GP-LIGHT

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A new chapter in analog reverb sound. Winner of Music Radar's Best Of NAMM Guitar Innovation Award in 2020.

The Light Pedal is based on a mechanical spring reverb tank and combines all the best features of a classic spring reverb with an innovative infrared optical sensor system, and a unque, all-analog multi-effects section.

Note: You have 3 levels of spring rattle prevention via a switch on the back of the unit: None, Soft, Hard. This helps with any unwanted (or wanted) bouncy spring rattle. Feedback and the ability to manipulate it is a huge part of this pedal. Many knobs can interact together to lower or heighten any unwarnted (or wanted) musical feedback. 

Incoming audio signal is converted into mechanical vibrations by an input transducer (a spring exciter). A similar transducer is used at the output stage to convert the spring's vibrations back into audio signal. Even a short impulse can cause extended vibrations. This is how the traditional reverb effect is acheived. Plate reverbs use the same principle to excite large, resonant sheets of metal.

However, due to energy dissipation, by the time vibrations travel along the length of the springs and reach the output transducer, most of the harmonic content of the input signal is lost, and the output is mostly composed of the spring's own resonant frequencies. This is why all spring reverbs have a particular sound.

The Light Pedal explores new ways of picking up the spring's vibrations by using multple sets of infrared optical sensors (acting as photoelectric pickups). Placed carefully at different positions along the length of the springs, this method allows for capturing the spring tank's full range of movement and picks up a much wider range of frequencies, harmonics, overtones and textures that are otherwise lost in the mechanical reverberation process.

Digital algorithms provide amazing flexibility and limitless sound-shaping capabilities. Tube Depot loves any and all unique, classic and innovative sounds, be they digital or analog, but some digital algorithms haven't been able to recreate the warmth and organic quality of analog reverb systems. The Light Pedal's optical sensor technology was developed to extract a wide range of new reverb textures out of a fully analog system. The result is an extensive palette of analog reverb sounds that simply cannot be compared to or emulated by digital algorithms.

The Light Pedal offers six types of unique reverb effects, which are acheived by modulating the optical sensor system and exciting the spring tank. Each effect type can be adjusted with the Ctrl knob. The Gate knob controls a built-in dynamic envelope that lets you acheive gated or ducking reverb effects.

This is a true analog mono reverb system. It features an assignable expression pedal input (normally assigned to the effects of the Ctrl knob), as well as an innovative shock sensor designed to eliminate unwanted spring-noise caused by mechanical impacts, stomping and stage-rattle. The shock sensor has three settings: Off, Soft, and Hard. Hard will clamp the tank so little-to-no spring noise is present. Soft will allow some noise to pass through if wanted, and off can create completely unheard sounds by tapping on the tank. In essence, you have yet another way way to manipulate your sound by manually tapping the tank itself if you so desire. It can sound thunderous or subtle and add amospherics that you won't find in other spring reverb pedals.

The Light Pedal has three separate volume controls that provide detailed control over the pedal's output signal. You have your Wet/Dry mix knob, your Spring knob and your Optical knob. These set individual levels for both the traditional spring tank output and the optical reverb system. The Dry knob boosts or cuts the instrument's dry signal, which ranges from zero, to a ~2x volume boost!

The Tone knob controls a powerful tilt EQ section that is applied to the wet signal only. The Tone knob can be used to produce a massive low-frequency boost or to accentuate only the higher reverb frequencies instead.

The Drive knob determines the amount of wet signal sent into the spring tank. When set to zero, the springs will not be excited by the transducer, thus producing no wet signal at all. Gradually turning up the Drive knob will transmit more power to the springs, increasing their movement amplitude. This will result in longer reverb decays, an overall change in reverb texture, as well as a higher sensitivity and output volume of the spring-tank. You can acheive lo-fi grit and drive with some setting combinations, as well!

The Light Pedal features six unique on-board effects modes that harvest the natural sound properties of the spring-tank and optical sensor system.

The effects are grouped into two main categories: Optical Effects and Spring Effects, with the ability to mix and blend the effects of either to taste on any mode.

OPTICAL EFFECTS:

OPTICS: Infrared sensor calibration mode. The Ctrl knob scrolls between different combinations of optical sensor pairs. When used together with the Tone and Drive knobs, the optics mode lets you extract dozens of unique analog reverb textures out of the spring tank.

SWEEP: Creates rich modulated reverb sounds by sweeping between optical sensor pairs. The Ctrl knob adjusts the modulation speed, which affects the expression of the optical spring reverb system. The analog modulated reverb is constantly evolving and interacting with the input signal.

TREM: A pulsating effect achieved by switching the optical sensors on and off. A tremolo effect can also be applied to the spring output. The Ctrl knob adjusts the modulation speed.

SPRING EFFECTS:

REFLECT: A lo-fi delay algorithm that sends multiple repeats of the instrument’s signal back into the spring tank. The Ctrl knob adjusts the delay time parameter. Holding the footswitch and using Ctrl adjusts the optical sensors, giving you different timbres and frequencies of the delay.

FEEDBACK: A special circuit that causes the spring tank to self-oscillate. The Ctrl knob adjusts the central pitch of the feedback loop.

HARMONIC: An analog shimmer-style reverb effect achieved by exciting specific harmonics of the spring tank. The Ctrl knob adjusts the target frequency of the effect.

These effects can be used to create soundscapes, drones and ambient layers, and they are particularly effective when used with the footswitch in momentary mode.

The Tails switch determines whether the reverb output is immediately bypassed as soon as the pedal is turned off with the footswitch. 

The Latch switch controls the behavior of the pedal’s on/off footswitch. In latching mode, the footswitch acts as a normal on/off switch. When Latch is turned off, the footswitch will engage the reverb effect only momentarily – this allows you to add reverb layers on top of particular notes or chords during a performance.

The EXP input allows you to control various knob parameters of the Light Pedal with any standard expression pedal. By default, the EXP input is linked to the effect section’s Ctrl parameter, but you can assign it to any knob on the front panel (except Tone).

This is truly a one-of-a-kind reveb unit. It does the traditonal spring sound you know and love, but gives you much more room to explore in a uniquely analog and mechanical fashion. You will create countless new types of reveb textures that have never been possible before.

Pro Tip: The red light in the tank is your Dry Signal which makes it easier to see the Wet/Dry blend at a glance.