4ms Noise Swash Distortion

Subjective question- It's easy in the fact that you plug it in, turn it on and twist knobs to get sounds, difficult in the fact that it has a wide variey (limitless) sounds available and requires some time to become familiar with it so I will give it an 8

I am using a variety of different guitars and amps with this effect. mainly fender strat elites and a yamaha rgx-tt are my main guitars. I also use a tele with hotrails in the bridge - all guitars have very "hot" sounding pickups and I think this adds to the quality of the tones out of the noise swash. Amps are various fenders, peavey and a Lab series L5 (my main amp) I also put this thing in front of my guitar port so I can get a wide variety of amp sounds and other various effects in conjunction with it, however, you can get some really great sounds just running into a clean sounding amp. the effect really does all of the work.
The sound quality is great - realatively speaking. This is designed to make NOISE!!! so if your looking for a clean roland amp jazz sound,this isn't for you. Having said that, I love this thing and the sounds I can squeeze out of it! Within a couple of hours I was able to dial in everything from squaks, fizzles and rumbles to very distinct feedback, chirps, sounds of planes going by (dopple effect) This is a very suprising effect with literally endless possibilities. My unit has 10 knobs and 6 switches so the fun never ends!!! I really like the low power mod which simulates having your battery losing power. My pedal is the " bubble gum" - pictures are on 4mspedals.com I highly recommend listening to the sound samples available on their website as well as finding someone who has one and listening to it before you invest. Once you get your hands on one you won't want to leave it alone.

I just received this unit so I can't vouch for reliability, however, There is a lifetime, no questions asked guarantee to the original owner, which speaks volumes about quality in my opinion. The unit is a hand made, hand wired, hand assembled, hand painted (spray) work of elctronic noise art, So it looks a little rough around the edges but I Really like the creative and unique factor about it. All of the parts look like quality parts and should hold up fine in just about any playing situation.

THE BEST CUSTOMER SUPPORT EVER!!! PERIOD!!! I made a trade with Dann Green, the main man at 4ms, for this pedal. We each saved some money on the deal, he always answers my emails and updates on progress. Lets you have input into the design and creative process invlolved with the pedal ( knobs, colors, knob placement) really goes to a lot of bother to customize the effect to your liking. Also has the lifetime warranty so how can you beat that???

Music styles range from blues, rock, jazz, fusion, folk, experimental and some techno - electronic music. The swash is great for experimantal, industrial, fusion, metal, etc.. anything where lots of noise is invloved.
Played guitar for 14 years now, own just about one of everything, I won't bore you with the details. this pedal seems to work great with any electric and any amp. Just depends on what your after tone wise.
I would definitely replace this if it were lost. One of the coolest most useful, fun pedals I've ever owned! I would like to see some kind of a mounting bracket on the bottom to attach it to an effect board. ( Maybe Dann could weld them on now??!!! - inside joke) The box this is housed in opens from the top, unlike other effects where you could attach to the bottom mounting plate somehow. Musically it inspires me creatively- I really am having a lot of fun with this pedal. If your trying to play some straightforward - no frills kind of music like jazz or blues, this will probably get in the way. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about my experience with 4ms or want to hear samples from my pedal. I will gladly email samples if interested.

Umm, not easy. I have the max tweaker version. It has about 10 knobs, two flip switches, and two stomp swithces. I am able to get usable sounds out of it. As the name implies, it does require tweaking.

Sound quality is awesome. Not all settings will sound good. I tend to turn the treble almost off because it's very buzzy. When changing settings I turn the volume down. Then I ease it up when I want to hear the pedal. The pedal can be "played" independently of any instrument you're using. It's very cool. When I think of "pristine" this pedal doesn't really come to mind. This is more for people who want some chaos on their pedalboard. Therefore, I'll skew my grading a bit.

Seems very reliable. The commonsound people are cool about backing up their products.

Best in the business.

