Valco FIVE-O drive, tremolo, reverb

The Valco Five-O is a multi 3-in-1 pedal, containing independent Drive, Tremolo, and Reverb sections, all housed in a bombproof enclosure.

Conceived originally for giving “surf in a box” tones (Dick Dale/Ventures), it has become more than this through the development process… it’s a pedal that can easily give you a one-pedal setup at a gig or session (maybe add a tuner…), or it can add a whole host of extra sounds and versatility to your existing rig/pedalboard.

DRIVE- ‘Brown Sound’ in it’s voicing/tonality, it’s a natural sounding/amp-like overdrive circuit. Based on the Drive section from the Valco BloodBuzz, but with increased gain. The tone control has an EQ roll-off- neutral at 12 o’clock, adding high end rolls off bass frequencies enabling ‘biting’ rhythm and lead sounds.

TREMOLO- analog 4-wave tremolo, based on the original Fulltone SupaTrem circuit. The ‘SHORT SQUARE’ wave allows for sharp/staccato sounds while the ‘SINE’ wave offers mellow/gentle sounds, with everything in between available. 

REVERB- the Five-O reverb is ‘spring’ voiced at its core but with added ‘plate’ reverb. Usable at all knob position extremes, it’s secret weapon is the ‘PRE’ function. ‘PRE’ allows you to route the Reverb section to the front of the fx chain, so the signal chain becomes REV-DRIVE-TREM, opening up another world of sonic capabilities… adding Trem to long Reverb tails, or feeding Reverb into Drive to bolster lead sounds, or just allowing you to get experimental and let the pedal make music!

Power: The FIVE-O can be powered by a standard 9V center‐negative AC adaptor or internal 9V battery.

DRIVE SECTION

• TONE: Adjusts the frequency response and audio tone, with clockwise being more “trebly”. Bass frequencies are reduced/rolled off as the tone control is turned clockwise past 12 o’clock. Treble frequencies are gradually reduced when the tone control is turned counterclockwise below 12 o’clock.
  
  
• VOLUME: Adjusts the output level of the drive section from zero to full.
  
  
• DRIVE: Adjusts the amount of input gain (boost) before the overdrive and tone sections.

TREMOLO SECTION

• RATE- adjusts the speed of the tremolo effect. As the RATE knob is increased clockwise from the minimum position the Tremolo modulation rate increases.

• SHAPE- changes the shape of the waveform that modulates the Tremolo. There are four waveshapes available to alter the tonal characteristics of the Tremolo- Sine, Triangle, Square and Short Square (Square with a shorter Duty Cycle to make the Tremolo effect more ‘staccato’).

• DEPTH- adjusts the amount of tremolo that will be applied to the signal. As the knob is turned from the counter clockwise (minimum) position to the clockwise (maximum) position, the amount of the effect will increase.

REVERB SECTION

• SIZE- controls the REVERB DECAY time. As this control is turned clockwise, the reverb time gets longer.

• TONE- controls the tone (or EQ) of the REVERB signal. As the control is turned clockwise, the sound of the reverb gets brighter. As you turn TONE counter-clockwise, the sound of the REVERB gets darker.

• BLEND- controls the wet/dry mix from 100% Dry (fully counterclockwise position) to 100% Reverb (fully clockwise position). Set the BLEND to about 1 o’clock for a good balance.

• PRE- when activated (pressed down), the Reverb section is sent to the beginning of the signal chain (PRE DRIVE section). This has a dramatic effect on the overall sound as the REVERB is altered/effected by both the DRIVE and TREM sections (when activated). When used with the DRIVE SECTION the REVERB tail/decay is overdriven/distorted, causing it to appear louder. When engaged with the TREMOLO section, the REVERB tail/decay continues to be modulated by the TREMOLO.

All active components are surface mounted. PCBs and ribbon are cables used throughout. No unreliable point‐to point wiring. Lead and cadmium free construction (RoHS).

To install or replace 9V battery (not included), grab one of the footswitches and use it to lift the top cover of the pedal case up and swing it back. Snap the battery clip onto the battery terminals and place the battery in the spring clip at the inside back left of the housing cover. The battery is connected whenever a plug is inserted into the FUZZ IN or DRIVE IN jack. Be sure to unplug from both those jacks when pedal is not in use.

If an AC adaptor plug is inserted, the internal battery is disconnected. Replace battery when you detect a loss of signal output level, unusual distortion, or a dimming of the LEDs.