This Overdrive Pedal Changes Tone Depending on What Liquid you Fill it With

How’s this for a bonkers concept, the mad scientists at Rainger FX have a new pedal called the Minibar Liquid Analyzer. It features a small cavity in the middle of the pedal that you can fill with any liquid, and the characteristics of that liquid effect the tone of the resulting overdrive. 

Excuse the lazy journalism, but the press release explains it all nice and succinctly:

“This mini pedal makes no sound at all until you pour liquid into it – any kind at all – and the various qualities of that liquid decide the properties of the resulting guitar sound. What you use is entirely up to you – any sort of mixture you can dream up!
The pedal is simplicity itself. It has a volume knob and a small watertight container mounted in the top panel; unscrew the lid, get pouring – and analyse! Then, when you’ve got your own unique sound, screw the lid on tightly and you’re ready to go.
There are certain chemical properties that decide how well a fluid electrically conducts the guitar signal, and this in turn governs the amount – and to some degree the quality – of the overdrive. Anything from a light grit to chunky intensity or ragged burn.
Also, light is shone through the sample, and how well it passes through (the opacity) gives the amount of treble and bass. The Minibar often has a deeply satisfying bandpass tone to it – adjustable from dark bassy thrum to high zing – with plenty of satisfying harmonics and plectrum ‘cluck’ on the way.”

It’s a little gimmicky, but certainly a lot of fun and personally, I love funny little geeky products like this.

Rainger FX is based out of London and have a whole range of kooky fx pedals, check ’em out raingerfx.com

Reverb.com caught the Rainger FX guys at NAMM 2020 and got a first-hand look at the thing.