Solarfaze

Multi-band Saturation and Detuning Effect

Solarfaze is a stereo audio processor that carries your sound across a sunlit landscape of phase and tone. it combines multi-band saturation with an envelope-controlled detune chorus, creating warmth, shimmer, and stereo dimension.

At the heart of the SATURATE circuit is a three-band processor designed to move smoothly from subtle warmth and compression to rich harmonic enhancement and heavy breakup. each band (BASS, MID, and TREB) features independent drive and output level controls, letting you shape harmonic content across the spectrum while maintaining balance in the mix. each band’s frequency range is also adjustable, enabling precise tailoring to your instrument or voice.

The DETUNE section delivers a wide stereo chorus by pitch-shifting the left and right channels in opposite directions. the detune amount can be dynamically modulated by the input envelope, so the stereo spread responds to your playing, ranging from gentle shimmer to dramatic detuning.

Solarfaze adapts easily to many contexts. on guitar, it acts as a powerful tone- shaping tool - drive each frequency band differently for stacked, multi-band distortion that stays articulate and clear. as an end-of-chain processor, it can blend flexible saturation and detune modulation across your entire mix, whether you want subtle harmonic lift or a bold creative effect. use a single band at a time to build layered loops, with each band occupying its own space in the spectrum for sonic clarity.

Additional features include a built-in NOISE GATE for high-gain settings and flexible effect routing that allows SATURATE to run before DETUNE or vice versa. the pedal supports both analog buffered bypass for zero-latency pass-through and DSP bypass for completely silent effect toggling. MIDI control extends the possibilities further, with nine onboard user preset slots and remote adjustment of every parameter.

the SATURATE section splits your input signal into three isolated frequency bands: BASS, MID, and TREB. each band is processed by a dedicated soft-clipping waveshaper, designed to transition smoothly from warm compression to distortion and heavy breakup. input drive can be switched between: SOFT (0 dB) for maximum headroom, BOOST (+6 dB) for added drive and sustain, or HEAVY (+12 dB) for intense saturation

BASS DRIVE | MID DRIVE | TREB DRIVE – adjusts the amount of drive (saturation) applied to the selected frequency band. the drive setting is indicated by the band’s LEDs. lower settings provide subtle warmth and gentle compression, while higher settings add harmonics, distortion, and aggressive breakup

BASS LEVEL | MID LEVEL | TREB LEVEL – sets the output volume of each frequency band after saturation. the level is controlled by the band’s vertical slider. use these to rebalance the overall tonal mix after adjusting drive SATURATE MIX – blends the clean, unsaturated input signal with the processed signal. fully counterclockwise is 100% dry, fully clockwise is 100% processed 

DRIVE – controls the overall intensity of the SATURATE effect across all three bands. turning it up increases the input level feeding the BASS, MID, and TREB wave shapers, resulting in more harmonics, compression, and distortion. lower settings keep the effect subtle, while higher settings push the sound into heavy breakup and sustain

TONE – adjusts the tonal balance of the combined saturated signal. turn counterclockwise for a darker, warmer tone. turn clockwise for a brighter, more present tone

NOISE GATE – mutes the signal when the input level falls below a set threshold. see the NOISE GATE section for details

SATURATE BYPASS SWITCH – toggles the effect on or off. hold the foot switch to place SATURATE first in the effect chain

ADJUST FREQUENCY BANDS- by default, the frequency bands are centered at BASS 100Hz MID 600Hz TREB 7.7kHz. you can adjust each band’s center frequency by holding the band’s DRIVE button as a shift control while adjusting that band’s LEVEL slider. the band’s LEDs will blink in a pattern indicating the selected frequency. The frequency adjustment is remembered between power cycles

DETUNE MIX – blends the clean input signal with the detuned signal. fully counterclockwise is 100% dry, fully clockwise is 100% detuned

AMOUNT – sets the base pitch shift applied to the left and right channels. low settings add gentle stereo chorus-like sound. high settings produce a wide, detuned effect

ENV – modulates the DETUNE amount based on your playing dynamics. at the center position (12 o’clock) there is no modulation. turning the control to the left causes the DETUNE amount to decrease as you play louder, while turning it to the right causes the DETUNE amount to increase as you play louder

DETUNE BYPASS SWITCH – toggles the effect on or off. hold the foot switch to place DETUNE first in the effect chain

SIZE – adjusts the delay time of the detuned voices, affecting the stereo width and perceived smoothness of the DETUNE effect. lower settings yield a tighter, more immediate sound but may introduce more audible artifacts. higher settings produce a smoother, more spacious DETUNE at the cost of slightly increased latency to adjust SIZE, hold any frequency band’s DRIVE button until that band’s LEDs begin flashing, then turn the amount knob. this adjusts the delay time within the DETUNE delay table. this setting is remembered between power cycles