Xploration • Curation • Recommendation
Rainger FX upcycles 80 x Break Box enclosures to unleash the brilliantly dynamic Recycle Box Triple-Tap Distortion-Delay
Most will recall that in November of 2022 Rainger FX released the fantastic Break Box Distortion with Active Sustaining Chorus, and Vinyl Scratch Effect. For me it had elements reminiscent of the band Portishead, and the pedal was very well received at the time.
Obviously there has been less promotion of that pedal of late, besides really the few articles I’ve included it in. As a result, sales have petered off somewhat. So as is often the case - after a brisk start, things calmed down eventually, and as these are all custom enclosures and needed to be ordered in bulk - there happened to be a fair number of pink Break Box enclosures sitting on the shelves at Rainger HQ.
David decided that they should adapt and those enclosure and the core circuit - which retains the core / central El Distorto x Freakenbender Distortion, but ditches the Chorus and Vinyl Scratch - in favour of a fantastic characterful Triple-Tap Delay, with somewhat quirky intervals - and which you can engage dynamically via the central Igor Pad.
Controls - IGOR [button on top] } Delay Default Off / Delay Default On, Igor Pad either momentarily engages or cuts the Delay; DISTORTION } Volume, Tone, Gain; DELAY } Feedback (Repeats > Self-Oscillation), Time (Max 770ms).
So the core distortion is exactly the same as on the Break Box - David's celebrated vintage sounding El Distorto, but with the back-end / tone-stack from his Macari's Freakenbender collaboration.
The delay started off as being somewhat similar to the Echo-X, but David fine-tuned it and engineered those superb Triple-Tap Delay Intervals to optimally pair with the core Distortion. The Mix / Level of the Delay is fixed, like the Triple-Tap intervals - where you have control over the Feedback and the Delay Time (Max 770ms), and then trigger it on or off via the Igor Pad.
The delay has a very digital signature to it - but there are some cool quirks in its output profile - it sounds really distinct here, and works very well in combination with the core Distortion voicing.
This is very much a sort of sibling / successor to the Break Box, and a lot of you should have a tonne of fun with this new combination of effects. Apart from the X-Series Minis, all Rainger FX pedals usually have their own distinct custom enclosure with variously angled sides. Here for once we get the same enclosure used across two pedals - with some significant elements retained. Aesthetically the Break Box enclosure has mostly just been Vinyl-stickered, the knobs are the same as before. The one change is the footswitch - which was Black on the Break Box, but is silver here - as a further point of differentiation. I feel it's all turned out rather nicely in the end.
As mentioned there are two core Modes of Operation set by the push-button switch on the top of the pedal - that defines whether the Delay is Default Off - for quick momentary Stabs!, or Default On for quick momentary Stutters!
I thought I would prefer the Default Delay Off with Stabs Mode, but I much prefer the Default Delay On with Stutter - kind of like the difference between String Taps and Pull-Offs. I can get some superb stuttery patterns interacting with the Delay, it's easier for me to have my foot mostly resting on the Igor, and then releasing for Stutters - rather than the other way around.
My absolute favourite sounds are achieved with - DISTORTION } Volume @ Max, Tone and Gain @ 3 o'c, DELAY } Feedback and Time both @ circa 1 o'c.
Liberally bouncing the foot off and back onto the Igor Pad delivers the most excellent Stuttery / Triple-Tap interplay - which kind of sounds like a chewy Tremolo in the mix too. I feel this is an unexplored area - say combining programmed Auto-Stutter with Delay-Taps - I think you can get some incredible rhythmic patterns that way!
For the Table-Top brigade - they can easily do those Feedback Wind-ups to Self-Oscillation, and twisting the Time dial up and back on an ad hoc basis too. Us Stompbox types don't really have the luxury of that - while we have some incredibly dextrous rhythmic toe and foot-action!
I feel this Recycle Box is more immediate than the Break Box, and more addictive! You can get lost within its patterns all day long. Note that for the Distortion to cut through optimally I have the Volume Maxed out, and Tone and Gain at 3 o'c - it sounds at its most open and searing with those settings - a genuine joy of a pedal to deploy. That Distortion and Triple-Tap delay pair so well! Further underlining David's genius status. I dare say this one will have significantly higher appeal that its sibling predecessor!
Only 80 of these have been made - which is super limited when divided across select retailers and the mailing list. I expect these to go very quickly! And rightly so!
Pricing is £199 and equivalent without Tax / Vat, £239 with VAT included, while pricing in the USA should be commensurate with the Break Box - at $239. A limited quantity will be available direct from the Rainger FX Webstore - and at select dealers as mentioned.
This is a time and numbers limited opportunity - I personally really love it! And feel most of you will too!
Launch Demo
