Drifters have a funny — by which I mean “ strange ”— reputation . They ’ re sometimes reviled as ne ’ er-do-wells , but just as often they ’ re celebrated for their outlawry . I don ’ t know why Greenhouse Effects has named its latest analog tremolo after this dubious figure of urban mythology , but I can say with certainty that this pedal won ’ t hitch a ride , catch you off your guard , knock you out , and leave you to the vultures after it steals your T-Bird .
The first thing readers will likely notice is the pedal ’ s handsome design . The Drifter is definitely one of the more attractively ornate pedals I ’ ve encountered in some time . Its clear plastic knobs don ’ t distract from the cool silk-screen graphic of a snail making its way through what appears to be Wayne Szalinski ’ s backyard , with one of the Szalinski children riding the snail . But enough with the graphics , what we care about is the tone .
The Drifter offers the usual range of waveforms — triangle , square , sawtooth , and sine — with a few extra for fun . These extras include a reverse sawtooth waveform , a pulselike waveform , and a random setting for more computer-like
effects . The latter seems to mix square waves of various amplitudes rather than , say , a square wave with a sawtooth wave and a sine wave . The effect sounds as if the signal ’ s volume steps up and down , and if the Rate is high enough , the pedal will generate some very cool rhythms .
But other settings are just as fun . Take the reverse sawtooth wave , for example ; if chords are strummed in time to the blinking LED indicator , they take on an almost synth-like character . Play it in time with the regular sawtooth wave and the signal will sound as if it ’ s being played in reverse .
GREENHOUSE EFFECTS
DRIFTER ANALOG TREMOLO
REVIEW BY DAVID A . EVANS STREET PRICE $ 199.99
Drifters have a funny — by which I mean “ strange ”— reputation . They ’ re sometimes reviled as ne ’ er-do-wells , but just as often they ’ re celebrated for their outlawry . I don ’ t know why Greenhouse Effects has named its latest analog tremolo after this dubious figure of urban mythology , but I can say with certainty that this pedal won ’ t hitch a ride , catch you off your guard , knock you out , and leave you to the vultures after it steals your T-Bird .
The first thing readers will likely notice is the pedal ’ s handsome design . The Drifter is definitely one of the more attractively ornate pedals I ’ ve encountered in some time . Its clear plastic knobs don ’ t distract from the cool silk-screen graphic of a snail making its way through what appears to be Wayne Szalinski ’ s backyard , with one of the Szalinski children riding the snail . But enough with the graphics , what we care about is the tone .
The Drifter offers the usual range of waveforms — triangle , square , sawtooth , and sine — with a few extra for fun . These extras include a reverse sawtooth waveform , a pulselike waveform , and a random setting for more computer-like
effects . The latter seems to mix square waves of various amplitudes rather than , say , a square wave with a sawtooth wave and a sine wave . The effect sounds as if the signal ’ s volume steps up and down , and if the Rate is high enough , the pedal will generate some very cool rhythms .
But other settings are just as fun . Take the reverse sawtooth wave , for example ; if chords are strummed in time to the blinking LED indicator , they take on an almost synth-like character . Play it in time with the regular sawtooth wave and the signal will sound as if it ’ s being played in reverse .
46 GEAR REVIEW // Greenhouse Effects Drifter Analog Tremolo