At the 2019 Summer NAMM Show, Gamechanger Audio announced a special limited edition Plasma Coil pedal, a collaboration with Jack White and his Nashville-based Third Man Records label.
Plasma Coil is a collaboration between Jack White’s Third Man Records and Gamechanger Audio.
At its heart is Gamechanger’s High Voltage Distortion technology that expresses audio signal as a series of electrical discharges. Gamechanger says that their PLASMA Distortion is the first commercial musical device that literally amplifies audio signal to 3500 Volts.
Plasma Coil adds multiple Octave-style circuits, and an additional Effects foot switch that can be toggled as latching or momentary.
Features:
- High Voltage PLASMA Distortion circuit converts audio signal into a series of Electrical discharges at 3.5 kV.
- 2 EQ Controls to boost or cut LOW and HIGH frequencies;
- VOLTAGE Knob – adjusts the amount of electrical current sent to the PLASMA Tube
- EFFECT Knob allows you to select 1 of 6 different Special EFFECT types:
- Volume Boost
- 2 Subharmonic modes (Bitcrush-style Octave Down)
- 1 Upper Harmonic mode (Octafuzz-style Octave Up)
- 2 Mixed modes (Upper and Lower harmonics combined)
- EFFECT Foot switch – engages the PLASMa COIL’s special effect circuit.
- Master VOLUME Knob – cuts or boosts the Output Signal level.
- ON/OFF silent foot switch.
- Effect Foot switch TOGGLE – configure EFFECTS Foot switch as a latching ON/OFF switch or as a Momentary switch.
- The Plasma Coil in stock and available for purchase at Third Man Records online store and showrooms at a price of $350 USD.
- The PLASMA Coil features 6 special effects modes (Voltage Boost, + 5 Analog octaver modes).
The PLASMA Coil is already being used heavily by White (since first prototypes in March) and can be heard in his live shows and on the latest Raconteurs Album.
The PLASMA Coil is for now available in limited quantities in the Third Man Records online store.
What’d ya all think of that demo/teaser?
I kinda like those messed up tones. Edgy, but they dialed the tone to make them not sound too “painful”, or painful in the right way. Like if you had an itchy tympanic membrane and this is a tiny back-scratcher to put in your ear. …eegggghhhrrr yea that’s the spot.
stub, JMO but didn’t really get much from the teaser, so searched YT for more info/demos, and again JMO but beetronics Royal Jelly is in the same price range and offers me more sonic distortion options. Watched another YT vid on the plasma coil and it seems like a one trick pony, not a bad thing but not anything I would buy to add to my pedal setup.
There’s some psychological appeal to having “lightning in a box” and knowing that your guitar signal is being processed in such a dramatic way.
The demo as a production has energy and was well-conceived.
As for the sonics and value as a device on ones pedal board, I guess it would depending on what kinds of music and crunchiness a person tends toward. Nice to see that they’ve added quite a few sound sculpting features, especially the octave stuff.
I think they are hyping the “new tech” aspect of this pedal over the sound. There are lots of pedals out there that can give you similar sounds using “normal” technology. Ho hum…