Duncan Polaron User manual

Thank you for purchasing the Polaron Analog Phase
Shifter! Make sure to visit SeymourDuncan.com for
the most up to date info and sound samples.
Polaron covers your classic phaser needs and expands
into a galaxy of modulation tones, from rotary
speaker emulation, funky auto-wah phrasing, talk box
squawks, and even flangey whale sounds – and pre-
sets allow you to easily save and recall your favorites
on the fly.
Switching between modes, accessing presets, and
setting the tap tempo are all easily achieved via
footswitch, ensuring you don’t have to reach down
during a song to adjust your settings.
Like all of our pedals, Polaron is designed and built in
the USA and features True Bypass switching to keep
your tone pure when the pedal isn’t in use.

1 2 3
4 6
7
810
911
12 13 14 15
5
1. Sensitivity
2. Depth
3. Rate
4. Stages
5. Resonance
6. Tune
7. Preset Indicators
8. Right LED Indicator
9. Right Footswitch
10. Left LED Indicator
11. Left Footswitch
12. Input Jack
13. Key Jack
14. Output Jack
15. Power Jack

Sensitivity
Controls the sensitivity of the Envelope Detector
Depth
Controls the range of the modulation. Higher settings
will produce wider sweeps of the All-pass lters
Rate
Controls the speed of the modulation
Stages
Selects the number of All-pass lters used to perform
phase shifting, from 2 to 16
Resonance
Adjusts the amount of positive feedback used around
the lter network
Tune
Sets the center frequency of the lter. Extreme settings
combined with high Depth setting will produce asym-
metrical sweeps
Preset Indicators
• 1, 2 or 3 solidly lit – indicates PRESET mode (default)
and which preset is active
• 1, 2 or 3 blinking – indicates EDIT mode is active. The
current digital control settings will be saved to that
location when both Left and Right footswitches are held

for 1 second (see SAVE Mode)
• No presets lit – indicates MANUAL mode is active and
the pedal will operate where all the knobs are set
• FS solidly lit – (LFO mode) indicates TAP TEMPO
mode is active and the rate can be set using the right
momentary footswitch
Right LED Indicator
• Yellow: indicates LFO mode (see LFO Mode).Flashing
interval indicates the rate of the LFO
• Red: indicates ENV mode (see ENV Mode). Dimly lit
(default) indicates positive polarity of sweep (sweeping
up from starting point). Brightly lit indicates negative
polarity of sweep (sweeping down from starting point)
Right Footswitch
• Tap to scroll through presets (default)
• Hold for 0.5 seconds to engage Tap Tempo option (LFO
mode). After holding for 1 second, FS LED will turn on
– you may now use tap tempo (if in LFO mode – yellow
LED) or switch the envelope polarity (if in ENV mode –
red LED. Tap the footswitch 2-3 times to set the rate of
the LFO
• In edit mode, tap to cancel the changes to the preset
Left LED Indicator
Off indicates bypass is active, ON indicates effect is
engaged.

Left Footswitch
• Tap to Engage/Bypass the effect
• Hold for 0.5 seconds to switch between LFO and ENV
modulation
• In save mode, tap to select a save location, hold to
conrm the save
Input Jack
Plug a musical instrument in here or the signal from the
preceding pedal on your board
Key Jack
Use this input to inject a clean guitar signal for better
control over the envelope follower. See ENV KEY Input
section later in this manual for a full explanation
Output Jack
Run a cable from here to your amplier or the next pedal
on your board
Power Jack
Apply 9 -18V, 100mA minimum, Use a plug with 2.1mm
internal diameter, center negative.

Initial Setup
The Polaron can produce extreme frequencies at higher
STAGES and RESONANCE settings. Start with these
controls set moderately or bring up your amplier vol-
ume gradually to ensure a pleasant experience.
We suggest starting by setting all controls at noon,
except for the STAGES control – which should be set to
04, one click from fully counter-clockwise.
Footswitch Controls
LEFT FOOTSWITCH
The primary function of the Left footswitch is to engage
or bypass the circuitry. The secondary function is acti-
vated by pressing and holding for 0.5 second. This will
switch between LFO (default) and ENV mode. LFO mode
is indicated by the right LED lit yellow, and ENV mode is
indicated by the LED lit red. This is one of the most piv-
otal controls in terms of how the Polaron will perform,
so we felt it was important to have the ability to switch it
on the y. Press and hold for 0.5 second again to switch
back to the previous mode. This can be done whether
the pedal is engaged or bypassed.
RIGHT FOOTSWITCH
The primary function of the Right footswitch is to scroll
through the three onboard Presets. Pressing it will scroll

