Rainger FX Microphonic Fuzz Pedal

Fully Controllable - The Rainger FX Microphonic Fuzz Pedal

The Microphonic Fuzz is a ground-breaking fuzz box with a fully-controllable mic inside - that can be switched in or out. It’s a hybrid pedal - the fuzz is analog, while the mic is controlled digitally. Generally, when audio equipment becomes ‘microphonic’ it starts picking up sounds acoustically (often most noticeable if you tap it). It’s usually a sign that it’s dying - but on the way to expiring it can start to make amazing fluky sounds you don’t normally get… The Microphonic Fuzz has this as a controllable phenomenon… And it can be switched out - brought back to life - to be a perfectly-behaving high-gain fuzz box! This microphone thickens the sound, magnifies the ambience of the room and makes everything sound far more ‘live’ and exciting!!

The Fuzz

This is Rainger's own fuzz circuit, high-gain, not very saggy, and not gated. Turn down your guitar volume and it cleans up quite well, and in conjunction with the ‘Tone’ switch can do three varied sounds - including one where there’s no tone circuit at all, which has a mid frequency-heavy profile. Also on offer is an ultra-scooped setting (lots of bass and treble, no mids), which, combined with the middle-y setting, produces a massive full-range tone (the third one). It has a very useful ‘Hi Freq’ knob, adjusting the amount of treble overall.

The Microphone

The internal mic is just inside the grill on the bottom end panel of the enclosure, and when engaged, picks up the sound around it - of course whatever comes out of your amp - and sends it back through that amp, with the sound of the room added. Then it does this again and again, magnifying the ambience of the room. Of course it can feedback easily when pushed, but the strong filters can concentrate feedback around a particular note (eg the key of the song you’re playing). It takes a bit of careful balancing of the hi and lo-pass controls and the mic volume - and maybe try moving/rotating the pedal - but some great fluky sounds are easily possible!

Warning!

The Microphonic Fuzz contains an open mic with possibly huge amounts of gain; this can easily produce loud feedback - which can damage hearing if not carefully controlled! ALSO! The pedal has a strong white light display - activating when the mic is feeding back, and when some internal squarewave tremolo added, these can flash quickly… If you look directly into them it can trigger seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy and cause dizziness, nausea, or headaches in the general population.

There are two strong filters to shape and direct the feedback to specific frequency regions, and to get rid of unwanted regions. There’s a ‘Rate’ knob that adds a chopped (squarewave) tremolo to the mic circuit (not the guitar circuit), the speed going from very slow blocks of sound up to a slow buzz. There’s a subtle flanging effect on the mic - quite shallow depth; this is to give slight variation to the feedback note, and to stop feedback being one single, piercing, scream…

In a big room, the distance between the pedal and the amp becomes a factor, as sound does take a certain amount of time to travel between the two (sound travels at 343m/sec). This is heard as a very fast echo, a spatial aspect to the sound - made from the ambience of the room! Turning the pedal physically by 90 degrees will change the feedback frequencies available. Using an external mic plugged into the Microphonic Fuzz, you can put the mic in front of your drummer’s kit - and hear the drums through your amp - with any other effects on it that you’re using on your pedalboard!

You can sing into the pedal’s internal mic - through fuzz, feedback, and tremolo!!! It can be battery-powered (9v PP3), so when hand-held you only need a lead in the output socket. When you sing into it, the white LEDs illuminate your mouth… Using headphones, the ‘mic’ side of the pedal works quite differently, no feedback - just adding in the acoustic string and plectrum noise (provided the pedal is close enough to you). This is a different effect - but can be useful.

We are Chuck Levin's Washington Music Center

Since 1958, Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center has been the trusted destination for musicians and audio professionals across Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Family-owned and operated, our legendary music store delivers Everything in Music®—from instruments and recording gear to pro audio, rentals, and repair services.

Our team of musicians and industry experts lives and breathes gear, helping you build the perfect setup for your next performance, studio session, or installation. As an authorized dealer for top brands, we also offer our award-winning CHUCKSCLUSIVE line—exclusive, limited-edition instruments and collaborations recognized with the NAMM Top 100 Dealer Innovation Award for redefining what a music retail experience can be.

Chuck Levin’s isn’t just a store—it’s a community built by players, engineers, and creators who share a lifelong passion for sound. Stop by our legendary Wheaton, MD showroom or contact us anytime for expert advice, product questions, or the best possible deal on your next piece of gear.