Xploration • Curation • Recommendation
A selection of 7 of the best Gehirn Enterprises Compact Pedals - out of Tasmania
This Tasmanian Brand Gehirn Enterprises (Gehirn meaning brain!) - AKA one Brendan Pearce - only came to my attention relatively recently - while these are exactly the kinds of pedals that I gravitate towards. There’s a few takes here of certain well-loved circuits - where Brendan has a really unique approach o each of them - and all his pedals are very distinct and features several deft detail touches.
I consider myself very much a fuller flavour noise-maker - and there are several killer noisemaker pedals here - including the Noise Wasp, and ZERSTÖRER, as well as an incredibly wayward PT2399 Delay Line Modulator - in the best possible way - which delivers its own entire extended library of effects.
These Compacts range in price from $125 to $200 AUD, which is $83 to $133 USD or £63 to £100 - exceptional value for such expanded range circuits.
Brendan has quite the selection already - with 16 pedals is the range - 10 Compacts (7 of those featured here), 5 Mid-Size (1590BB ish), and 1 large. The overall range covers a span of $125 to $666 AUD, $83 to $443 USD, and £63 to £332.
There really is a lot to like here - including those very finely cut out facia plates!
Brendan seemingly makes each design in various colorways, where presumably these are mostly built to order seemingly.
I focus on 7 Compact Pedals that caught my eye, some variants seem to be sold out - but that’s likely because of the largely made-to-order mechanic - I tried to pick out my favourite colourways - which were also selected in part for their contrasting colours!
These are the 7 that make up the selection - you can check out the Gehirn Webstore - and then contact Brendan (gehirnenterprises@outlook.com) where there’s not one in stock of the type you’re after.
- Binary Eruptor = PLL Fuzz Harmonizer - $200 AUD, $133 USD, £100
- DoomedLife Octave + Rat + Boost 3-in-1 Monster (Life Pedal) - $200 AUD, $133 USD, £100
- DoomLord Sunn Model-T Transistor Preamp - $175 AUD / $117 USD / £88
- Nocturnal Razer Sub-Octave Fuzz - $200 AUD, $133 USD, £100
- Noise Wasp Fuzz + Noise Maker - $150 AUD, $100 USD, £75
- Pitch Druid PT2399 Modulation Speed Tap Tempo Wobbly Delay Line Modulator - $200 AUD, $133 USD, £100
- Zwergwirken Apparat Monströs ZERSTÖRER CMOS Hex Fuzz / Noise Pedal - $125 AUD, $83 USD, £63
I like all of those - and it’s a struggle really to pick out priorities - while I would probably go for the 3 mentioned in the intro - the 2 specific ’Noise-Maker’ pedals, and the insanely good Wobbly Delay Line Modulator / Manipulator!
As I have detailed several time this month - around 30 pedals have been acquired in October - a handful with November launch deadlines - while most of them have been featured this month. I had already blown the budge for the month when I attended the second Woking Boutique Guiar Show on the 11th. So I’m alas not in the position where I can be adding new pedals - at least for a week!
I will be following up with Bredan - with a view to review and feature some or all of these in a coordinated manner - starting with the crazier effects!
And I may tackle Brendand’s larger pedal at a separate time!
Brendan has given us a further bonus of a 20% Discount using the code ’DOOM’ - until his end of play on Sunday. These were already bargains at their original prices - where they’re almost a give now.
I look forward to landing mine in due time - there are exceptional pedals - which have been cruelly off most people’s radars. These deserve to do really well!
Just for further reference - you should use the CODE ’DOOM’ on the Gehirn Enterprises Webstore!
Further details on each pedal - controls etc. below :
Binary Eruptor PLL Fuzz Harmonizer - $200 AUD, $133 USD, £100
Controls - Sub, Fuzz, PLL, Divide, Modulation Rate, Multiply, Sub Root Switch, Vibrato / Glide Switch, PLL Root Switch.
I'm a significant fan of PLL pedals and own about half a dozen different varieties - where my reigning champion is still the Tark Audio Squid Ink. I would love to test the mettle of this Binary Eruptor which also feels pretty special. We'll soon see how much of a challenger this one is!
