Parasit Studios Sonic Reducer

[peccary]

Build Rating

5.00 star(s)

I hadn't planned on making a build report on this but I'm sitting here today with some extra time and I figured why not?

A friend of mine asked if I could make him a bitcrusher and I figured that would give me an excuse to buy a few things I've wanted from Parasit Studios since there were a few things there that I'd been eyeballing for a while.

This was a pretty quick and easy build, though I was in a miserable mood when I was putting it together so I made some things harder on myself. One thing I wish I could blame on my frustration but can't is the fact that I labeled the knobs backwards. I spent a bunch of time going back and forth with the fonts I wanted to use and had multiple versions and at some point they got flipped. Good thing it's a bitcrusher, I guess?

I had never used one before building this and, well... I'm not sure if I'll ever find myself wanting one for guitar. It's certianly not something I think I would find very useful, at least on it's own.

However, I plugged it in to my Microbrute and holy cow - that was where I had a lot of fun with it. I sat there for about an hour the other day just making crazy sounds with it on the synth. I didn't think I would want one but now I am kind of wishing that I bought a board for myself just for my synths.

I can also safely say that this pedal wants side jacks, which I refuse to do on personal and moral grounds, and that the clearance is *tight*. I'm kind of amazed it all worked out, but it did.

The image was AI generated and I was going for an 80's sci-fi/horror VHS box kind of thing. Thanks to @fig as well for the pre-wired LED. He sent me a few a while back and it's perfect as I didn't have any yellow LEDs.

also, just a quick shout out to Parasit - they're halfway across the world and got my package to me in less than a week. I was pretty amazed about that.

Here's a couple of photos, including one showing the jack clearance. I was able to move them up a smidge with the play in the jack holes (heh) but they are still pretty darn close.

I'm giving the build five stars because Parasit put together a well made and easy to build board, but I'm giving myself a C for the labeling mistake.

 

[Harry Klippton]

You killed it with the horror VHS box art theme and that twisted wire is pure perfection

 

[peccary]

You killed it with the horror VHS box art theme and that twisted wire is pure perfection

Thanks, man. I appreciate that. I've been watching amp building videos and have picked up a few tips from them. I twisted the LED wire and thought "I can do better than that, I remember that dude in the video using a drill..." and the others came out perfectly.

 

[Alan W]

You‘ve got enough room, and it’s a cool enough design, that moving the board south and then off board wiring the pots would be a not-hard fix.

 

[Mentaltossflycoon]

Excellent! I love this circuit on bass.

 

[peccary]

Excellent! I love this circuit on bass.

I didn't try it on my bass, but I'll have to give it a shot. At least then I might have a chance of getting some kind of useful sound from it. I was underwhelmed wit it on guitar, but I'm not a very good guitar player and it's the first time I had ever used one. It came alive with the synth, though.

 

[Mentaltossflycoon]

I especially enjoy it after already heavily effected sounds that are synthy (subs, fuzz, and fuzzysubs, yeeeeah) so it all makes sense.

 

[peccary]

I especially enjoy it after already heavily effected sounds that are synthy (subs, fuzz, and fuzzysubs, yeeeeah) so it all makes sense.

Sounds like I'll need to try it out with the Brassmaster. I can see that making some noise.

 

[Paradox916]

 

[DGWVI]

You‘ve got enough room, and it’s a cool enough design, that moving the board south and then off board wiring the pots would be a not-hard fix.

If you don't mind the backward controls, here's how mines rigged