“On the chorus setting, this feels like a churning wave – with reverb, it's a monster growing out of your guitar”: Rainger FX has found a way to make distortion pedals fresh again – fade-in multi-FX
The Pull Focus integrates a ramping chorus, reverb and noise gate for a unique multi-FX take on high-gain distortion
John Frusciante and Vernon Reid-approved boutique pedal company Rainger FX has introduced a high-gain analog distortion pedal with the unusual feature of a secondary fade-in reverb or chorus. As the brand puts it, “It’s a multi-effects pedal, of a very particular kind.”
The main effect, distortion, is built from a combination of the Rainger FX Reverb-X overdrive circuit and the Tonebender circuit that the brand had used for its Colorsound pedal. The result is a “full-range, balanced tone” that goes from “very mild overdrive to thick, chunky distortion,” with separate controls for volume and tone.
The chorus or reverb comes in as a fade-in effect, made possible by the ramp knob. It can be adjusted so that this secondary effect is always on, comes in after a delay (up to four seconds), or is off completely, depending on the player's preferences.
There’s also an intuitive effect knob responsible for switching between chorus and reverb. The rate-adjustable chorus ranges from a “very slow twist” à la Jane's Addiction and Smashing Pumpkins to a “fast psychotic wobble” reminiscent of Devo.
On the reverb side, you can easily toggle between a “spectacular” digital reverb effect, a subtle small-room reverb, and a hall reverb.
The fade-in element of the secondary effect is supported by an in-built active sustain feature, which ensures that the chorus or reverb does not simply “die away” but rather results in a noticeable increase in the guitar signal level.
As Rainger FX describes it, “On the chorus setting, this feels like a churning wave coming from behind to lift you forwards. With reverb, it’s a monster growing out of your guitar!” To top it off, there's a noise gate, which unobtrusively keeps the pedal buzz-free when you're not playing.
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This inventive, true-bypass pedal, priced at $239, is currently available directly from the brand's website and partner distributors. For more information, head to Rainger FX.
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Janelle is a staff writer at GuitarWorld.com. After a long stint in classical music, Janelle discovered the joys of playing guitar in dingy venues at the age of 13 and has never looked back. Janelle has written extensively about the intersection of music and technology, and how this is shaping the future of the music industry. She also had the pleasure of interviewing Dream Wife, K.Flay, Yīn Yīn, and Black Honey, among others. When she's not writing, you'll find her creating layers of delicious audio lasagna with her art-rock/psych-punk band ĠENN.
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