Fairfield Circuitry Shallow Water K-Field Modulator Pedal

Manufacturer's description

Shallow Water is a K-Field Modulator. It produces subtle, random pitch shifts by modulating a short delay line. Unlike traditional chorus, vibrato, or flanger circuits, its modulation is pseudo-random and non-cyclical, resulting in textures reminiscent of unstable tape.

PSEUDO RANDOM GENERATOR

A random voltage source modulates the delay line, creating unpredictable pitch shifts. This is not a repeating LFO but a pseudo-random process, which means each modulation is unique and continuously evolving.

INTEGRATOR AND DEPTH

The integrator smooths random voltage steps into continuous waveforms. The DEPTH control adjusts the amplitude of these modulations, ranging from subtle movement to more noticeable pitch instability.

ENVELOPE FOLLOWER AND RECOVERY FILTER

The envelope follower monitors input dynamics, shaping the character of modulation. The recovery filter stabilizes the signal, ensuring clarity even under heavy modulation. Together, they allow Shallow Water to remain musical while exploring unstable textures.

CONTROLS

• RATE: Sets the speed of the pseudo-random modulation.
• DEPTH: Controls the intensity of pitch modulation.
• DAMP: Adjusts the low-pass filter applied to the modulation signal, shaping smoothness or roughness.
• LPG: Low-pass gate, adds dynamic filtering controlled by playing dynamics.
• MIX: Balances between dry and wet signals.
• VOLUME: Controls overall output level.

MORE CONTROL INSIDE

• BOOST trimpot: Adjusts gain boost.
• PAD trimpot: Input pad adjustment for hotter signals.
• LPG trimpot: Fine-tunes the low-pass gate response.