I love this thing. I have mine on a setting where it feeds back very easily when I play. It's sort of a cross between Hendrix and NIN. It works very well with the Duo Distortion on the Tubescreamer setting. I play a combination of psychedlic, noiserock, progressive, and alternative rock. I would definitely buy/trade for it again. I'm not a huge fan of the LFO setting. It is interesting for beats and tones but since I play guitar I leave it off most of the time. I bought this pedal because it's the most versatile distortion/fuzz out there right now. The amount of tones I'm able to generate are staggering.

The 4ms Noise Swash I received is a Max Tweaker minus the Clean Blend option. That adds up to 11 knobs and 6 switches. I'll go over the different functions in the next section.

With this many controls, it might be considered unsuitable for a distortion/fuzz beginner (not to say he/she wouldn?t have a lot of fun with it though!). As unpredictable as it may be though, it is actually not hard to recreate sounds. This is the third Noise Swash I have played, and though each unit may sound a bit different from the next, I can say that the same basic understanding of the controls applies to all. It?s wild, it?s insane, it?s over-the-top, but it is also a very useable tool that is nothing to be afraid of.

I?ll start off by going over the relatively independent controls, ones whose functionality is fairly consistent, and not dependent on what the other settings are (I can only say ?fairly consistent? because all of the knobs interact in at least a minor way):

Treble and Bass: the highs can be absolutely piercing on the Swash. I prefer to keep the treble very low (a quarter turn or so). I love cranking the bass. Others may disagree, but I think the Swash shines the most when it?s producing dark rumbling low tones. The tone knobs DO affect the characteristics of the noise, especially with the self oscillation, though? so definitely tweak!

Volume: Keep an eye on this knob! Never be in a situation where you are fumbling around trying to find this knob, because the survival of your amp depends on this. :-) The pedal can get VERY loud, and can change drastically when you change a setting.

Pregain: This controls the gain in the preamp section of the pedal. I find the range on this to be limited. The first half of the knob covers a wide range, and the last half of it seems to just stay at the same level of gain.

Postgain: This controls the gain in the postamp section. The range on this is much better, and allows you to dial in a lot of different gain settings. The behavior of the LFO seems to be heavily tied to the Postgain level.

Self Oscillation: This determines the amount of signal fed back into the input. This is great if you like to have strange siren noises coming out of the pedal when you stop playing. The tone of the distortion/fuzz doesn?t really get affected by the self oscillation (unless the knob is turned all the way, in which case the feedback loop overtakes the input signal), so the feedback oscillation is apparent mainly when your strings are muted. Don?t be surprised to start hearing crazy rhythmic patterns going on with the self-oscillation (especially when LFO is engaged).

Low Power: This simulates a dying battery by controlling the voltage going into the pedal. It is actually jumpy when you try to tweak in real-time. I think the voltage needs to stabilize when you move the knob. This is a very useful mod, especially with self-oscillation.

Trouble/Tame: An important mod, in my opinion. The pedal is true bypass, but the ultra high gain occasionally bleeds into your bypassed signal. This is the pedal in Trouble mode. Tame mode allows the power to get cut off from the circuit when bypassed, so you can have totally silent bypass. In Tame mode, a capacitor is changed so that the pedal can start up faster when engaged (since power needs to be reapplied to the circuit every time you engage the pedal). However, the capacitor has a drastic effect on the sound of the Noise Swash. I generally leave it in Trouble mode because I prefer the Swash with the larger capacitor. But when silent bypass is needed, it?s very handy to have Tame mode available.

LFO Mod: This introduces a low frequency oscillation into the circuit. It is most apparent at certain Postgain settings. In other settings, it practically mutes your sound, making it unusable. It can create a fuzziness that squishes in and out, which is pretty cool. I wouldn?t consider this a crucial mod, but I do enjoy using it now and then, especially when used in conjunction with the self-oscillation. The LFO frequency can reach the audio range, at which point all you can hear is a humming sound.

Now for the controls that heavily depend on each other: Preclip, Postclip, Noisegate, Noise Fine Tuning, and Swash.

Noisegate: The gating function is most apparent when both the Preclip and Postclip are off. At lower settings, you can get a very explosive, static-y fuzz that depends heavily on your dynamics. The sound changes depending on where the Swash setting is at. In fact, run the Swash too high, and it will eliminate the gating characteristics. I love running my Whammy Pedal into it when it's completely explosive and static-y.

