Fairfield Circuitry Shallow Water Guitar Pedal Review
Long-Term Review
Fairfield Circuitry’s Shallow Water effects pedal is under the microscope for this long term review based on the evaluations of three different reviewers: a guitarist, a keyboard player and a sound designer. Their reflections (pun intended) below in quotes.
Fairfield positions this lo-fi pedal as a K-Field Modulator based on simulation mathematics – “an undefined, two-dimensional, non-linear field where past and future forces interact at irregular intervals.” We’re not sure if any of this arithmetic is actually true, but for $400 dollars, our reviewers found that the “math ain’t mathin’.”
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“Shallow Water generates this K-Field by randomly modulating a short time delay to create unexpected shifts in pitch. The result is this non cyclical vibrato/chorus/flanger-type thing favouring old tape flavours.”
Whatever Fairfield Circuitry’s intention, the result is far less than you’d like for emulating old tape decks with distinctive wow and flutter, mind-bending pitch shifts or anything resembling that you’re underwater. As one reviewer said, “the only thing that’s going to be below water is your wallet.”
The mono pedal has six knobs, a foot switch, a LED indicator and 1/4″ in/out. Even for $400 bucks, it doesn’t come with a power supply. The knobs include Rate, LPG, Damp, Mix, Depth and Volume. Our reviewers all loved the garage-made aesthetic with an unpainted, brushed metal chassis and hand-tacked lettering.
Shallow Water’s foundation is a chorus / vibrato that is very slightly delayed with a bucket brigade device. Another signal randomly modulates the delay time to create small changes in pitch, while comb filters create a sense of movement.
The Rate knob modulates the time intervals at which random pitch fluctuations occur. The Damp control changes the slope of the modulating signal. Depth adjusts the intensity of the modulation. LPG modifies the level of the envelope meandering into the low pass filter and gate. Mix provides a balance between the dry and processed signal and Volume adjusts the output. What’s important to understand is that Depth, Damp, Rate and LPG all have distinctive relationships with each other. It’s like a family gathered at Thanksgiving where the dynamic between members is cordial, but underneath it’s all drama. Turning up Rate and Damp at the same time minimizes the theatrics, but experimenting can start to make things “almost interesting.” Increasing the Damp control tends smooth out the pitch modulations, but ?”not necessarily in a good way since they become nonexistent and boring.” Fairfield says Depth regulates the intensity of the modulation, but it really depends on how the Rate and Damp is dialed in to really be effective.
The LPG knob on the Shallow Water came up wanting to all our evaluators and one thought it was the pedal’s achilles heel since it had “negative effects on the low frequencies.” Fairfield appears to have created this to modulate the low frequencies of incoming signals so things don’t get too muddy, but it become “an arduous task to constantly turn up the LPG to see precisely how it’s affecting the envelope.” Another said, “I certainly don’t mind experimenting, but the LPG’s functionality should have been divided into different controls to maximize and better control its affect.”
“As the present gets lost, the future becomes the past.” » Grateful Dead
— Shallow Water Manual
Although parts of the manual “appear to have written under the influence of psychedelics,” it does provide worthwhile reading and the signal flow chart (see below) helps the user to understand what’s transpiring. Many pedals don’t even come with any educational materials, so we have to salute Fairfield Circuitry for the effort. That said, at this point in time, the whimsical irreverent passages that some boutique manufacturers love to include “are pretty played out” and musicians “just want the manuals to get to business.”
As a pedal, Shallow Water certainly has a more pronounced effect on a guitar signal, its primary objective, then on a synth or for creating provocative new sounds. Competing pedals that also go for an experimental narrative do “deliver a lot more for keyboardists and sound designers, while the Shallow Water does not.” Our keyboardist declared, “Shallow Water has about 15% of the impact that other pedals have in this same sonic arena.” Our sound designer concurred, “compared to the [Hologram] Microcosm, it’s almost like Shallow Water doesn’t do anything.” Our guitarist had to admit that against the Chase Bliss’ Generation Loss mkII, which goes for a similar distressed and uncertain vibe, the results aren’t even close.
Shallow Water Specifications:
- 4.7″ x 3.8″ enclosure dimensions
- True bypass
- Input impedance 1MΩ
- Output impedance 2kΩ
- Power supply 9 to 9.6 VDC
- Current draw 40 mA max
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Conclusion
Fairfield Circuitry’s Shallow Water is “a swing and a miss” for anyone looking for that lo-fi, unsettled sonic signature. It’s well-built and looks the part, but Fairfield probably should have waded into deeper depths to give musicians their money’s worth. Not Recommended.
Fairfield Circuitry Shallow Water Rating: 72%
Cheers:
+ Cool Aesthetic
+ Well-Built
Jeers:
– Expensive
– Doesn’t Do Enough
– Sound Quality
– Poor Controls
– No Power Supply Included
– Magic Mushroom Manual
– Very Limited Warranty
– Mono
Fairfield Circuitry Shallow Water guitar effects pedal costs CAD$389 and is available now.
The Future: Fairfield needs to buy a Microcosm or a Generation Loss and see if they can that sonic signature to the next level, if they want to compete at this price point.
