EarthQuaker Devices Data Corrupter

Data Corrupter®
Modulated Monophonic Harmonizing PLL

The Data Corrupter is a monophonic analog harmonizing PLL with modulation. It takes your input signal and brutally amplifies it into a crushing square wave fuzz tone that is then multiplied, divided and modulated to create a wild, yet repeatable, three-voice guitar synthesizer.

The Master Oscillator is the central nervous system at the heart of the Data Corrupter’s cyberpunk hive mind. It feeds your input to the signal harvester in its original octave (Unison), one octave down (-1) or two octaves down (-2) for maximum compatibility with your preferred instrument and frequency register. Once you’ve chosen your input octave, then the Data Corrupter will perform its calculations and spit out an analog synthesized frequency, which can be pitch-bent for portamento or vibrato sounds by the Frequency Modulator! From there, you can blend in one of eight Subharmonic intervals up to three octaves below the input and mix in a square wave fuzz tone for maximum data corruption.

Controls:

Voice Mixer
These three knobs blend the separate layers of the synthesizer engine.

• Square: Adjusts the volume of the raw, compressed square-wave fuzz signal.
  
• Oscillator: Adjusts the volume of the upper harmony (Master Oscillator) section.
  
• Subharmonic: Adjusts the volume of the lower harmony (Subharmonic) section.

Master Oscillator
This section controls the upper synthesizer voice, which generates harmonies above your root note.

• Master Oscillator (Rotary Switch): Chooses the interval for the upper voice, offering 8 options up to 3 octaves above your input.
  
• Root Switch (Unison/-1/-2): Sets the tracking baseline for the Master Oscillator. Choose Unison to match your instrument, or drop it 1 or 2 octaves down to make the upper harmonies lower and more stable.
  
• Frequency Modulator (Toggle Switch): Directs how the pitch modulation behaves:

• Glide: Notes smoothly slide from one pitch to the next (portamento).
  
• Vibrato: Pitch modulates up and down with a classic sci-fi warble.
  
• Off: Turn it off by setting the Rate knob to the center click position.

• Rate: Adjusts the speed of the Glide or Vibrato. Turning it counterclockwise slows it down, while turning it clockwise speeds it up.

Subharmonic
This section controls the lower synthesizer voice, creating deep sub-bass tones.

• Subharmonic (Rotary Switch): Chooses the interval for the lower voice, offering 8 options up to 3 octaves below your input.
  
• Subharmonic Root Switch (Oscillator/Guitar): Changes the tracking source for the sub-bass:

• Guitar: Tracks your raw instrument input for traditional, stable tracking.
  
• Oscillator: Tracks the Master Oscillator instead, locking the subharmonic voice into the upper harmony for highly unpredictable, complex, and experimental frequencies.

Master Controls

• Level: Controls the master volume of the entire pedal.
  
• Foot Switch: Engages the pedal. It features Flexi-Switch® Technology: tap for standard on/off latching, or hold it down for a momentary burst of synth chaos, which bypasses the moment you let go.

Suggested Settings:
Equinox
Play esoteric and epic melodies, hair-tossing bends, and sassy pull-offs above the 12th fret. Raise your fist as the crimson smoke fills the stage.

Fisted Fifth Riffs
Say it really fast fifty times while your melting faces in the front row.

Flexi-Switch® Technology
This device features Flexi-Switch® Technology! This relay-based, true bypass switching style allows you to simultaneously use momentary and latching style switching.

• For standard latching operation, tap the footswitch once to activate the effect and then tap again to bypass.
• For momentary operation, hold the footswitch down for as long as you’d like to use the effect. Once you release the switch the effect will be bypassed.

Since the switching is relay based, it requires power to pass signal.

Specifications:

• Dimensions: 5.65 x 4.75 x 2.25 in. (144 x 121 x 57 mm) with knobs
  
• Current Draw: 26 mA
  
• Input Impedance: 1 MΩ
  
• Output Impedance: <1 kΩ
  
• Power: This device takes a standard 9 volt DC power supply with a 2.1mm negative center barrel. We always recommend pedal-specific, transformer-isolated wall-wart power supplies or multiple isolated-output supplies. Pedals will make extra noise if there is ripple or unclean power. Switching-type power supplies, daisy chains and non-pedal specific power supplies do not filter dirty power as well and let through unwanted noise. DO NOT RUN AT HIGHER VOLTAGES!