Nick's World of Synthesizers - The Square

The Square is a curious little analog ring modulator pedal from Nick’s World of Synthesizers, capable of turning basic waveforms into some surprisingly complex, harmonically rich sounds. Unlike conventional ring modulators, which combine two separate signals, The Square takes a single input and sends it to both sides of its ring modulation circuit. In other words, it multiplies your sound by itself — hence the name. The controls are almost comically simple, one knob for input volume, another for output volume, and that's it.

Inspired by the classic EMS diode ring modulators of the 1960s, the circuit uses germanium diodes to produce a distinctly gritty, sometimes quite unruly character. Feed it a single oscillator and you can get anything from crunchy saturation to octave-up tones. If you decide to mix two oscillators at different pitches before the pedal, however, things become even more interesting. The resulting harmonics can sound remarkably similar to FM synthesis, wavefolding and the complex cross-modulation associated with Buchla-style West Coast synthesis. Adjusting the tuning or relative levels of the oscillators can change the sound d r a m a t i c a l l y.

The Square really shines with overlapping notes, so polyphonic synths are an obvious fit. For monophonic instruments, DivKid’s demo below shows a neat trick: if you place a delay before the pedal, the echoes will interact with subsequent notes, creating all sorts of additional harmonics and strange textures. Each pedal is handmade, right down to its bent metal enclosure, with small component variations giving each unit its own character. A wonderfully odd little invention, with far more going on than its two knobs might initially suggest!

Features:

• Analog ring modulator
• Inspired by classic 1960s EMS diode ring modulators
• Incoming audio is internally routed to both ring modulation inputs, effectively multiplying the signal by itself
• Germanium diodes for characterful harmonics, saturation and distortion
• Produces octave-up effects, complex overtones and FM-/wavefolding-like textures
• Particularly responsive to mixed oscillators, polyphonic sounds and overlapping notes
• Input and output volume controls
• 6.35 mm audio input and output
• Footswitch for effect bypass
• Handmade construction
• Standard guitar pedal power connection