom knob do on the Pentavocal?
It dials the high end pulse in and out while the low end stays affected, working as a hi or lo cut filter on the low end of the original signal13.
Can the Pentavocal's volume control overdrive an amp?
Yes. Delicious Audio's reviewer found it has enough gain to overdrive an amp, beyond compensating the signal loss when the tremolo is active3.
How big is the Red Witch Pentavocal?
118mm x 38mm x 94mm, weighing 388 grams1.
Sources (3)
- Pentavocal Tremolo, Red Witch Pedals
- Red Witch Pedals Pentavocal Analog Tremolo, Pedal of the Day (www.pedal-of-the-day.com), 2014-12-05
- A Noteworthy Tremolo: Red Witch Pentavocal, Delicious Audio, 2013-08-27
