The ZVex Machine is a fuzz pedal from ZVex with an unusual job: it is not meant to be your only dirt pedal, but a distortion generator you put in front of your other fuzz and distortion pedals. Analog Man, which has sold the Machine, calls it "a fuzz for fuzzes," aimed at players who already run distortion as their main sound and can never get enough of it1.
What makes it different from a normal fuzz is the circuit. The Machine is a dual frequency-tripler that uses crossover distortion, which Analog Man says appeared in a pedal for the first time here. Instead of clipping the peaks and valleys of the waveform the way most fuzz and distortion circuits do, it distorts in the sloped part of the wave cycle1. The result, in ZVex's own description, is a pedal that "creates a noisy oscillation of triple-frequency triangle waves that will cut through any amount of distortion in any pedal or amp with a sweeping, industrial grind"2.
A fuzz for fuzzes: crossover distortion and frequency tripling
Most fuzz pedals clip the top and bottom of your guitar signal to create harmonics. The Machine takes another route. Its dual frequency-tripler circuit generates harmonics at three times the input frequency, and its crossover distortion works on the sloped, transitional part of the wave rather than its peaks and valleys1. In practice that means the pedal adds a layer of grind on top of whatever gain you already have, rather than replacing it.
ZVex positions the Machine as a tool for cutting through a dense setup. The maker's page says the effect "will cut through any amount of distortion in any pedal or amp," and calls the result "a truly unique fuzz"2. The page also describes the Machine as "a secret weapon of many guitarists, especially when paired with a pedal like the Woolly Mammoth"2.
Because it is built to feed other pedals, the Machine rewards being pushed. On Tagboard Effects, a DIY site that published a layout for the circuit, mirosol reported that "it definitely makes a fuzz sound weirder and angrier when you've got some gain and volume going"3. A commenter on that same build, Greg, wrote: "This really does work as advertized. It does great things in front of a heavy fuzz. It emphasizes how useful the SHO circuit is too..."3
Controls
The Machine keeps its control set to three knobs1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drive | Sets the drive level1 |
| Limit | Clips the original waveform off at about the same size as the harmonics, if you want that1 |
| Volume | Sets the output level1 |
The Limit knob is the one players ask about most. Analog Man's description is that it clips the original waveform down to roughly the size of the generated harmonics1. Tagboard Effects describes the same control from the circuit side: "The Limit control sort of lifts the diodes off the signal path when turned clockwise"3. In one builder's clone, the Limit control did nothing audible, so its effect may depend on the build and the rest of the rig3.
Versions and editions
The standard Machine is a hand painted pedal, and ZVex notes that colors and details may vary from unit to unit2. Hand painted ZVex pedals carry a lifetime warranty2.
ZVex has also released numbered one-off editions. The Machine, 51-60 is a one-of-a-kind hand painted pedal by Lisa McGrath (LJM), listed at $449.00 and shown as sold out on ZVex's site as of October 20264. ZVex says its parts are otherwise identical to the Machine, and it carries the same 4.70" x 2.38" x 1.82" dimensions and lifetime warranty4. A second numbered edition, the Machine, 51-66, appears on ZVex's custom store with the same sound description as the standard pedal5.
Power and placement
The Machine draws about 3 mA, per Analog Man's product page1. That is a small enough draw that it will not strain a typical pedalboard power supply.
Placement is the whole point of the pedal. It is designed to go in front of other fuzz and distortion pedals, adding its frequency-tripled grind to whatever comes after it1. ZVex's own pairing suggestion is the Woolly Mammoth2, and the Tagboard Effects build reports bear that out, with the pedal doing its best work ahead of a heavy fuzz with gain and volume up3.
The Machine is not a standalone fuzz in the usual sense. If you are looking for one pedal to do all your dirt, a conventional fuzz like the Fuzz Factory covers that job; the Machine is built to stack with pedals like that rather than replace them1.
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Questions
Do you put the ZVex Machine before or after a fuzz?
In front. The Machine is designed as a fuzz for fuzzes, a distortion generator you put ahead of other fuzz and distortion pedals in your signal chain. ZVex notes it is a secret weapon for many guitarists, especially when paired with a pedal like the Woolly Mammoth, and builders who have cloned it report it does great things in front of a heavy fuzz.
How much current does the ZVex Machine draw?
About 3 mA, according to Analog Man's product page for the Machine. That is a very small draw, comparable to a simple germanium boost, so it places almost no demand on a pedalboard power supply and is easy to run alongside other pedals from a shared output.
What does the Limit knob do on the ZVex Machine?
Analog Man describes Limit as clipping the original waveform off at about the same size as the harmonics, if you want that. A Tagboard Effects writeup puts it differently, saying the control sort of lifts the diodes off the signal path when turned clockwise, though in one builder's clone the Limit control did nothing audible.
Sources (5)
- Z.Vex Effects, Analog Man (analogman.com), 2015
- Machine - ZVEX Effects, ZVEX Effects
- Guitar FX Layouts: ZVex Machine w/ mods, Tagboard Effects (tagboardeffects.blogspot.com), 2014-03-27
- Machine - 51-60 - ZVEX Effects, ZVEX Effects (www.zvex.com)
- Daniel Buettner Machine, ZVEX Effects (www.zvex.com)
Stephen Carpenter