Noise Fine T

4ms is a collective of many builders, so the quality may not be consistent. Dann personally built this one (at least the final stages) and it is pretty solidly built. The board is secured with standoffs, and the hardware is all well mounted. The Jameco box is extremely sturdy and the choice of hardware is pretty good: Blue 3PDT stomp switch, larger 24mm pots (a few of the 17mm), nice flat toggle switches, a real PCB. Wires are a bit longer than most boutique pedals, but it makes it more easily serviceable since the board is mounted on the bottom plate.

What you can expect from a 4ms pedal is one that is unique, special, and bursting with character. You can also expect to have somewhat misaligned knob placements, some scratches and smudges on the paintjob, and an (arguably) unprofessional look. Very likely, it will become one of your prized possessions that you show to all your friends!

Unfortunately, the reliability is inversely proportional to the number of potential areas for mechanical failure. Since this Noise Swash has 6 switches and 11 knobs, I would expect this pedal to be more prone to breakdown, which is due to no fault by 4ms. If I were to gig with a Swash, I would probably build a simpler version that has only the bare minimums (based on what I personally use most).

Dann is a very kind and honest person. Yea, 4ms is infamous for taking a very long time to fulfill orders, but Dann is always there to give you updates and discuss with you any changes you might have on your order. He is very straightforward and honest? no BS whatsoever?

During the course of the build, I checked in on the status about once a month and Dann almost kept me updated. He also did his best to accommodate any concerns or special requests I had during the build.

They have a lifetime warranty on their pedals, and I believe Dann will always be there for his customers as long as commonsound/4ms is still alive. They also barter and have their schematics and build instructions available for people who can?t afford a pedal. They are a godsend for the noise-loving DIY community.

I consider the Noise Swash to be indispensable for the noise-lover. You can spend an hour just sitting there tweaking the knobs. After using it for months, you?ll still manage to dial in a tone here and there that you never heard before. You will set aside a whole afternoon just to spend with the Swash. It is so much more than just a fuzz/distortion pedal; you practically develop a relationship with it.

It is an expensive pedal, but a lot of work goes into building these. It is high bang-for-the-buck value. Also, the fact that you can buy it in kit form or even source the parts yourself and build your own warrants this a maximum overall rating.

Usually ease means limited range and limited tonal pallete. That being said, this is not easy. There are 14 knobs on mine (volume, preclip, pregain, postclip, postgain, LFO speed, clean blend, swash, self-oscillation, treble, bass, low power, noisegate rough, noisegate fine). 3 stomp switches, one for on/off, one for self-oscillation, one for LFO. If you like set-and-forget ease, look away from this. If you like being an individual, i think you just found a soulmate.

Pristine sound quality is the antithesis of this pedal. It's like a self-oscillating synth fuzz/noise beastie. But, that doesn't mean you can't get some of the best distortion sounds ever out of this. It means if you want to play a pedal that will likely make you insane, here ya go. Jimi lovers, look away. Nu-Metal/Industrial lovers, uhhhh, maybe. Freethinkers who want original sounds, it's christmas time. Want to make your amp explode? you got it. Have a fetish for quitting guitar and just playing pedals for hours on end, here ya go. Thats right, with the self-oscillation, this becomes a semi-random noise generator of it's own. How cool is that? I never give tens, but here is one exception.

I'm a dumbass, and I built it myself. Therefore, it'll fall apart and I'll have to build a new one. But i hear that Dann, Tom, or Mike can make a mean pedal, and it'll last ya. Since this is a homemade jobber, I'll leave the reliability a big fat ?

Anyone who will let you design mods with them has got to be a people person. Plus, they give you the schematics for free to build it yourself. respect respect respect respect

I've been playing for 12 years, since I was an itty bitty boy. I used to gig in high school before I had this, with probably one of the only experimental prog teenage bands in the country. I REALLY wish I had this then, because I haven't gigged in like 2 years (friggin college...) Sadly, I've never tried a ZVex fuzz factory, but I can honestly say that as of right now, I have no urge to. This is just too much fun. If anyone has a knack for electronics, building these is just a blast. My only suggestion that I'm soon to follow up on: Order a pedal from one of the collective, just to let them kow how much you appreciate all of their hard work and vision. Have no mistake about it, Dann Green, Tom Pollock, and Mike Both are all visionarys, and all of their products are the wave of the future. If it were stolen, I would send one of these guys a picture of my box and have them make an exact replica, since I love the layout i made. I mean, I could do it again, but you gotta support your local visionary, right?

