Effects pedals have long been a popular DIY/kit-build for guitarists looking for strange and unique sounds. Guitarists often reproduce pedal designs from many decades ago, reviving projects found in hobby magazines and expired patents. But the Inkcap II is something entirely different.
I’ve never heard a pedal quite like this. Emulating tape wow and flutter sounds really eerie and slightly other-worldly, especially once the chorus portion is enabled! The kit includes the PCB, a pre-programmed chip, and a vactrol, which was a name I had never heard before. Turns out it’s essentially an opto-isolated variable resistor. The resistance on the output side depends on the amount of current going through the LED side. They’re often called resistive opto-isolators.
While not all the parts are included, the remaining parts should be easily available and many guitar pedal enthusiasts likely have them in stock — stompbox switches, 1/4″ in and out, TL072, and a smattering of capacitors, resistors, LEDs and transistors. Definitely check out the video below to hear the spooky, weird sounds this pedal makes!
