The Seppuku Digital Pitch Modulator is a bass effects pedal that combines digital pitch effects with analog fuzz in one box. Writing for No Treble in August 2009, Evan Kepner described it as a pedal that can "convert your bass into a 'massive synthesis of sound'"1. It sits in the territory covered by Octave & Pitch Pedals and Fuzz Pedals, but blends the two rather than offering them separately.
What it does
The pitch side of the pedal uses an 8-bit digital chip to create octave up, octave down, fifth note, ring mod, arpeggio and bit crusher sounds, and blends them with analog fuzz1. The bit crusher and ring mod settings lean into the lo-fi, synthetic character that an 8-bit chip brings, which is where the "synthesis of sound" description comes from. The analog fuzz underneath gives the digital voices a body that they would not have on their own, and the Digital/Analog Blend control sets how much of each you hear1.
Controls and hardware
The pedal's controls, as reported by No Treble1:
- Digital/Analog Blend: sets the mix between the digital pitch chip and the analog fuzz
- Oscillator Frequency Control: shapes the oscillator
- Toggle Switches for pitch control: select the pitch effect
The circuit lives in a tough aluminum enclosure, and the pedal is true bypass, so your signal runs straight through when it is off1.
The pedal runs on a 9V power supply1. No current draw figure was given in the 2009 report, so plan your power supply accordingly.
Price and availability
No Treble reported the Digital Pitch Modulator at $169.00 in its August 2009 gear watch piece1. That figure dates from the pedal's announcement period, and the page has not been updated with a newer price.
Videos
seppukufx
FuzzHugger Effects
FuzzHugger Effects
Questions
Is the Seppuku Digital Pitch Modulator true bypass?
Yes. No Treble's 2009 report on the pedal lists it as true bypass, so when the pedal is switched off your bass signal passes through without going through the digital or fuzz circuitry. That matters on a bass board, where buffering and digital stages can thin out the low end.
How much does the Seppuku Digital Pitch Modulator cost?
When No Treble covered the pedal in August 2009, it ran at $169.00. That is the list price as reported at the time; the pedal has been around long enough that current availability and pricing may differ.
What voltage does the Seppuku pedal use?
The Digital Pitch Modulator runs on a 9V power supply, as reported by No Treble in 2009. The report does not give a current draw figure, so check the maker's documentation before sharing a power supply with other pedals.
Is the Seppuku pedal analog or digital?
It is a hybrid. The pitch effects come from an 8-bit digital chip, and they are blended with an analog fuzz stage. A Digital/Analog Blend control sets the mix between the two, so you can run from clean-ish digital pitch sounds into full fuzz.
Sources (1)
- Gear Watch: Seppuku Digital Pitch Modulator, No Treble, 2009-08-17