Demeter TRM-1 Tremulator Optical Tremolo Pedal

Description

The Demeter TRM-1 Tremulator chases down that unmistakable pulsing wobble from classic Fender amps — the lopsided, rounded-triangle wave that pulses guitar tone with a slightly asymmetric swing rather than a clinical square-wave chop. Demeter built it to outperform the source material: same vintage character, minus the hum and noise that plagued old tube tremolo circuits, plus a wider window of usable speeds and depths for players who want more control over the shape of the wobble.

Layout is dead simple for pedalboard use: 1/4″ input on the right, 1/4″ output on the left, a battery-ground switch on the input jack, and just two knobs up top — Depth and Speed — alongside a footswitch and status LED. A side-mounted trim pot lets you dial in the bias of the optical tremolo cell itself, shifting the on/off time ratio of the pulse from tight and squeezed to loose and open. It ships preset to Ry Cooder’s own preferred bias point, a solid starting place before you make it yours.

• Depth controls modulation intensity — dial it back to zero and the circuit works as a clean, low-noise volume boost
• A touch of built-in gain (~1dB) keeps the effect from ever feeling like a signal drop
• Low-impedance output doubles as a line driver, handy for long cable runs to the amp
• Speed sets the rate of the low-frequency oscillator for anything from a slow shimmer to a fast throb
• Runs on 9V DC — internal 9V battery (access via four side screws, needs 7V minimum) or external regulated supply, center-pin positive, 100mA or more

Built for the front end of the chain, ahead of drive and modulation, where its optical pulse and low-noise design keep the rest of your board clean.