How easy is it to get a good sound out of it? Well, it depends how you define "good." There's no manual, though Dann Green provided a card layout of the knobs, and from there it's up to you. I should mention that I have the standard Swash packed in an electrical housing, with no mods: knobs for Volume, Treble, Bass, Pre-clip and Post-clip (both these have an on/off toggle too) , Noise Gate, and Swash, and the self-osc knob and a nice graphic of a scary looking guy smoking a cigarette (it's on the website). After a few times messing with it, I found myself able to get sounds that were usable and repeatable. and the sound??

Unlike some other folks here, I found it easy to get your standard fuzz/distortion tone, kind of like an MXR with the knobs cranked up. I seem to remember being able to do it with either the pre or post on, but not both, because that usually equals sonic destruction. yes, everything is very, very interactive with everything else, but that's how you end up getting the really hideous, amazing tones. I recommend that if you come across a cool sound, write down the position of the knobs. The noise gate is a great touch, great for distortions that decay instantly, which is a great effect.
I've used it with guitars and bass, where I have a killer synth bass sound in conjunction with a phaser, with drum machines, and most recently with synthesizers. I had my keyboard player use it for a recent recording, and it helped create tones like I haven't heard ever. Later, we looked at the waveforms on ProTools, and the usual square waves that one would get from a distortion box were there, but also with radical peaks and valleys and angles more akin to what you would get with waveshapers in modular synthesis. The studio owner offered to buy it on the spot. I gave him the 3ms website address instead.
I've used it live, and it works, though I am somewhat nervous about its' reliability. It feels a bit fragile. Also, being an impatient person with a poor memory, I don't know how much time I want to spend moving the knobs around between songs. On the other hand, for an improv/noise gig, this sucker gets used constantly.
Most of the time, it doesn't play well with other effects, though I have been able to use it with phasers (as I said, fake synth bass) and delays from time to time. This thing has so much output, though, I'm worried about blowing up anything in front of it. If you like randomness and crazy tones, you need this.

I think I can depend on it. I've used it on gigs, but I'm a little wary of busting it out all the time because it feels a little fragile. The footswitch is somewhat awkwardly placed next to some of the knobs so it can be hard to turn on in a hurry. Still, I've done at least 15 gigs with it with no problems. Plus Dann says he'll fix it for as long as he's alive. That's nice.

They're not even a pedal company. More like an anarchist collective making visionary effects pedals. I like that. Build quality (electrical housings, lots of wires all over the place) might freak some people out, the same as their slow, relaxed way of working may annoy some potential consumers. I didn't mind either of those things, because I got a really cool device to work with. Dann and Daven, the two people I've had contact with there, are very nice, easy people to deal with, and very open to any modifications one might think of.

This thing is great, and I'd like to get another one with some different modifications. I also own a Triwave Picogenerator, which is amazing too. If you're looking for a distortion that's unlike any other, this is it.

I already wrote a lengthy review, so rather than chop it up I'll simply post it at the end. One note here...the thing is freakin' loud and a previous reviewer was absolutely correct when he said that you really need to run a volume pedal after it.

A lot of people seem curious about how the Swash measures up to the Z vex Fuzz Factory. I just received my swash made by Mike from prophecy sound last week (you can see my pedal on the www.prophecysound.com projects page), and as I have owned a fuzz factory I thought that I could lend my insight on the issue.

(Preliminaries: I play mostly ?experimental? and ?indie? type rock: Sonic Youth, Pavement, Unwound, Television, Patty Smith, Frank Black as influences. My setup is: Strat or Gibson The Paull II--->Tu-2-->cry baby-->MF-102 ring mod-->noise swashaBoss OS-2-->DOD flanger 575-->Prophecysound infinitphase-->Ibanez ad-80-->Line 6 dl-4-->Peavey duel 212 and Fender super 210 amps
These pedals are really similar in their strengths, and in their drawbacks.

