Catalinbread Pareidolia Harmonic Mesmerizer

Submitted on May 20, 2010

The 1961 Fender Twin Amp... The Vibrato in this amp was actually more than Tremolo. I am not sure exactly what the effect is, other than it is an amazing sound!! We used this as the starting point for the Pareidolia Harmonic Mesmerizer, adding a lot more range of speeds and much much more depth. It isn't quite a vibe, it isn't quite a phasor, it isn't quite a tremolo, it isn't quite a filter - though it is exactly all of these things.

The controls are simple, but powerful. The Depth control is able to go from just a slight shimmer in your sound to undulating ocean waves. The Rate ranges from molasses slow phase sweeps to lush tremolo and skittery chops. The Volume, obviously, controls the loudness and was designed to pull double duty as a fantastic boost when the Depth is off.

Like most other Catalinbread pedals, the Pareidolia was designed for both 9v and 18v operation, the latter giving a more pronounced up-front sound to the effect. We worked very hard tuning this pedal, and the result is a complex modulation that is quite literally a mesmerizing effect, where you stop thinking and just start playing. It frees your mind to be creative. It is hypnotic, yet unlike classic modulation effects the Pareidolia doesn't pwn your sound, allowing your playing to shine through. And unlike other modulation pedals it is less picky in its placement with other pedals. Whether the Pareidolia is placed pre-dirt, post-dirt, or sandwiched between, this pedal still sounds great.

We're convinced that once you turn on the Harmonic Mesmerizer, you'll have a tough time turning it off.