up by one preset (1-3), and last location (FS) which puts
the pedal in manual mode to the current knob settings
with no preset loaded.
The secondary function is activated by pressing and
holding for 1 second. The FS LED will turn on to indicate
that the footswitch is now in in Edit mode. This mode
allows you to use the footswitch as a tap-tempo for the
LFO rate (when the pedal is in LFO mode, yellow LED)
or invert the polarity of the Envelope (when in ENV
mode, red LED). The pedal will revert back to Preset
mode after 5 seconds or you can press and hold the right
footswitch for 1 second to exit edit mode.
Saving Presets
If you’ve found a sound you like and you want to save
it as a preset; press and hold both footswitches for 1
second to enter ‘save’ mode. The currently loaded preset
LED will blink rapidly. Use the right footswitch to select
a preset location to save to (indicated by a blinking light).
To conrm the save, press and hold both footswitches
for 1 second. If you want to cancel the save press the left
footswitch, and you will be returned to the last settings
used. The pedal will also exit save mode after 5 seconds
and revert to the last preset again.

Analog Filter Section
The controls in this section are ANALOG and cannot be
saved as part of your preset – wherever they are set to
is the sound you will hear. In order to control these func-
tions digitally, some portion of the audio signal would
need to be converted to digital. For this reason, we have
chosen to leave them as they are.
The STAGES control will select the number of All-Pass
Filter Stages used for phase shifting – between 2 and
16. The phasing effect will become more intense as the
number of stages is increased. Set at 2, the effect will
be very subtle, while 16 will be quite dramatic, and each
step in between has its own unique character. 4 stages
is probably a good starting point, as this is the number
often used in classic guitar phase shifters and will allow
you to easily dial in a good sound – this is position 04
(one click away from fully counter-clockwise) on the
rotary switch.
The RESONANCE control adjusts the amount of pos-
itive feedback introduced into the lter. By increasing
the resonance, the effect will become more pronounced
and vocal, but can also thin your guitar tone. Setting this
control at noon will provide some positive feedback,
without going over the top – a good place to start.

Digital Modulation Controls
These knobs are part of the digital control section. The
signal path remains 100% analog, so while these pa-
rameters are set and saved digitally, your tone is never
compromised. From top left:
ENV SENSITIVITY – controls the sensitivity of the ENV
detector. Use this control to adjust for different input
levels, or to change the performance of the envelope
modulation. If you’re using a guitar with low output
pickups you may need to set this higher. The ENV SENSI-
TIVITY control has no effect on the LFO.
DEPTH – controls the range of the modulation effect.
The higher this control is set, the further the lter will
sweep. Applies to both LFO and ENV modulation.
LFO RATE – controls the speed of the LFO. This control
will only function when Polaron is in LFO mode.
TUNE – sets the center frequency of the lter. Extreme
settings to either end of the control combined with
a high DEPTH setting will result in an asymmetrical
sweep, as the lter will ‘bottom out’ or ‘top out’ at one
or the other end of its range for a portion of the sweep.
Set at noon for the widest range of movement. Can also
be used to manually sweep the phaser with the DEPTH
control set fully counterclockwise. The range of this

control is automatically adjusted for ENV modulation to
ensure the best performance of the effect.
LFO Mode (Right LED = Yellow)
This is the classic guitar phaser effect – in LFO mode the
lters will be swept cyclically with an LFO. The RATE
knob (or tap-tempo) controls the speed of the effect,
while DEPTH controls the range. TUNE sets the center
point of the sweep. Set the STAGES control to 4, and the
other controls at noon for iconic ‘orange phaser’ tones.
To use the footswitch as a tap-tempo for the LFO rate,
press and hold the right footswitch for 1 second. The FS
LED will turn on to indicate that the LFO rate is in in edit
mode. Tap the footswitch to set the LFO rate. The pedal
will exit edit mode after 5 seconds or you can press and
hold the right footswitch for 1 second to exit edit mode.
ENV Mode (Right LED = Red)
Like an auto-wah or dynamic lter – ENV mode sweeps
the lter based on the level of the input signal. SENS
controls how quickly the lter will re-act, and DEPTH
controls the range of the sweep. TUNE sets the starting
point. The polarity of the ENV defaults to positive
(sweeping up from the starting point). The LED is dimly
lit and will get brighter as a signal is applied. To invert
the polarity to negative (sweeping down from the starting
point), press and hold the right footswitch for 1 second.

