Earthquaker Devices (EQD) Dirt Transmitter Fuzz Pedal
The Earthquaker Devices (EQD) Dirt Transmitter is one of my favorite fuzz pedals of all time. I have pretty much run the gamut on fuzz pedals over the last 3-4 years, and this is one of only two boxes to stay on my pedal board and become an integral part of my guitar sound. In my (very expensive) experience with dozens of fuzz pedals over the years, I learned that it’s very difficult to make a decision to purchases one based of of things you read/listen to/watch on the internet. But hey, there’s not much info out there on this lovely pedal so I thought I’d add some words to the internet about it. Maybe it’ll help someone!
I found this picture on the internet. A Dirt Transmitter in its natural habitat?
As you may or may not know, fuzz pedals are very quirky devices, in that they are quite particular about what type of instrument is being fed to them and what sort of amp they are running into. The EQD Dirt Transmitter definitely has that going on, but it’s a bit more predictable than many others that I’ve tried. With simple adjustments, I can easily get similar sounds running guitars with different pickup types into it. Adjustments for P-90′s, single-coils, humbuckers and so on can all result in similar fuzz textures while still allowing the pickup voice to come through. Very important for tone-guys who love buzzwords like “transparency.” In this respect, it’s easy to make the Dirt Transmitter act like a tame dirty boost or even a moderate overdrive before pushing into hard clipping fuzz territory.
But when you push it….it’s delicious. The Dirt Transmitter easily goes in to mayhem mode, with super-saturated-yet-hard-edged fuzz, making it excellent for rhythm work. You’re not going to get Big Muff sustain per say, but you can definitely hit that territory with some high output pickups or running a little compression on your chain.
One of my favorite elements of the Dirt Transmitter (and probably one of the most unique) is the way it sounds when set to “velcro” or “crumble” type fuzz settings. It’s hard to explain, but it does this beautifully. It’s very dynamic in the way it interacts with your guitar, so you can something soft, dig in hard for some sputtery, velcro break-up and then resume softly playing while you hear the remnants of the dirty fuzz texture decay over top. This is something that has to be heard to be experienced, and I really regret not having a way to record sound samples right now.
For guys that are looking for a no-hassle, do-it-all fuzz that can honestly and easily cover multiple territories, the Dirt Transmitter from Earthquaker Devices is definitely worth a look.