DoomedLife Octave + Rat + Boost 3-in-1 Monster (Life Pedal) - $200 AUD, $133 USD, £100
Controls - Distortion, Filter, Volume, Boost, Ruetz Mod Switch : 47R, 47R Disconnected / Internal Trimmer, Clip Switch (can be Germanium or Silicon Diodes, or Asymmetrical Silicon, or LEDs - typically Silicon / None / Asymmetrical), Octave Switch, Octave Intensity, Boos Footswitch, Bypass Footswitch.
A distinct take on the Sunn O))) Life Pedal. I have a few compact variants of this core effect already- including from Demiurge, and Sentimental Bob Electronics - also the MKII official EQD one - the DoomedLife looks like another excellent derivation / evolution.
DoomLord Sunn Model-T Transistor Preamp - $175 AUD / $117 USD / £88
Controls - Volume, Normal (Channel), Bright (Bright), Bass, Mids, Treble, Bridge Switch : On (Both channels), Boost Switch : On, Channel : Normal / Bright.
A rare Model-T compact - again of which I own a few varieties - including from Coda Effects, Kuro Custom Audio, and Zander Circuitry. Another one that would be great to compare and contrast. I have a few mid-size examples of this circuit also.
Nocturnal Razer Sub-Octave Fuzz - $200 AUD, $133 USD, £100
Controls - Volume, Mix : Octave > Pulse, Sub-Octave : -1 / -2 / -3 / Off, Unity Voice Switch = Fuzz On, Pulse Tremolo : 1 / 2 / 3 / Off, Bypass Footswitch, Raiser (Normal) / Razer (Insane) Footswitch.
This one seems pretty unique - combining that Crushing Sub-Ocave Fuzz with a cool Pulsating Tremolo - a very distinct and intriguing circuit with some smart controls. Looking forward to putting this one through its paces!
Noise Wasp Fuzz + Noise Maker - $150 AUD, $100 USD, £75
Controls - Gate, Wasp : Fuzz > Distortion > Noise, Low Input, Volume, SOS (Feedback Loop), Tone, Postgain, Postclip Switch : LED / Off / Silicon, SOS Switch ; On/Off, PreClip Switch : LED / Off / Silicon, Pregain.
The first of the Noise-Makers here - which I'm very keen to get my hands on. I really like extreme and industrial strength sounds - and feel this one is going to become a quick favourite of mine! CMOS circuits can get very wild - and this one's wholly unleashed!
Pitch Druid PT2399 Modulation-Speed Tap-Tempo Wobbly Delay Line Modulator - $200 AUD, $133 USD, £100
Controls - Depth, Speed, Wave (8 x Waveforms including Sine, Triangle, Square, and Random Slopes, Delay, Feedback, Blend, Tap Tempo Modulation Speed Footswitch, Engage Footswitch.
Some of this is a little reminiscent of the Fjord Fuzz Loke Delay Line Manipulator - but somewhat wilder and more extreme - as Brendan writes - it covers a lot of feautures :
"So it does so much I can't write it all in paragraphs. Here's a list:
Chorus sounds, Vibrato sounds, Analog delay sounds, Tape delay sounds, Modulated delay sounds, Self Oscillation, Noise, S&H, Ring mod esq sounds, Wacky pitch shifting, subtle pitch shifting, randomized delay times, tap tempo control, randomized modulation, CLK sync, LFO out, and MORE !!"
There's also a great demo on Soundcloud! :
Zwergwirken Apparat Monströs ZERSTÖRER CMOS Hex Fuzz / Noise Pedal - $125 AUD, $83 USD, £63
Controls - Volume, Starve, In Cut, Tone, Pre-Gain, Drive.
Massively evolved from Dwarfcraft's The Great Destroyer - so much really that it's its own effect. It's the second of the Noise Makers I've listed here - where it reacts significantly to your guitar's controls - including Volume, Tone and Pickup Selector. A little reminiscent in its control aspect to Catalinbread's Antichthon - but with a much easier disruptive output - in the best possible Noise-Maker way!. A definite agent of chaos!
