05 Mar Gamechanger Audio Light pedal

You may have heard of the Gamechanger Audio Light pedal – the world’s first analog Optical Spring Reverb that uses infra-red optical sensors – that was sort of released in 2020.

However, after a period of more development you can now get your mitts on one as they are released to dealers and available online!

Here’s what Gamechanger say about it:

THE LIGHT PEDAL USES INFRA-RED OPTICAL SENSORS TO HARVEST THE FULL TIMBRAL AND HARMONIC RANGE OF A SPRING REVERB TANK.

IT TAKES A LOT OF ENERGY TO TRANSFER AN AUDIO SIGNAL ACROSS THE LENGTH OF A VIBRATING SPRING. BY THE TIME THE SOURCE AUDIO SIGNAL REACHES THE SPRING TANK’S OUTPUT TRANSDUCER, MOST OF ITS NUANCED HARMONIC CONTENT WILL BE LOST CONVERTED INTO MECHANICAL ENERGY.

THIS IS WHY SPRING REVERBS HAVE SUCH A PARTICULAR SOUND, SINCE WHAT YOU END UP HEARING IS LARGELY THE SPRING’S OWN RESONANT FREQUENCIES. THE LIGHT PEDAL USES EXTREMELY SENSITIVE OPTICAL PAIRS, PLACED AT SPECIFIC REGIONS OF THE SPRING TO DETECT VERY NUANCED MOVEMENTS ON THE SPRING’S SURFACE, AS SOUND-WAVES TRAVEL THROUGH IT.

THIS METHOD OPENS UP A MUCH WIDER RANGE OF FREQUENCIES, HARMONICS, OVERTONES AND TEXTURES THAT ARE OTHERWISE LOST IN THE MECHANICAL REVERBERATION PROCESS. USING OPTICAL SENSORS ALSO OPENS DOORS TO SOME NEW EFFECTS TYPES, SUCH AS OPTICAL REVERB TREMOLO, OPTICAL REVERB MODULATION AND OPTICAL HARMONIC SHIMMER.

THE RESULT IS A WIDE VARIETY OF ANALOG REVERB SOUNDS RANGING FROM CLASSIC TO EXPERIMENTAL TO PURE MAGIC.

More Info: Gamechanger Audio

Links to other pages

Effects Pedals
How to Choose an Effects Pedal

5 March 2021