The FS LED will turn on to indicate that the polarity is
in in Edit mode. Press the right footswitch to change
the polarity. In this setting the LED is bright and will dim
when a signal is applied. The pedal will exit edit mode
after 5 seconds or you can press and hold the right
footswitch for 1 second to exit edit mode.
ENV Mode – KEY Input
When using an Envelope Follower after a Compressor,
Overdrive, or Distortion the dynamics of your signal are
reduced and the Envelope effect can become much less
noticeable as a result. For this reason, Polaron features
a secondary input jack for the Envelope Follower only.
When using the Polaron after a Distortion pedal for ex-
ample, you could run a split signal from an earlier point
in your signal chain into the Key Input. The Envelope will
‘see’ the original clean guitar signal and respond to the
original dynamic content of your playing. An example is
shown in the diagram below.
Splitter
From
Instrument
to Amp

Factory Reset
To reset the pedal back to the factory settings that it
shipped with, press and hold the 2 footswitches while
powering up the unit.
NOTE: this will reset any saved Presets back to the
factory Preset settings
Tech Specs
Input Impedance: 500KΩ
Output Impedance: 100Ω
Gain: 3.5dB nominal
THD @ 2Vrms Output: 0.01%
Noise referred to input:
• 2 Stages engaged – 113dBV
• 16 stages engaged – 112dBV
Power: 9V regulated DC adapter (center pin negative)
Current Consumption: 100mA
Dimensions: 3.57” x 4.80” x 1.60”, exclusive of knobs and
connectors
Weight: 0.9lbs

Sample Settings
Orange Box 45
Classic 2 stage phase
tones
Lush swirling phase
that adds depth and
dimension
Green Machine
Bubbly, funky 4 stage
phase tones
Adds a rhythmic
bounce to single lines
& chords
Seymu-phase II
Intergallactic 6 stage
phase tones
Adds an immersive
swell
Mode: LFO
Mode: LFO
Mode: LFO

Grateful Phase
Classic 10 stage
phase tones with
added envelope
control
Vocal-like response
and touch sensitivity
will have you soloing
like Jerry
Pseudo-talkbox
12 stage phaser
Stiff, ltered talk
box-y tones that
bloom as notes decay
Interstellar
Communication
16 stage phase tones
Intense multi-stage
modulation adds oth-
erworldly character
Mode: env
Mode: env
Mode: LFO

Favorite Settings

Disposal Guidelines
In the unlikely event that you ever need to dispose of
this product, it must be disposed of properly by handing
it over to a designated collection point for the recycling
of waste electronic equipment. Please contact your local
household waste disposal service or the shop where you
purchased this product for those locations. Thanks for
helping us conserve natural resources and ensure that it
is recycled in a manner that protects human health and
the environment.
Limited Warranty
Seymour Duncan offers the original purchaser a
one-year limited warranty on both labor and materials
from the day this product is purchased. We will repair
or replace this product at our option if it fails due to
faulty workmanship or materials during this period.
Defective products can be returned to your USA dealer,
international distributor, or sent direct to our factory
postage prepaid along with dated proof of purchase
(e.g., original store receipt) and RMA number. Call or
email our factory for an RMA number which must be
written on the outside of the box. We reserve the right
to refuse boxes without an RMA written on the outside.
As you might expect this warranty does not apply if
you’ve modied the unit or treated it unkindly. We can
assume no liability for any incidental or consequential
damages which may result from the use of this product.
Any warranties implied in fact or by law are limited to
the duration of this express limited warranty.

Notes

Commitment to Quality
and Community
Seymour Duncan takes pride in designing and crafting
our products to create the most amazing sound possible.
With everything we create, our passion and obses-
sion for amazing sound is reected in its quality and
reliability.
seymourduncan.com
5427 Hollister Ave, Santa Barbara, Ca 93111
805.964.9610
© 2020 Seymour Duncan. All Rights Reserved.
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