KMA MACHINES CIRRUS

103
SUMMER 2020 GUITARIST
Tech Spec
ORIGIN: Germany
TYPE: Delay and reverb pedal
FEATURES: Selectable hard
bypass or trails, 1.5s max
delay time, tap tempo
CONTROLS: Delay, Time, Repeats,
Delay Sensitivity, Delay mode
selector, Tap tempo division
selector, Reverb, Decay, Damp,
Reverb Sensitivity, Reverb mode
selector, Reverb/Delay order
switch, Expression mode selector,
Tap footswitch, bypass footswitch,
internal dip switches x2
CONNECTIONS: Standard input,
standard output, FX loop, EXP
POWER: 9V DC adaptor 220mA
DIMENSIONS: 97 (w) x 120 (d)
x 62mm (h)
8
background that works really well with
arpeggiated or singly strummed chords.
The third mode blends in a floaty higher
octave (sensitivity sets its fade-in time)
giving your repeats a sparkly shimmer.
Applied sparingly, modulation mode
for the reverb adds a pleasing sense of
movement to the tails but can offer a
deeper pitch vibrato if piled on. However,
it’s the other two modes, HP and LP,
respectively offering a closing high-pass
filter and an opening low-pass filter,
that move you most away from the
conventional as synth-like effects are
applied to your reverb – a distinct envelope
filter-style ‘wow’ in the case of LP.
With all the delay and reverb variations
available you can happily lose yourself
in conjuring up a wealth of composite
sounds. Cirrus is aptly named because
the whole effect is not unlike a cloud of
ambience around your guitar playing –
and you can make that cloud shape-shift
directly in response to your playing and
also with foot control. An expression
pedal can be assigned to Time, Repeats,
Damp, Decay or the Sens (sensitivity)
knobs of the Delay or Reverb, but with
or without an expression pedal there’s
plenty of other scope for tweaking effects
by foot during a performance.
The main bypass footswitch (besides its
standard latching effect) has a secondary
momentary function when off, should
you just wish to swiftly bring the effect
in and out. With the effect engaged both
footswitches have secondary functions:
the tap switch keeps the repeats going as
long as it is held down while the bypass
switch keeps the reverb decay going.
The effects loop can add more flavours,
but coming directly after the pedal’s input
it has pretty much the same sonic effect as
plugging a pedal in front of the Cirrus. The
advantage is that any extra pedal(s) can be
brought in as part of the whole sound with
one push of the Cirrus footswitch.
VERDICT
A great resource for creating complex
ambient textures that can also supply
conventional delay and reverb when you
are feeling less experimental.
PROS Delay and reverb in one pedal; nice
range of modulation treatments; tap tempo;
easily implemented expression pedal control
CONS Presets would have been cool as
would stereo operation, but we can’t really
complain at this price
01. EXP MODE
This rotary switch has six
positions (lining up with
the sun ray graphics) to
choose what parameter
an expression pedal is
assigned to
02. S/H, MOD,
OCT SWITCH
Both reverb and delay have
their own three-way switch
to select what parameter
is adjusted via playing
dynamics (strength is set
with the Sens knob)
03. FOOTSWITCHES
As well as their standard
tap tempo and bypass
functions, these can be held
down for infi nite repeats
and infi nite reverb (both at
the same time if required!).
The Engage footswitch also
offers momentary action
04. FX LOOP
You’ll need a Y cable here,
but the effects loop will
let you insert an external
pedal in front of the
Delay/Reverb line for
extra sonic fl exibility
05. ORDER SWITCH
Do you want the delay to
feed reverb or the reverb
feeding delay? This switch
gives you both options
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GIT462.peds_kma.indd 103 07/07/2020 22:20