Thermae
Analog Timeshifter
Ships in 1-3 business days
Analog delay that thinks it’s a synth.
Thermae is constructed around four reissued versions of the legendary MN3005 bucket-brigade delay chip, that can be sequenced, modulated, and overworked to reveal all the character analog delay has to offer.
It lets you push these chips beyond their intended purpose to generate melodies, reveal hidden textures and explore impossibly long delay times (up to 32 seconds). Round that out with synth-inspired controls, and you’re set to filter, glide and step your way somewhere new.
Generate dynamic, playful melodies with the built-in sequencer.
Use Step mode for manual pitch-shifting or pure analog delay.
Synth-inspired controls to shape both your sound and sequences.
Add a secondary layer of motion with the advanced modulation.
MN3005 x4.
The bucket-brigade.
The invention of bucket-brigade (or BBD) chips is what first made delay pedals possible, and there’s still nothing else like their characteristic decay; each echo woolier and warmer than the last.
What Thermae does is explore how far we can take these chips. What happens when we push them to their limits by putting them under digital control? Lots of things, it turns out.
Sequencing
Thermae creates melodies by shifting the delay time of its analog BBD chips. These time changes create musical harmonies, with the added benefit of spatial and textural shifts: Lower notes are spaced out and gritty, higher notes are tightly packed and clear. The result is a sequence with built-in variance.
Step mode
Stop Thermae’s internal sequencer and use the footswitch to progress manually, like an analog delay with some interesting bonuses.
Create extremely long delay times that churn with analog degradation and noise; tap in flourishes of time-bending pitch-shifting when the time is right.
We named Thermae after a bath house, so we decided to go to a bath house. This video explains why we did that, and also why we made this pedal.
Expand and integrate
Thermae features MIDI, CV and Expression control, presets, and internal modulation of all its knobs.
We also created a MIDI Controller plugin that you can download here.
Specs
Mono I/O
Presets (2)
Internal modulation (Ramping)
MIDI (PC, CC and Clock)
CV control
Expression control
External tap
Tap tempo w/ subdivisions
Trails
Momentary or latching bypass
All-analog signal path
True bypass (w/ Trails off)
9V Center Negative ~150 mA
-
Why won’t my pedal self-oscillate / the wet signal is quiet?
This can happen when Thermae isn’t getting enough power. Make sure you’re using a 9-volt power supply with at least 200 mA current.
Why won’t my pedal stop pitch shifting?
The simplest way to fix this is to follow these steps:Make sure the Modulation dipswitch is off.
Set the Int 1 knob to noon (off).
Set the Int 2 knob to noon (off).
Now you will have a normal, steady analog delay. You can turn the Modulation dipswitch back on now if you like.