There are chorus pedals, and then there is the Fairfield Shallow Water. Built by hand by a small team in Canada who love the unconventional, the Shallow Water is at heart a warm analogue chorus. It also does something no other pedal does in that it overlays a random (K-Field) pitch modulation that brings unpredictability and makes it feel like a living thing more than an effect.
What does the Fairfield Shallow Water sound like?
The result sits somewhere between chorus, vibrato, flanger, and that of a seriously broken 1970s cassette tape!
The Shallow Water is a beautiful analogue chorus. Dial in the modulation, and it ranges from a subtle random shimmer to something really quite unusual. Occasionally some players find it almost too subtle.
Start playing with the K-Field mod and things get interesting. Pitch shifts become random and never repeats unlike a normal LFO. It’s a bit like tape flutter. The unpredictability feels very alive, and it’s also responsive to player dynamics.
With the modulation low, it is quite subtle and just another mechanism to thicken the sound. Add more and it becomes something quite unusual. If you want something that makes people stop and ask what you are running just lean into it.
It works well with guitar, bass and synth. We know that some users run it into a Kemper. We imagine it adds a “super analogue” vibe that makes the excellent Kemper sound even more organic.
How does it work?
The Shallow Water is an analogue chorus using BBD (Bucket Brigade Device) circuitry. A pseudorandom generator creates voltage steps that modulate the delay time — meaning the pitch shifts never repeat. A Low Pass Gate then filters the output depending on how hard you play. This is a big part of why it feels so organic.
Shallow Water Key Features
- Analogue bucket brigade chorus with random pitch modulation from the K Field algorithm means that the modulation isn’t ever exactly the same!
- Rate, Damp, Depth, LPG, Mix, and Volume controls
- Low Pass Gate (LPG) envelope follower responds to playing dynamics
- Internal Boost/Pad jumpers for line-level and high-output signal sources
- Internal LPG Adjust trimpot for fine-tuning gate response
- Full wet mix gives vibrato — add dry signal for chorus
- True Bypass
- 2-year warranty (original owner)
- Handmade in Hull, Québec, Canada
Fairfield Shallow Water Controls
Rate: Sets how often the pitch fluctuations happen. Low Rate and the modulation is barely there. High Rate and the pitch jumps more frequently. One quirk worth knowing is that if you set a very high Rate, combined with high Damp, this can actually reduce the modulation. Actually the modulations stay the same buy they cancel, so it sounds like its reducing.
Damp: Controls the modulation steps. With Low Damp, pitch changes can be a bit abrupt. High Damp, especially with Mix pulled back, gives a deep slow chorus. This control shapes the effect more than any other.
Depth: Just like a normal chorus depth control, it sets how intense the pitch modulation is. Less is more, with lighter settings giving the most musical results. All three knobs are quite interactive — whilst it is a slightly unusual pedal, it is also quite intuitive in use.
LPG: Low settings give a darker signal with quieter notes getting choked off. Higher settings bring more brightness and sustain. This is analogue, so there is a little noise at very extreme settings — goes with the territory.
Mix: This is the dry wet balance – nothing unusual here!
Volume: As it says on the tin
Boost/Pad: internal jumpers to if you need this to operat at line level.
Specifications
- Type: Chorus and Modulation (K-Field Modulator)
- Input impedance 1MΩ
- Output impedance 2kΩ
- Input: ¼” Jack (mono)
- Output: ¼” Jack (mono)
- True Bypass: Yes
- Voltage: 9V DC – no battery
- Current Draw: 40mA
- Power Connection: 2.1mm centre negative
- Battery: No
- Dimensions: 12.5cm x 9.5cm x 5.0cm
- Weight: 0.37kg
- Country of Origin: Canada
- Manufacturer’s Warranty: 2 Years
Who is the Fairfield Shallow Water for?
The Shallow Water is not your average chorus. Generally for people who want to add to their chorus “library” .However it is very usable and really could be fine as a first chorus. Its dramatic. It sits naturally with ambient, post-rock, indie and experimental boards — but who are we to say.
If you want a lush, immediately impressive chorus there are others. The more you use the Shallow Water, the more it gives — not from a technically difficult to use perspective, but it has depth and is rather mesmerising.
It pairs well with reverb — put it before reverb for best results. Also works well with delay and lighter drive pedals.
About Fairfield Circuitry
Fairfield Circuitry operates out of Hull, Québec. Every pedal is built by hand. The packaging is minimal — small enclosures, stamped metal, names that tell you almost nothing about what is inside. It is a favourite, and no surprise it is consistently one of our best sellers.
Watch The Fairfileed Shallow Water In Action
FAQs
The Shallow Water is an analogue chorus pedal. At its heart is a BBD (Bucket Brigade Device), just like a “normal” chorus. What makes the difference is the K-Field modulation. This random modulation the way the pitch changes is unique each cycle. Think worn out cassette machine vibe.
K-Field is about the simulation maths that drives the random modulation. In practice it means the pitch shifts are non-cyclical, unlike a standard LFO. Happily, you don’t need to understand the maths to use it. You just need to know it sounds fab.
Not at all. Analogue knobs ripe for tweaking – no menus! Rate, Depth and Damp all interact. Give it no more than twenty minutes and you’re away.
It sits naturally on ambient, post-rock, indie and experimental boards. But the chorus side is musical enough for most styles.
Before reverb for best results. The modulation feeding into reverb gives a more expansive, diffuse sound. It also works well after lighter drive pedals and before delay. Avoid placing it after high-gain distortion, as the random modulation becomes less audible and the LPG gate can behave oddly with heavily compressed signals.
Yes, it’s fine with bass. Keep the Depth dialled down, unless you’re really experimental, and tweak the LPG control to find the sweet spot.
Rob B (verified owner) –
Fantastic
Dan G (verified owner) –
A very fun pedal
Gavin M (verified owner) –
I really like it, it’s quite subtle so I’d say it’s more a ‘nice to have’ pedal than something a bit more standard like OD or delay. I tend to use it in the loop of my Kemper before a Strymon Volante, so it adds even more of an atmospheric old tape sound when required.
I’ve got a few Fairfield pedals now and I like that they always try to something a little different, helps when inspiration is running low!
Jake C (verified owner) –
A1
Adam C (verified owner) –
I actually ended up selling the shallow water, it was a lovely pedal but just not quite what I was after. I now use a Solid Gold FX NU33 for my lo-fi/chorus/vibrato and I am very happy with that.
Andrew Braidwood (verified owner) –
This is great – if you like tape / cassette style wobble and warble. This is a real find. I like that broken tape recorder thing – which this does so well.
So much so – I’ve now ordered the Meet Maude Delay!