The Dark Waves Tap Tempo Tremolo Pedal is a tremolo from UK maker Vein-Tap.com, described by the maker as "a beautiful, footprint-small but feature-big tremolo, capable of creating all manner of tremolo textures"1. Its headline feature is a set of sixteen base wave shapes, which the maker says run "from light lush tremolo to classic Fenderish sounds, even to crazy choppy sounds and everything between"1. It is a true bypass pedal with a soft touch footswitch, and it carries the Vein-Tap.com Lifetime Guarantee1.
The Dark Waves Tap Tempo Tremolo Pedal carries a list price of £149.95 GBP1.
Sixteen wave shapes, from lush to choppy
The Dark Waves offers sixteen base wave shapes, which the maker calls "a huge sonic palette to choose from"1. They are arranged in two rows of eight, called wavesets:
| Standard Waveset (top row) | Alternate Waveset (bottom row) |
|---|---|
| Ramp Up | Ramp Up + Octave |
| Ramp Down | Quad Ramp |
| Pulse | Quad Pulse |
| Triangle | Tri Step |
| Sine | Sine + Octave |
| Sweep | Sine + 3rd |
| Lumps | Sine + 4th |
| Random Levels | Random Slopes |
The top row is the Standard Waveset and is what the Wave Shape control defaults to; the bottom row is the Alternate Waveset1. The Wave Shape control scrolls between the shapes1.
Controls, footswitches and the Dark Waves Controller
The pedal keeps its on-board layout simple:
- Rate controls how fast, or how slow, the tremolo rate is1.
- Depth lets you choose anything between a full affected tone, where the tremolo completely kills the signal when the wave is negative, and the subtlest tremolo sound imaginable1.
- Center Shift changes the symmetry of the wave: at its center point the wave is fully symmetrical, and the control moves the center point left or right of center1.
- Wave Shape scrolls between the sixteen wave shapes1.
A soft touch footswitch switches the pedal on and off, with true bypass for a completely unaffected signal path when it is off1. The engage LED reflects the state of the pedal: it lights red when the effect is in bypass mode and yellow when the effect is engaged1.
The optional Dark Waves Controller is an external unit that lets you tap in the desired tempo, sync the tempo with other pedals, and activate the Alternate Waveset1. Its tap tempo LED blinks red when the Standard Waveset is selected and green when the Alternate Waveset is selected1.
Version 3.0: stereo and on-board switches
- an on-board tap tempo switch1
- an on-board alternate waveset switch1
- a second fully analog signal line, and the ability to choose true stereo tremolo, or panning between the two paths1
In other words, the tap tempo and Alternate Waveset functions that currently live on the optional Dark Waves Controller move onto the pedal itself, and the single analog signal line becomes two, which is what makes true stereo tremolo or auto-panning possible1.
Videos
Vein-Tap.com
Vein-Tap.com
Questions
Is the Dark Waves tremolo true bypass?
Yes. Vein-Tap.com says the Dark Waves uses a soft touch footswitch to switch the pedal on and off, with true bypass for complete bypass of the circuit when it is off. The engage LED reflects the state of the pedal: it lights red when the effect is in bypass mode and yellow when the effect is engaged.
Is the Dark Waves tremolo analog or digital?
Vein-Tap.com describes the Dark Waves as having a fully analogue signal line. Version 3.0 adds a second fully analogue signal line, which is what makes the choice of true stereo tremolo or panning between the two paths possible.
Is the Dark Waves tremolo stereo?
Version 3.0 is. It adds a second fully analogue signal line and the ability to choose true stereo tremolo, or panning between the two paths. Version 2.0 does not have this second signal path.
What does v3.0 of the Dark Waves add?
Vein-Tap.com says version 3.0 will include all of v2.0's features and add an on-board tap tempo switch, an on-board alternate waveset switch, and the choice of full stereo tremolo or panning between two fully analogue signal paths. The company lists v3.0 as coming in 2027.
What does the Centre Shift knob do on a tremolo?
Centre Shift changes the symmetry of the tremolo wave. At its centre point the wave is fully symmetrical, and moving the control shifts the centre point of the wave left or right of centre. That turns a symmetrical pulse into an uneven one, which is how you get lopsided, stuttering tremolo rhythms from a single wave shape.
Sources (1)
- Dark Waves Tap Tempo Tremolo Pedal, Vein-Tap.com, 2026-09-01