Pendulum Tremolo

[Erik S]

Harmonic Tremolo? What the heck is that??

Instead of using the internet and spoiling the surprise, I ordered this board and waited a year to find out.

Turns out it's a cool vibey sounding tremolo. I guess kind of what I would have expected from the name.


Google / AI gave me this which sounds pretty good. I wasn't aware of the Fender connection.

Harmonic tremolo is a unique, vintage guitar effect that splits the audio signal into high and low frequencies, modulating them out-of-phase to create a swirling, pulsating, almost "wobbly" sound, distinct from standard tremolo, which just alters overall volume; it was pioneered in early Fender amps and sounds similar to a Uni-Vibe but uses volume, not pitch, modulation. It creates a lush, shifting texture where highs swell as lows recede, and vice versa, resulting in a rich, phasing-like effect without pitch shifting.

Now that I'm looking at these pictures, I think those knobs look kinda ugly, and it looks like the footswitch is crooked for some reason.

 

[falco_femoralis]

I can't decide whether I like harmonic tremolo or not - it's neither a vibe, nor a real tremolo

Try some of these knobs

 

[Erik S]

I can't decide whether I like harmonic tremolo or not - it's neither a vibe, nor a real tremolo

Try some of these knobs

The other trem I built was a Woodpecker, and of the two, I think I like vibey over choppy. Maybe the chop could make more sense for a part in a mix, but I'm mostly just over here noodling by myself.

I took it back over to the bench to try tweaking the footswitch a little, so I tried on a couple different outfits while I was over there. I didn't have any white chicken heads, so now I'm running this gender reveal party vibe.

 

[falco_femoralis]

The other trem I built was a Woodpecker, and of the two, I think I like vibey over choppy. Maybe the chop could make more sense for a part in a mix, but I'm mostly just over here noodling by myself.

I took it back over to the bench to try tweaking the footswitch a little, so I tried on a couple different outfits while I was over there. I didn't have any white chicken heads, so now I'm running this gender reveal party vibe.

View attachment 108895

That looks much better! I've never liked any of EQD's modulation pedals... or their dirt pedals. I have a Sproing Deluxe coming up that uses an LED and a photoresistor that I'm excited about. Try the Moonshot Tremolo for a more traditional trem

 

[comradehoser]

Dudes, the Tremulus Lune/Trembling Loon builds are definitely the way to go.

Pretty sure it's not harmonic, as I seem to remember a coming soon project that was supposed to be a tremulus lune controls-style harmonic trem.

Pendulus Lune? Something like that.

 

[CheapSuitG]

Another great looking build!

I like mine, there is a perceived volume drop that I need to fix.

Also, it would be great to be able to slow it down just a touch to get into univibe territory because I do like the color it adds.

 

[Erik S]

Another great looking build!

I like mine, there is a perceived volume drop that I need to fix.

Also, it would be great to be able to slow it down just a touch to get into univibe territory because I do like the color it adds.

Thanks!

Weird about your volume - mine is at unity a little past nine o'clock. I think I read some other similar build reports where people thought it was weird that it had so much volume on tap.

I know needing some boost is a thing with regular tremolos because the volume is down for half the cycle. I wonder if that's less of an issue with the split-signal harmonic thing.

 

[Erik S]

I have a Sproing Deluxe coming up

I forgot I built two of those! ha!

I also liked that one better than the Woodpecker.

 

[CheapSuitG]

Thanks!

Weird about your volume - mine is at unity a little past nine o'clock. I think I read some other similar build reports where people thought it was weird that it had so much volume on tap.

I know needing some boost is a thing with regular tremolos because the volume is down for half the cycle. I wonder if that's less of an issue with the split-signal harmonic thing.

I can get it to unity, but just ***feels*** like a drop in volume.

 

[Erik S]

I can get it to unity, but just ***feels*** like a drop in volume.

I'm sorry you feel that way.

Not saying this is your situation - but I wonder what would happen with one of these if there was a problem where half the circuit wasn't working... I bet it would still sound like a weird tremolo.

 

[CheapSuitG]

It sounds great, just less than volume wise in my head.

That said, may check on the other half, I honestly haven't seen if both sides are working, put it in an enclosure before testing since there is the LDR.

 

[keevohn]

Minor detail, but what LED bezel are you using there? I like the low-profile-ness of it.

3mm or 5mm LED? How is the LED secured?

Thanks!

 

[Erik S]

Minor detail, but what LED bezel are you using there? I like the low-profile-ness of it.

3mm or 5mm LED? How is the LED secured?

Thanks!

I mostly use these from Tayda:

https://www.taydaelectronics.com/5mm-led-blue-plastic-cilp.html

5mm LED. That style lens clips onto the LED when you press it in.

Sometimes I'll add a tiny drop of superglue from the inside of the box depending how the lens fits the hole.