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Tremolo
Optical Tremolo pedal
User Manual
v1.03 • November 17, 2009
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INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing the Diamond Tremolo pedal. The Tremolo represents a new
circuit architecture for Diamond, combining a 100% analog signal path with a microprocessor to provide an unprecedented level of control without converting the audio to
digital at any point in the circuit.
Like amp tremolo circuits of the 1960’s, the Diamond Tremolo employs an opto-isolator
(also known as a light dependent resistor or photo coupler) at the heart of the circuit to
provide the familiar characteristic tremolo sound. However, the integration of digital control however allows us to manipulate the classic sound of opto-isolator tremolo in new
and exciting ways. We’ve also added a special JFET-based ‘chop’ circuit that provides
ultra-fast, duty cycle controllable, complete chop-out of the effected signal for a unique
mode of trem operation.
We hope you’ll enjoy using this pedal as much as we have enjoyed designing it.
Remember to protect your hearing and wear appropriate hearing protection when playing loud…
DESIGN BACKGROUND
We first began work on a tremolo pedal in the fall of 2008, and predates that if you include the trem and autopan circuitry originally intended for the stereo vibrato pedal that
itself eventually morphed into today’s Diamond Vibrato. We focused on combining an
all-analog signal path based on the proven Diamond Compressor signal path, and sophisticated micro-controller based control to produce a design with advanced yet musical features. Particular emphasis was placed on the design of the user interface, with the goal to
provide an ideal combination of simplicity and flexibility.
The first prototype units were displayed and demonstrated at the 2009 Winter NAMM
trade show. Initial feedback was extremely positive and a number of suggestions from
players inspired us to make various circuit and control changes. As the feature set grew,
so did the challenge of implementing features while maintaining a simple the user interface grew. This final revision represents months of challenges and hard work on circuit
design and software programming.
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FEATURES
Vactrol opto-isolator variable resistance path as used in many classic amplifier circuits of the
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1960’s
Tremolo speed adjustable via tap tempo footswitch or front panel knob
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User selectable waveforms including ‘Sharkfin’, S ine, Square and ‘Chop’
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Smooth ramping when changing speeds
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Front panel control of volume for easily matching dry and effected sound
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Premium audio components, including 2% Panasonic polypropylene capacitors and 1% metal
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film resistors
Bi-color LEDs provides visual indication of speeds and waveform selection
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True Bypass operation
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A NOTE ABOUT POWERING THE TREMOLO
The Diamond Tremolo is designed to be powered from either a 9V battery (included), standard
9V negative tip DC power adapter or from a multi pedal power supply.
QUICK START GUIDE
To get started quickly using the Diamond Tremolo, simply turn the unit on, make sure the mode
knob on the far right is set to the♩symbol and adjust the SPEED, DEPTH and VOL to taste.
Note- You can set the desired tremolo speed by adjusting the SPEED knob directly or by tapping
the desired speed using the TAP/DBL footswitch.
Once you have the desired speed, depth and volume settings, experiment with the various waveforms to get a feel for how each of them sounds. To easily toggle through the four waveforms,
simply push the central toggle switch upwards. You’ll note the LED on the left will change color
to indicate the current waveform. For more detail on the various waveforms, the associated LED
color and the resulting sound, please see the WAVEFORMS section in this manual.
Now that you’ve got the basics of the pedal down, read on to uncover the advanced features of the Tremolo.
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