News: FEA Labs

FEA Labs is very pleased to announce the Photon Fuzz as the latest pedal to their product lineup.  The Photon Fuzz gets its name from an active component in the circuit that utilizes infrared light to control the fuzz distortion element.  Light is made up of photon particles, so the name represents the action that is at the core of this distinctive fuzz design.  The comprehensive control set provides full control over the tone and makes it possible to dial in just about anything from classic to modern metal fuzz.

The drive and bite controls work in tandem on the guitar or bass signal to define the character of the fuzz tone.  The drive sets the overall gain stage for the distorted signal, which is then driven into the bite stage of the circuit.  The bite control sets the activation point where the fuzz distortion engages upon (bites into) the signal.  The level control adjusts the overall output level of the distorted signal.

The 3-band EQ is an active two stage boost/cut design with the mid band circuit separated from the low and high level circuits.  This two stage design prevents the low and high band circuits from interacting with the mid center frequency and its level.  The EQ circuit sits in the signal path after the distorted signal and each frequency band can be adjusted to a boost/cut of +/- 15dB for generous tone shaping capability.  A pre-fuzz high-pass filter can be set using internal DIP switches, thereby reducing the ultra-low frequencies being processed through the fuzz circuit.

The dry blend control does as the name suggests and adds dry (unprocessed) signal, blended with the distorted signal.  The dry blend is beneficial for use with a bass guitar to preserve the full and natural low-end tone of the instrument, but can also add tonal diversity to a guitar as well.  The dry signal path can also be configured using internal DIP switches to set a low-pass filter so that the higher frequencies and harmonics are removed from the dry tone.

The octave distortion (full wave asymmetric rectifier) stage can be engaged using the additional octave footswitch.  The octave circuit sits after the fuzz and EQ stages, and the control adjusts the amount of the octave affect to apply to the overall fuzz tone.  As with the dry tone, internal DIP switches can be set to apply a low-pass filter which is useful to tame some of the high frequency artifacts that this octave distortion method may generate.

Standard Features:

• Small footprint design:  4.5” by 3.5”
• Activation footswitch (stomp switch) with true bypass when the pedal is not active
• Octave footswitch (stomp switch) to activate the octave distortion feature
• Drive, Bite, and Level controls to shape the fuzz tone
• 3-band active EQ for additional tone shaping
• Dry blend control with configurable low-pass filter
• Octave distortion control with configurable low-pass filters
• Pre-fuzz high-pass filter settings of 55Hz, 110Hz, or 220Hz
• Dry blend low-pass filter settings of full band (off), 160Hz, or 1600Hz
• Octave      distortion low-pass filter settings of full band (off), 500Hz, or 4000Hz

Introductory Price:  $195.00 USD + S&H (plus tax if shipped within New York State)

Ordering:  Available immediately direct from the manufacturer website using the links listed below.

Links:

Product Details Page:  http://www.fealabs.com/products/PHF-0001.html

FEA Labs Website:  http://www.fealabs.com/

FEA Labs is pleased to announce the latest product in their pedal lineup, the Opti-FET Compressor.

The name of this new pedal comes from its design that utilizes optical elements for compression dynamics and 100% “class A” FET (field effect transistor)-discrete amplification in the audio path. The Opti-FET also employs a unique, user-selectable side-chain control circuit with an onboard 3-band equalizer and a loop for additional control options. The union of these components provides the responsiveness, warm tone, and control options that we believe will make the Opti-FET Compressor a welcome addition to your effects chain, whether you’re a guitar or bass player.

One of the principal goals with this design was to create a “less sterile” and more “effect-y” type compression pedal, and we believe we’ve surpassed our goal with the Opti-FET Compressor. The “class A” FET discrete amplification circuit is popular among the audiophile community for having some of the classic sonic qualities found in tube amplifiers. This classic amplifier design adds noticeable warmth to the compressed audio signal, adding an overall musically pleasing character to the tone. The wide, adjustable compression ratio allows the musician to apply any amount of compression to the signal from very light at 1.5:1 to heavy at 20:1 for generous sustain.

Another design goal for the Opti-FET, as with all of our designs, was to give the musician as much control over their tone as is possible in a pedal format. To this end, along with the full complement of compression settings, we’ve added a selectable equalizer along with an external loop to the side-chain control circuit. The 3-band equalizer allows you to tailor the frequencies upon which to apply more or less compression to the audio signal. The loop feature is provided so you can use an external graphic equalizer or other outboard processors, giving you control comparable to that of many high-end studio compression units.

Standard Features:

• Small footprint: 4.5” by 3.5”
• Threshold, ratio, attack, release and gain controls. The control ranges for the attack and release have been optimized for use on both bass and guitar.
• The COMP LED indicates when the threshold has been reached.
• The ACTIVATE foot switch places the compressor unit in the signal chain or in Direct Bypass mode.
• The ACTIVE LED indicates when the pedal is engaged.
• The EQ and LOOP foot switch enables the three-band equalizer controls for the side-chain control circuit and the external loop feature.
• Loop send and return jacks are for placing external processors or EQ’s in the compressor side-chain control circuit, when the EQ and LOOP switch is engaged.
• The SIDE-CHAIN EQ and LOOP LED indicator identifies when the equalizer and external loop features are active.
• Minimal components in the signal path to maintain the utmost signal quality.
• The onboard voltage charge pump allows the circuitry to operate at 18volts (+9 and –9 volt rails) from a single 9-volt battery or AC power adapter of 9 volts or greater.
• The onboard power supply can accommodate power adapter voltages up to 25 volts DC with protection from reversed polarity.

Price:  $245.00 USD + S&H (plus tax if shipped within New York State)

Ordering:  Available immediately direct from the manufacturer’s website.

Links: Product Details Page: http://www.fealabs.com/products/OFC-0001.html

FEA Labs Website: http://www.fealabs.com/