First, both pedals are capable of over the top (Velcro fuzz as vex calls it in his instruction sheet) dirty, post apocalyptic, fuzz roars/screeches. It is this unconventional character that is the selling point of both these boxes...and both pedals deliver on this promise.

Second, as some have complained, though I am not troubled by it, the controls of these pedals are highly interactive...with the stated function of each only loosely indicating a parameter it controls. Perhaps with twice as many knobs, the standard Swash is the more variable beast.

These boxes are not friendly to those who wish to find in them one or two permanent settings that sound the same each time you plug in and play (this is not to criticize the consistent box, I have another fuzz for this purpose)...instead the master of the Swash or the F.F. acquires a feel for the tendencies of their box. With patience, through these boxes, one will become a fuzz jedi.

Now, many have complained with the F.F. that it cannot nail conventional fuzz sounds. I don't believe that this is the case. However, it is frustrating having found one to try and dial it up again. I think the swash and the F.F. are roughly equivalent in the quality of typical fuzz sounds though the swash offers a more diversified pallet...having the capability of rendering deep dense fuzz and straight clear distortion and a number of sounds in between. On the other hand, I think that the F.F. MIGHT offer a more pristine treble bite on single notes up on the neck.

Both pedals have octave-like sounds, which get freaky in a hurry. The swash here though has it all over the fuzz factory, as the overtone can be made to range off into frequencies inaudible to humans. This may or may not induce seizures in some people.

Another of my favorite settings of the F.F. was the highly compressed fuzz, which would squelch a note out just as it began to fade away. The Noiseswash, can also nail this cool effect.

Many have spoken of the explosions of freaky theramin sounds that are liable to explode w/o notice from the FF, with the slightest tweak of a knob. The swash has taken this explosive potential of the fuzz pedal and cultivated it. What distinguishes the swash from FF in this capacity is 1) the complexity of the noises it can produce and 2) the control it offers over these noises. Where the fuzz factory can generate squeaks, growls and theramin tones, the N.S. can cover the same ground AND generate cycling noises from red alerts to jumbled quazi-scale like bleeps, to blue box like bassy synth growls. If I had it to do again, I would have my swash modded with the stomp switch into self-oscillation mode and the LFO, which would add more variability to the kinds of noise textures it produces. As it stands, there is a small flip switch control that turns the self-oscillation mode on/off.

Both pedals are true bypass. Both seem exceedingly well constructed, and the customer satisfaction with both companies is beyond reproach. It is important to note here (again) that my swash was made by Mike at Prophecysound, and that this assessment is of his service and may not be indicative of the service and quality products

This is one strange box. 10 knobs, 2 stomp switches and 2 on clipping switches. I give it a 6 because, while it is somewhat easy to use, it can take you a while to get used to it. I guess that's the key. Just spend some quality time with it and you'll get to understand it. It took me about 4 hours total and I'm still working on it. I see the beginnings of a beautiful friendship.

Here's where things get interesting. This thing is so much FUN! Did I mention it's fun? I think I did. I was looking for a fuzz pedal for my rig (I mainly deal with different distortions, not other effects like phasers, choruses or delays--personal preference). Now all I need to get is an overdrive. I was kind of apprehensive about getting one, even though I checked out several models by Roger Mayer. I almost picked up the Spitfire. They were all too tame for my liking. This thing isn't. Like someone further down the page said, this ain't "plug it in and get pretty sounds" (or something like that), it's "plug it in and oh-my-God my amp is going to explode." On the 3ms website they call it a "chaotic effecstument." I don't think you can get a more accurate description.

Someone else already outlined (in pain-staking detail) the operations of this thing, so I'm going to be lazy and not do it. Scroll down the page.

