About This Item
Description
Five fuzz circuits behind one tone knob that actually sweeps. Apocalypse takes fuzz to the next level by feeding a clear, sustaining overdriver into one of five selectable post amplifiers, then running the result through a sweepable frequency equalizer. It works as a solo boost, an amp simulated recording front end, a main fuzz or a bass blitzer.
Which Death by Audio fuzz is this?
- Fuzz War: one voice, taken as far as it goes.
- Absolute Destruction: slider driven gated collapse and starved fuzz.
- Bass War: octave rich bass fuzz with a clean blend.
Apocalypse is the versatile one. If you want a single fuzz that can be a boost on one song and an amp destroying blast on the next, this is the model to start with.
Why guitarists choose the Apocalypse
- Five distinct fuzz voices mean one enclosure covers scooped, dynamic, JFET, octave and runaway gain sounds.
- The sweepable frequency equalizer moves from bass boost through mid scoop and mid boost to treble boost, so you can carve a fuzz that cuts instead of buries.
- Drive down and volume up turns it into a clear sustaining overdriver for solo boosts.
- It behaves well as a recording front end when you want an amplifier character without an amplifier.
- True bypass, 5.8 mA current draw and 9 V operation make it easy to place on any board.
- Hand built in New York City with top mounted jacks that keep patch cables out of the way.
Controls and switches
- VOL sets the output volume of the pedal.
- DRIVE sets the volume of the initial preamp: turned up it adds distortion and fuzz, turned down it stays a cleaner overdrive or boost.
- The sweepable frequency equalizer knob passes through bass boost, mid scoop, mid boost and treble boost stages.
- The five position selector chooses Twin-T Scoop, War Fuzz, Dual J-FET, Octave Rect or Gain x1000.
- An internal trimpot sets the overall volume limit, per the official Death By Audio FAQ.
- The footswitch is true bypass, with a red indicator LED.
Power and pedalboard compatibility
- Runs on 9 V DC, 2.1 mm barrel, center negative.
- Current draw is 6 mA, so budget that on your supply.
- Death By Audio does not publish battery operation for this one, so plan on a regulated DC supply.
- True bypass means it is completely out of the signal path when it is off, so place it wherever the chain sounds best.
- Jacks sit along the top edge, which keeps patch cables out of the row in front.
- Routing: Mono (single INPUT and OUTPUT shown in manual).
- It measures 14.91 x 11.99 x 6.25 cm including hardware, so measure your row before ordering.
Technical specifications
| Model | Death by Audio Apocalypse |
| Effect type | Fuzz with selectable voices |
| Controls | Vol, Drive, sweepable frequency equalizer, five position voice selector |
| Bypass | True bypass |
| Expression or CV input | No |
| Power | 9 V DC, 2.1 mm barrel, center negative |
| Current draw (mA) | 6 |
| Top mounted jacks | Yes |
| Routing | Mono (single INPUT and OUTPUT shown in manual) |
| Connections | INPUT jack, OUTPUT jack, 9V power jack (per manual panel diagram); jack type/size not published |
| Dimensions including hardware | 14.91 x 11.99 x 6.25 cm |
| Weight | 20 oz. |
| MPN | 720260152263 |
| GTIN | 720260152263 |
| ASIN | B005LVRZJ2 |
| Manufacture and warranty | Handmade in New York City |
FAQ
What are the five fuzz settings? Twin-T Scoop adds bass and treble together, War Fuzz is the full dynamic distortion, Dual J-FET is a similar voice built on dual J-FETs, Octave Rect creates an octave up, and Gain x1000 cranks the gain for erratic results.
Why are two settings quieter than the others? Death By Audio states that Twin-T Scoop and Octave Rect are quieter than the rest by design. Use VOL to match them to the other voices.
Is the tone control a normal treble knob? No. It is a sweepable frequency equalizer that passes through bass boost, mid scoop, mid boost and treble boost as you turn it.
Can I use it with bass? Yes. Death By Audio describes it as usable as a bass blitzer, and the equalizer sweep helps keep low end present.
What power does it need? 9 V DC through a 2.1 mm center negative barrel, drawing 5.8 mA.
Is it true bypass? Yes, the pedal is completely out of the signal path when it is switched off.
How big is it? 14.91 x 11.99 x 6.25 cm including hardware, weighing 20 oz.