Amptweaker SwirlPool

Quality, versatile modulation

The Amptweaker Swirlpool is an extremely versatile, high quality tremolo and vibrato pedal. A pretty unique feature is LFO synchronization that makes the tremolo and pitch vibrato work in sync. Hence the "swirlpool" - thick, vintage, watery modulation. The left footswitch activates the tremolo and vibrato, and the right footswitch changes between two speeds and volumes for the vibrato. Turning down tremolo means that just vibrato is engaged, and two depth and speeds of vibration can then be selected with the right footswitch. There is a kill switch for one vibrato setting which means that with the tremolo turned-up, one of the vibrato setting accessed with the right footswitch is just tremolo, and the other is a synchronized combination of tremolo and vibrato.

So this pedal allows just tremolo, just vibrato or a synchronized combination of both. All sound great.

Further flexibility is provided by a "jerky" switch (terrible name) which is essentially a helicopter, trem setting for choppy sounds. The standard setting is more of a sine-wave tremolo. The LFO can be put out of phase with two switches for an LFO sweep with is asymmetrical around the centre, there is a tone switch to access a more vintage eq (which allows a magnatone-type vibe), and a ramp switch which allows ramping of the effect between the two speeds on the vibrato settings.

A combination of these settings (slow deep vibe, vintage eq, out of phase LFO sweep) gives a very respectable Trower univibe effect with all the throb you'll need for Hendrix too. Added to this are two effects loops, which allow can be pre or post effects settings.

So all-in-all this is a great pedal. It might look expensive, but you'll be getting a trem and a pitch vibrato that can be used in sync or independently and a univibe. It's built like a tank and not as big as the pictures suggest (about the same as deluxe memory man).

As with most LFO based gear, the LFO sweep can be noisy in certain settings (I put an Chase Tone Secret Preamp in front of it, which kills the LFO noise - other boosts do the same).

Fully recommended (and as this pedal is out of production, I'm pleased I have one).