I know a lot of members have talked about liking the brief distorted "tone" the Alembics have as the battery dies. I was looking at an issue of "Tape Op" magazine today and noticed an ad "Controlling the Dying Battery Sound", so I checked it out.
Not sure I really understand what this pedal does, I never use pedals so not the best person to evaluate the potential of one but I figured there would be at least cursory interest in this so here is the link... this pedal can also be used as a MIDI-controller.
https://thebrownout.com/
I desire that dying tone on my Distillate.
This demo shows it more for theremin effect.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WBTl1NY1rI
I've got a Union Tube and Transistor 'Beelzebuzz' pedal that is kind of a gated fuzz, but the gating gets a little more extreme with a dying battery; I've tried a Danelectro adjustable power supply with it, and one day I'll find the perfect voltage...
I have a thomann Pedalboard Multi modular power supply with SAG option for slight voltage reduction for fuzz and distortion effects. i have not used that option though.
https://www.thomann.co.uk/harley_benton_powerplant_iso_3ac_sag_modular.htm
In a variation one can utilize a variac ( variable transformer) on a tube amplifier and lower the difference of potential of the AC voltage and cause a brown out condition thus causing distortion. This was a technique also used by some recording engineers in the early period of rock and roll / R&B recording techniques and not the long term detrimental damage that slashing speaker cones caused. Some folks implicated RAD techniques as part of their tweaks.
Definitely love the sound of my bass when the batteries are near death. Anyone know:
1 - is there a way to modify my power supply to deliver whatever the combination of voltage and current creates that sound thru the 5 pin cable.
2 - would this damage the internal electronics of the bass?