One fun thing though, I run this right after my compressor before my other distortions (MD-2, DS-1, both Boss pedals). Turn on both clip switches (I normally leave the post clip off), turn on your a distortion pedal with a lot of gain (it works well with my MD-2) and start monkeying with the "LOW POWER" knob. You can get some interesting squeals. I like this pedal a lot. Did I mention it's a lot of FUN?

Neighbor piss-off factor: 10 1/2. This will keep give them an excuse to call the cops on you. Look ma, I'm wanted! It's loud.

This thing is built like a tank. I opened up the back, (I have this bad habit of liking to know how things work) and all the solderings are top-notch. The paint-job will probably flake off after a few years, but I'm not worried about that. It'll give me an excuse to wrap it in duct tape. Just kidding. And I would gig without a backup. A little TLC will make all pedals last a very long time.

The guys at 3ms are great. They responded to my e-mails within a short time. Considering I got the Tweaker mod of the Noise Swash, it took a little longer to make. It was worth every penny.

I can't overstate this pedal's value to me. If it were lost or stolen, they'd never be able to find the thief's body. I would definitely buy another one. I chose this one because it ain't daddy's fuzz pedal. It's MINE, ALL MINE! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! You'll never understand the insanity unless you experience it for yourself.

This "box o' fun" was way easy to use - as I do more with synthesizers than guitars those knobs are super for tweaking
out during a show !

This is an unbelievable unit ! I do alot of music on synths but
when it's hooked up to a guitar one of the other guys in my
project bring over it sounds like no other fuzz-noise pedal I've
ever heard ! Too many possible settings to describe in a Novel much less here ! but hey, with 12 knobs on mine it rocks! The best part is when I "improv" on self osc. settings to just wig out with some noise.

Bigtime reliable !!!!! box was solid, the knobs R smooth, looks
cool on stage , not like a cookie cutter factory made item.

Dann's THE BEST on support - ! nuff said!

Allthough the guys I play guitar with drool to hook this up when they
are over , this NoiseSwash has a whole other aspect to it - I do
alot work with synthesizers and drum machines and use the Swash as
both a totally awsome sound source as it's own instrument and to
run other stuff through for strange ambiet and industrial FX of all
kinds , great for a huge array of apps other pedals can't touch.

the eease is nowhere and nothing. turn seven knobs and two switches. You will never ever get the same sound twice, so if you find something you like, save it forever in a glass bulb of which no one will rupture. Manuals are for the lost and the literate. rating system: 5 is average and consequeentially not a bad score. In aamerica, we are always searching for something betterstroongerfaster, and we forgot that 5 is good.

As for sound, I would like to quote to you from Allen Ginsberg's poem "Howl."

What sphinx of cement and aluminum bashed open their skulls and ate up their brains and imagination? Moloch! Solitude! Filth! Ugliness! Ashcans and unobtainable dollars! Children screaming under the stairways! Boys sobbing in armies! Old men weeping in the parks! Moloch! Moloch! Nightmare of Moloch! Moloch the loveless! Mental Moloch! Moloch the heavy judger of men! Moloch the incomprehensible prison! Moloch the crossbone soulless jailhouse and Congress of sorrows! Moloch whose buildings are judgment! Moloch the vast stone of war! Moloch the stunned governments! Moloch whose mind is pure machinery!...cannibal dynamo! Moloch whose ear is a smoking tomb! Moloch whose eyes are a thousand blind windows! Moloch whose skyscrapers stand in the long streets like endless Jehovahs! Moloch whose factories dream and croak in the fog! Moloch whose smokestacks and antennae crown the cities! Moloch whose love is endless oil and stone!...Moloch in whom I dream Angels!...Moloch who entered my soul early! Moloch in whom I am a consciousness without a body!...

Dependance is futility, futility is weakness, weakness is death. Depending on machinary is depending on extinction. I have done the noise swash a disservice by damaging its fragile interior. Fragility is vulnerability, vulnerability is the gateway to art.

Personal contact with founder of 3MS provided a well-informed and friendly business rapport. Dann Green is one of the last free thiinkers. 3MS is an anti-business. By baartering you obtain priority on their pedal-creation list. Bartering is a must. Service, music, items. Freetraadenation

the music I play is true music, all music is true music and I am now a self-righteous moral spouuuuting dreg. hand created, customized unusual effects for under $200? I have found the path to victory. We are...Men of...the sea. Tweaking knobs renders some unpleasantries, albeit entertaining. Must get repairs from Dann Greeen! Use this machine to destroy your fellow man. Good night.

