Rocktron Reaction Tremolo User manual

May be covered by one or more of the following: U.S. Patents #4538297, 4647876, 4696044, 4745309, 4881047,
4893099, 5124657, 5263091, 5268527, 5319713, 5333201, 5402498 and 5493617.
Other patents pending. Foreign patents pending.
Reaction Tremolo
Instruction Manual

Your Reaction Tremolo™pedal has been tested and complies with the following Standards
and Directives as set forth by the European Union:
Council Directive(s): 89/336/EEC Electromagnetic
Compatibility
Standard(s): EN55013, EN50082-1
This means that this product has been designed to meet stringent guidelines on how much
RF energy it can emit, and that it should be immune from other sources of interference when
properly used. Improper use of this equipment could result in increased RF emissions, which
may or may not interfere with other electronic products.
To insure against this possibility, always use good shielded cables for all audio input and
output connections. This will help insure compliance with the Directive(s).
For more information about other Rocktron products, please see your local dealer or one of
our importers closest to you (listed on the Rocktron website
(www.rocktron.com).
Read all instructions contained in this manual.
Keep these instructions
Heed all warnings
Follow all instructions.
Do not use this apparatus near water.
Clean with dry cloth
Copyright © 2009 GHS Corporation
All Rights Reserved.
Compliance

Do not block any ventilation openings (if applicable). Install in accordance with the
manufacturer’s instructions.
Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves or other ap-
paratus (including ampliers) that produce heat.
This product is not equipped with a plug or cable. This pedal runs on a 9 Volt Battery, if a
9Volt DC adapter is the used please follow adapter manufacturer’s operation instructions.
Only used attachments/accessories specied by the manufacturer.
Do not use this product with any case, stand tripod, bracket or table that is not specied by
the manufacturer. Insure that the case, stand, tripod, bracket etc. is properly adjusted and
setup (follow all instructions). Extra care and caution should be taken to avoid tip over
and injury.
Unplug this apparatus during lightening storms or when unused during long periods of time.
Refer all service to qualied service personnel. Servicing is required when the apparatus
has been damaged in any way, such as power supply or plug is damaged, liquid has been
spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus or if the apparatus has been exposed to rain
or moisture, does not operate normally or has been dropped.
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO SERVICE THIS EQUIPMENT. QUALIFIED PERSONNEL
SHOULD SERVICE THIS EQUIPMENT ONLY. DO NOT MAKE ANY INTERNAL
ADJUSTMENTS OR ADDITIONS TO THIS EQUIPMENT AT ANY TIME OR TAMPER
WITH INTERNAL ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS AT ANY TIME. FAILURE TO FOL-
LOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS MAY VOID THE WARRANTY OF THIS EQUIPMENT
AS WELL AS CAUSING A SHOCK HAZARD.
OPERATING TEMPERATURE
Do not expose this unit to excessive heat. This unit is designed to operate between 32 F and
104 F (0 C and 40 C). This unit may not function properly under extreme temperatures.
Precautions

Introduction:
Often used in the past for “surf”music, or for pop,
the tremolo has resurfaced as a cool part of modern
heavy rock and roll. The Reaction Tremolo pro-
vides a great sounding trem that lets you go from
surf bum tremolo to a pulsating heart pounding
Staccato tremolo (think death metal). The speed
control allows enough range to even produce a
machine gun effect, or a low tech re-sample effect
as well. The Reaction Tremolo is a classic asym-
metric analog tremolo that utilizes a photo cell for
great results.
Rocktron’s Reaction Series pedals are built into
a rugged metal slim form factor chassis, taking
up as little space as possible on your pedalboard.
The Reaction Tremolo is a TRUE BYPASS pedal:
when you turn it off…it is out of your signal path!
Controls include SPEED which controls the speed
of the tremolo modulation. ACTIVE is the LED
which provides visual feedback to help set the
SPEED control.
WAVEFORM lets you select either Triangle

Introduction continued......:
(classic tremolo) or Square (staccato) modulation
waveform. INTENSITY controls the mix between
input source and effect output.
Tremolo pedals usually sound better when placed
after distortion in the signal chain. However, the
Reaction Tremolo can be used either before or after
the distortion. Placing the Reaction Tremolo after
a distortion while using the Square Wave selection
can produce an effect that is dynamically con-
trolled by how hard you attack a chord followed by
the decay which the tremolo effect seems to creep
up on and overtake…Very cool!
If using multiple pedals such as delays and other
modulation effects, try the Reaction Tremolo in
different parts of the signal chain until you nd the
sound you like best.
The footswitch on the Reaction Tremolo controls
On/Off status as shown by the LED indicator. Re-
action stomp boxes run on a 9V Alkaline battery,
or may also be powered by Rocktron’s DC OnTap
Universal Power Supply adaptor.

Descriptions

Descriptions continued.........
SPEED Control - This control determines the
speed of the tremolo modulation.
ACTIVE LED - This LED provides visual
feedback to show you the speed and intensity of
the tremolo waveform.
9VDC Input - This input jack provides 9VDC
power to the pedal from the Rocktron DC OnTap
9V power supply (sold seperately).
WAVEFORM SELECT Button - This button
allows you to select one of two different wave
forms - Triangle (which is the classic tremolo
sound) and Square (staccato) modulation
waveform..
INTENSITY Control - This control determines
the intensity of the tremolo waveform by
providing a mix between the input source and
effect output.
ON/OFF Leds - These LEDs shows if the pedal
is on or off. When the LED is lit the pedal is on.
When the LED is not lit the pedal is off.
1
2
3
4
5
6

Descriptions continued.........
BATTERY COMPARTMENT and COVER - The
9V battery can be found in this compartment.
INPUT Jack - Using a standard 1/4” guitar cable,
plug your guitar into this jack.
THUMB SCREWS for Battery Compartment.
Unscrew these thumb screws to access the battery
compartment.
FOOTSWITCH - Use this switch to turn on or off
the pedal. The On/Off Led will show you if the
pedal is on or off.
OUTPUT Jack - Using a standard 1/4” guitar
cable you can plug in another pedal from this jack
or plug directly into your amplier.
7
8
9
10
11

Typical Connection

Specications:
Maximum Input
Maximum Output
Imput Impedance
Output Impedance
Current Consumption
Power Requirements
Dimensions
Weight
8dBu
6Bu
1MΩ
1kΩ
20mA
9V Alkaline Battery or
Rocktron DC OnTap Uni-
veral Power Supply (sold
seperately). Negative Tip
125mm x 78mm 61mm
5” x 3.25” x 2.5”
0.7kg
1.5lbs

How to change the battery:
To change the battery, remove the thumb screws
on the top of the pedal and remove the battery
compartment cover. Remove the old battery and
replace it with a new 9V Alkaline battery. Replace
battery in the same area as the old battery was
located. Place the battery compartment cover on
the pedal and re-insert the thumb screws.
Save yourself tons of money in batteries by
using the Rocktron DC OnTap Universal Power
Supply to power this pedal (sold seperately). The
Rocktron DC OnTap provides a constant ow
of power to the pedal, unlike a battery that will
degrade over time. The Rocktron DC OnTap
Univeral Power Supply can also power up to 20
pedals and can be used with both 110V and 220V
power sources.
Check, www.rocktron.com for more information
on the DC OnTap and where to purchase.

Rocktron - A Division of GHS Corporation
2813 Wilber Ave
Battle Creek MI 49037
USA
www.rocktron.com
[email protected]
tel: [phone]
rev. 7-27-09
2009.1