Interstellar Orbiter

The pedal runs two resonant filters from a single LFO that moves them in opposite directions. Three shared controls set the master filter frequency, the LFO rate and the amount of unaffected dry signal. Each filter also has its own LFO Intensity, Resonance and Mix controls, and the two are voiced differently.

With the intensity of both filters set to zero, the Frequency control can be swept by hand or with an expression pedal for wah-like tones or wide filter sweeps. Raising the intensity of one filter while sweeping the other gives moving-centre-point phase effects. Using the LFO on both filters and adjusting resonance and intensity produces vocal formant sounds and a rotary-speaker-like effect. Raising LFO Intensity widens the sweep, lifts the centre frequency and makes the resonance more pronounced.

The pedal was designed for Kid Koala's Satellite Concert tour, where audience members manipulate turntable drones through it. It has separate expression pedal jacks for LFO Rate and Master Frequency, true bypass switching, and runs from a 9 V DC supply with a 2.1 mm negative-centre barrel.