Everything is in the sound quality catagory. Already wrote this review up once, in a non-standard form, so it's all clumped together in the next section for just cut-and-paste easy. the low rating is explained in next section.

The noise swash in a strange creature, it's hard to know where to start.

At lower gain levels is can sound very much like my shredmaster if it were
put on steroids - it can sound very distortion like, but the more you crank
the gain, the more fuzzy it becomes. Using the two clipping switches,
different levels of gain and volume are at your disposal. It can make your
amp sound like it's about to explode.

The EQ (bass and treble) controls aren't the best of EQ. The bass can be a
bit undefined, and increasing the treble also increases the distortion
(there is a lot of high frequency clipping in this unit). However, it can be
really bassy and smooth with the bass knob cranked, and also very harsh and
cutting with the treble cranked. With both turned up the mids get lots very
easily (fuzz heaven however). A mid eq control of this pedal would have been
a good idea.

The noise gate is strange. It doesn't work in a conventional way; if
you turn it up it's doesn't necessarily mean that more noise will be cut
out. Depending on the amount of gain dialed in and the setting of the
clipping switch the noise gate knob with cut all extraneous noise out at
certain points and let it through at others. eg, if I have the gain and
switches all set for maximum distortion then having the noisegate set to 9
o'clock will block out the noise, but if I change the switches then I need
to change the noise gate to about 12 o'clock. It's a strange arrangement but
it is a very good gate. It does cut out tons of noise, however if you are
using single coils don't expect utterly silent operation.

The self oscilation feature is cool. Infact you don't even need to turn the
self-osc switch on to get wierd noises. If the volume is turned up high
enough and the gate is open then self-osc noises will come through. They
will also come through if the pedal is bypassed, even TRUE bypassed (if the
volume is higher enough - usually WAY above normal playing volume). There
is so much signal madness going on inside the pedal that it radiates out and
get's picked up by the output jack. Also, other owners have said that it can
effect other pedals near to it, such as a delay, although I've noticed no
effect on nearby pedals (usually a wah-wah or MXR blue box). New noise swash
models have got shielding to prevent this happening, although if you like
the idea of it effecting other things, just say when you order your
pedal.... they are very versitle in that respect.

Anyway, with the swash making it's own noises, varying the noisegate and
swash knobs can produce a lot of different noises, including thermin type
noises, beats, and coolest of all, I've managed on several ocassions to get
it to make a sound like an old air raid siren, which starts up and raises in
pitch, then silences and then starts over again... 'tis very cool. Must also
say that adjusting the guitar's volume control whilst in self oscolation
mode can adjust the rate of beats and siren type noises and also adjust the
pitch of the thermin like ones.

Finally, the actually physical design of the pedals ain't great. The
noisegate and swash knobs are too close to the stomp switch. The self-osc
knob is mounted on the SIDE of the pedal, which worries me whenever I have
to transport the pedal in a bag anywhere (scared it'll get snapped off).
Inside the pedal there is plenty of space for the battery, although there
isn't a cavity or space made just for it. It'll rattle about in their.
Doesn't bother me, might bother others. The battery life of this pedal seem
exceptional compared to other distortions I've ran off batteries (marshall
shredmaster, big muff russian RI, nobels ODR-1, Nobels DT-XN). Also the
stomp switch appears to be the same make as the russian EHX re-issues... not
top quality.

They use cheap stomp switches. Mine was delivered with a broken switch. QC isn't the best. They also sent me a noiseswash which doesn't have an audio taper pot for the volume control. All the range is bunched up in the first 6th of the pot's sweep.

Helpfull every step of the way, right from ordering to customer support

If you want something crazy like a Fuzz Factory, go for this. It's cheap and certainly appears to be more controlable. It's a very individual type effect... up to you whether you like it, but it's main application would appear to be in recording and not live situations. It's a pedal to be tweaked and experimented with.