ELECTRO-HARMONIX RECREATES LO-FI GAMING SOUNDS WITH THE MAINFRAME BITCRUSHER

For all its insane creations, Electro-Harmonix’s lineup has been lacking in pehaps the zaniest effect type of all: the bit-crusher. That’s set to change, however, with the launch of the Mainframe.

The new pedal delivers cult sounds from arcade machines and videogames, using sample rate reductions ranging from 48kHz to 110Hz, and bit depth reduction that spans 24-bit to 1-bit. Those artefacts can be further adjusted via a high/low/band-pass filter, while a cunning Sample Rate Tuning Mode sets the sample rate to the pitch of a note played on guitar. It will then track your playing and adjust the sample rate accordingly.

There are also secondary controls for input gain, filter strength and styles of sample rate and bit depth reduction, which can yield altogether fuzzier tones. Other features include programmable presets and expression pedal settings.