DVK Technologies GoldTop

Pedal vibe / fuzz where fuzz / vibe depending on usage (discussed). An effects pedal with two effects thus: a fuzz and vibe.

1 in, 1 out, a power jack, a jack for expression pedal. No possibility to power with a battery (we'll see later that this can be binding!)

Analog pedal, a priori (I do not put my hand to cut!) Wired in CMS.

The fuzz has 4 controls:
- Fuzz: the rate of fuzz, good OD a little dirty to her dementia, full.
- Level: volume, necessary because the rates vary fuzz do vary the volume, hence the need to re-adjust the volume.
- Tone: which is often lacking (fuzz face, fuzz ... Benrod red) is very effective, and unlike my Big Muff, it does not pass the low to high medium without the middle!
- Shape: it acts directly on the medium: they can be cut (I like it!) Or boost (I love!), But this setting is a big big plus!

The vibe has 2 + controls a switch:
- Rate: the speed, I do not know the values, but it's going very very slow to quite fast.
- Depth: amplitude. Personally, this is the control that I find the least successful (everything is relative!), But below 80%, I can not find the effect very far, especially in fashion'' classic''
- The classic switch'' /'' vibrato: to switch between a vibe and a vibrato.

The pedal has a switch for routing'''' changing the order of effects: the fuzz before the vibe where the reverse: those who have spent hours to wire and rewire their vibe before or after a given pedal appreciate!

Finally it should be noted that one can connect an expression pedal to vary the rate'''' (speed) of the vibe or vibrato. For now I'm not speaking on it, I have not tested it yet (no expression pedal on hand).

My rating: 10 but I take off 1 point for the relative effectiveness of the knob of'' depth'' ... for now! So 9

UTILIZATION

I will not even talk about her, so he'll have to wait a bit before the long-awaited praise!

To use that can be tricky, and this because the only real fault of this pedal (there's another one, but it is so light that ... well, I digress, I hear about it later!) , so the only flaw: the sensitivity of food.

Indeed, if you followed all the, you know that the goldtop can be powered via a 9 volt battery: thus crossing the PSU 'mandatory. It does not come with. During my test store (by the way I thank EUROLIGHT in Limoges, for their reliability, responsiveness and kindness), we had to change 3 times of power supply, before dropping a big buzz on the fuzz (+ big buzz ' 'PLOC'' when pressing on the footswicht to trigger the fuzz). To cut short any misunderstanding, we tested three different power supply (including 2 boss), changed the cable jack, guitars and amps. When we got to lose their buzz, we have spare amps, guitars and jack: the power supply, and therefore to blame ... I bought the pedal, I return home, I test: big buzz and M * μ% @! I put the pedal alone, I finally exchange and power supplies with one spot, more buzz (but with my 2nd one spot, so ....) I rewires my other pedals ... no buzz ... I only get more so in the power supply and the goldtop now has exclusive power to his life!

Well sorry for the pavement, but it is a defect that can make life or not! And that would be a pity to miss the pedal to the story of Buzz!

My rating: 10 but I take 3 points for food, until we have a block of regulated power supply (fuel tank or other) then 7.

SOUND QUALITY

In a word: AWESOME! But this is my personal opinion!

The fuzz is excellent, much better than my two most recent tests (big muff and US bin Rod Red fuzz) and even than other tested (but tests are more distant in my memory). The palette of fuzz is amazing, the OD a little dirty in a big sound (warning, not the modern sense: no high gain or something like that ... not in the kind of fuzz factory ...) and knobs for tone and shape are great: I wonder how we can do without!

The vibe is great, but slightly nuanced: in classic, I put the knob'' depth'' to the bottom and I only play on speed. But it suits me very well! In any case much better than the bin wave rod box I tested there less than a month! The vibrato is also very nice, but my use is more anecdotal ...

And when you mix the two? SUPERB! And what about a switch routing: it's great! We multiply the possibilities! Psychedelic sounds fantastic! Hendrix / Thrower power!

Last note: when talking to Vibe, often referred to as lower level: in there paying attention, it is possible that this is the case: but it left me very subtle, it may be a slight attenuation of dynamics than anything else ... and again ... This is the second fault that I mentioned above ... For me it is negligible. To each and to try to judge.

My rating: 10, and I do not remove any points! For sound, it is AMAZING!

OVERALL OPINION

Well, to summarize:

Positives:
- The SOUND! Of fuzz on the vibe! (Or otherwise)
- 2 1 Fuzz pedals + Vibe: a Hendrix-Machine!
- The controls of the Fuzz: it is full, it is reactive, this is great!
- The routing switch,
- The price I find reasonable: € 220 (especially for two effects!)
- The quality of manufacture,
- The look!

Negatives:
- The problem of buzz, a priori the sensitivity of food ... For my part, it's solved!
- Control'' depth'': for it is less audible when the knob is set between 80 and 100%

My rating: 9/10, for the power supply and because perfection does not exist! I will try to update this opinion based on my tests (especially on the power supply and the expression pedal).

By the way my equipment is: fender strat mexican with simple noiseless, gibson les paul P90 and an old squier with a double to the handle GFS. Amp side: a Blackstar HT5 (home) always on the clean channel ...

Thank you for reading!

HS: I hit a lot of Benrod, but if I had only one pedal away on a desert island, what would my Benrod CreamCan, the best pedal in the world! In addition, I had the chance to test their pedal 4 (cream can, screamer, fuzz and wave), and it's good stuff ... but that does not suit me a sound point of view! Except the Cream Can!