The Death By Audio (DBA) Soundwave Breakdown uses specially matched transistors wired in reverse to generate its sound. This immediately tells you something about the design philosophy.
Stop Press: The Soundwave Breakdown is being discontinued. We have 1 brand new pedal left!
This is a pedal built by turning the conventional approach inside out. The result is a wide and unpredictable sonic palette: fuzz, buzz, grind, bleeps, synth-like tones, octaves, oscillations. It its quite sensitive to the exact position of each knob – small adjustments yield very different sounds.
The three-knob version adds a Volume control that the original two-knob version lacked. Otherwise the circuit is identical. It is, as DBA put it, grizzled psycho fuzz all the time. Difficult to tame — but that’s the point.
Controls
- Square Wave: Governs transistor bias — the primary fuzz character control.
- Sine Wave: Governs filtering — shapes the tonal character of the fuzz output.
- Volume: Controls master output volume.
Key Features
- Reverse-wired matched transistor fuzz circuit
- Wide sonic range — fuzz, buzz, grind, bleeps, synth sounds, octaves, oscillations
- Three controls — Square Wave, Sine Wave, Volume
- Knob position-sensitive — small adjustments produce very different sounds
- True bypass
- 9V DC centre-negative, 1mA — battery supported
- Lifetime warranty
- Handmade in Brooklyn, New York, USA
Power
9V DC centre-negative at only 1mA — one of the lowest current draws of any pedal we stock.
Watch The Death By Audio Soundwave Breakdown In Action
FAQs
The transistors are wired in reverse – a deliberately unconventional approach that produces sounds outside the normal fuzz vocabulary. Rather than a conventional fuzz sweep, you get fuzz, buzz, grind, bleeps, synth-like tones, octaves, and oscillations depending on where the knobs are set.
Well, it requires more patience than most fuzz pedals but its not exactly difficult. Knob positions matter and small adjustments produce very different results. That sensitivity is part of its character. Most players find a handful of settings they like and return to those.
The three-knob version adds a Volume control. The original two-knob version had no separate volume control. The fuzz circuit is otherwise identical between both versions.
Yes — true bypass throughout.
9V DC centre-negative, 2.1mm barrel, 1mA. Battery operation is practical at this draw.
Lifetime warranty. Contact Death By Audio at repairs@deathbyaudio.com for any issues.
Karilla G (verified owner) –
Excellent item