The Arcade Machine is a PLL-based analog synth and harmonizer pedal from Pittsburgh-based RPS Effects, unveiled in April 20201. Instead of processing your guitar's original tone, it re-synthesizes your instrument as a square wave, producing a rich, rounded synth tone, and then lets you stack octaves and intervals on top of that voice2. Premier Guitar calls it "an analog monophonic harmonizer that converts your signal to a square wave"3.
It is part of a family of pedals built on the phase-locked loop (PLL) approach to pitch, and Premier Guitar notes it is "the latest of many available PLL homages"3. Where it aims to stand out is in how much harmonic control it gives you: up to four octave channels of harmony, two up and two down, plus an extra tone selectable from a full 12-tone scale2.
What it does to your sound
The core of the pedal is the PLL circuit, which locks onto the pitch you play and rebuilds it as a square wave. Delicious Audio describes the result as a rich, rounded synth tone, and notes the pedal effectively gives you one and two octaves down, one and two octaves up, plus an interval of your choosing2. Pedal of the Day frames the whole thing as a 6-voice synthesizer you control with your instrument4.
Because the circuit is monophonic, it plays best with one note at a time4. Chords do not get tracked and harmonized the way they would on a digital pitch shifter; the PLL wants a single, clear pitch to lock onto. That makes it closer in spirit to pedals like the Pigtronix Mothership2 or the Way Huge Atreides Analog Weirding Module than to a polyphonic synth pedal such as the Boss SY-1.
The controls: intervals, octaves, vibrato and gate
The control surface centers on a rotary interval selector, flanked by octave and shaping controls4.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Interval selector | Main rotary switch featuring all of the intervals in a 12-note scale, which Pedal of the Day suggests may be a first in the effect world4 |
| -2 / -1 Octave Down | Blend in one or two octaves below the re-synthesized voice4 |
| +1 / +2 Octave Up | Blend in one or two octaves above it4 |
| Depth | Sets the depth of the vibrato, which acts on all the voices4 |
| Rate | Sets the speed of the vibrato2 |
| Gate | Sets how much of the effect gets drawn out and how much gets squashed into oblivion4 |
| Level | Sets the output volume3 |
The octave controls are the heart of the harmonizer side: with -2 and -1 Octave Down plus +1 and +2 Octave Up parameters, you get a wide range of analog synth sounds4. The interval selector then adds an extra tone on top, chosen from any interval in the 12-note scale4.
The vibrato section sits at the end of the chain and acts on all the voices at once, with Depth and Rate knobs governing what Premier Guitar calls its agitative throbbing43. Pedal of the Day found the range spans "subtle pitch variation to full-on, glitched-out computer sounds"4.
The Gate knob is the wild card. In Pedal of the Day's description, it "lets you decide how much of the effects gets drawn out, and how much gets squashed into oblivion"4. Set one way, the synth voice sustains and decays naturally; set the other, it chops and stutters, which is where the pedal's noisier, glitchier character lives.
Expression and CV control
The Arcade Machine has an expression pedal input that takes over the interval selection, so you can sweep the harmony interval with your foot rather than reaching down to the rotary switch2. The same input accepts control voltage (CV), which opens the pedal up to modular synths and other CV sources25. Pedal of the Day highlights this as a way to "hook up an Expression pedal or CV input to control the Interval selection"4.
What reviewers said
Reviews were positive about the concept while being clear about what the pedal is and is not43.
Premier Guitar's 2023 review put the sound character plainly:
"Sonically speaking, 'square wave' should be the operative term rather than 'harmonizer'"
Premier Guitar's reviewer3
The same review found the pedal's mangling of the input signal satisfying in ways that "sonic anarchists will deem patently glorious"3. It also noted the practical side: the Arcade Machine "remains on the large side" compared with simplified PLL homages, so board space is a consideration3.
Pedal of the Day's 2020 review and demo reached a similar verdict, calling it4:
"an innovative, beautifully dirty machine, one that might not fit into every musical situation, but certainly has its place in the world of musical creation."4
Videos
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Questions
Is the RPS Effects Arcade Machine analog or digital?
It is analog. Premier Guitar describes it as an analog monophonic harmonizer that converts your signal to a square wave, and it is built on a PLL (phase-locked loop) circuit rather than digital pitch tracking. That analog square-wave voice is the defining part of its sound.
Is the Arcade Machine polyphonic?
No. It is monophonic, and Pedal of the Day notes it plays best with one note at a time. Like other PLL-based pedals, the circuit tracks a single pitch and re-synthesizes it, so chords do not translate cleanly. Play single lines to get the clearest synth and harmony tones.
Can I control the Arcade Machine with an expression pedal?
Yes. It has an expression pedal input that takes over the interval selection, so you can sweep the harmony interval with your foot. The same input also accepts control voltage (CV), which lets you drive the interval from modular synth gear or other CV sources.
What does the Gate control do on the Arcade Machine?
The Gate knob sets how much of the effect gets drawn out and how much gets squashed into oblivion, in Pedal of the Day's words. In practice it shapes how the synth voice responds to your playing, from longer, sustained tones to abruptly cut-off, glitchy decay.
What does the vibrato section do on the Arcade Machine?
Depth and Rate knobs control a vibrato effect applied at the end of the chain, and it acts on all the voices at once. Pedal of the Day found the range spans subtle pitch variation through full-on, glitched-out computer sounds, so it works as anything from a light shimmer to a heavy warble.
Sources (5)
- RPS Effects Unveils New Arcade Machine Harmonizer Pedal, GuitarPlayer, 2020-04-28
- RPS Effects Arcade Machine, Delicious Audio, 2023-01-04
- Six Square Waves and a Manglephone, Premier Guitar, 2021-03-15
- RPS Effects Arcade Machine PLL Analog Synth Harmonizer, Pedal of the Day, 2020-08-25
- RPS Effects launches the Arcade Machine pedal, guitar.com, 2020-04-27
