# Let's Talk About Square Waves For A Bit...

- Site: Analog Industries
- Author: Chris Randall
- Date: 2008-04-21
- URL: https://analogindustries.com/2008/04/lets-talk-about-square-waves-for-a-bit/

![Let's Talk About Square Waves For A Bit...](https://analogindustries.com/images/blog/audioweevil07_view1.jpg)

I'll have to admit that the sub-sub genre of synthesis largely devoted to mangling your ears via 555 oscillators has never really impressed me. I don't care for the circuit-bent sound too much, although I read [Get Lofi](http://www.getlofi.com/) along with all the other audio blogs I inflict upon myself on a daily basis. I generally find that trying to get something that is intrinsically a big pile of suck to sound interesting when there are so many things that actually do sound interesting is essentially wasted effort.

Now, that said, I do admire the fact that this whole square-wave generating sub-scene is a rather vibrant community. I've been tempted to buy a Bug Brand Weevil permutation for some time now, and I'm eyeballing his [new model](http://bugbrand.co.uk/pages/sounddevices.htm#audioweevil07) with a less-than-usually-jaundiced eye.

I know a lot of my dear readers are in to this particular sort of thing. What's the catch? What's the most desirable unit? What on earth do you do with it once you have it? Inquiring minds want to know.

## Comments (10)

**micester** (2008-04-21):

ok well i use mine and run it through the input on my modular synth, minimoog and anything else that i can run that bad boy through. Its alot fun to just sit and turn the knobs it gets you away from any type of screen and you get to drone out with it.

**d wagenbach** (2008-04-21):

I'm not a huge fan of the square wave trend either, but I do like the bug brand stuff a lot, and I really like that they are so open with their schematics and technical stuff.

**shamann** (2008-04-21):

Audioweevils are really hard to get. Last batch was sold in a lottery system that filled up real fast. I have the desktop version of the Bugcrusher08, which is an S&H decimator multi-effect rather than a ringmod/squarer like the Audioweevil. I love it, coolest little effects box I have. New batch of 8 of the stomp version just went on sale tonight.

Of the squarewavers, Bugbrand is probably the most niche/boutique of the bunch, since they've become so hard to get. 4ms pedals like the Triwave Picogenerator or Noiseswash I think are quite desirable (and quite nicely made) and are much more accessible than the Bugbrand stuff (they fill to order rather than do limited runs). The Folktek stuff is pretty desirable in an arts&craft way. Of the more noise/gonzo effects in the category, I'd guess King Capitol Punishment were the ones to get.

As to what they are good for, tough call. I have a lot of noise/dirt effects, but none really I'd classify in the squarewave pack. I find their output is often more synthy than the sounds I tend to work with. I don't even much use the circuit bent stuff I've done in the past any more

They're good for just making a din, but also for injecting little screeches and chirps, or building a miasma of electronic detritus as a bed in tracks. A lot of them will just run on ad nauseum, so their good to record for a while and then chop and slice into usable bits. They probably are useful in the same way that a lot of modular synth patches are useful, just in more cheap and dirty way.

**sascha** (2008-04-22):

Like any working guitarist / synth dude off the top of my head I have at least 20 stomp boxes for various effect. From the sound examples on the Bug Brand page I can't really tell the difference between their stuff and me plugging a bunch of pedals together. I guess I'd see my pedals are more useful because I can use them in other configurations to get a million other sounds besides square.

Side note: the Foxx Tone Machine is perhaps my favorite fuzz pedal of all time. Anyone else have a favorite fuzz?

**Chris Randall** (2008-04-22):

Maestro Fuzz Tone. The second edition silver-and-black one, not the one that the Gibson reissue clones.

-CR

**wr** (2008-04-22):

The model pictures is exactly the version I own, which is an AudioWeevil, rather than a Weevil; the 'Audio' version has an audio input, (squarewaved by a comparator) which can be switched in instead of one the oscillators. Hence the box also functions as a distortion/ringmod/filter effect.

The one thing that these have that stands out against some of the others is that Bugbrand add circuit-bending style touch-pads which short/bridge connections inside the box. Judicious 'playing' of these is possible, for rhythmic changes et.c. As shamann points out, though, the Bugbrand stuff is only made in pretty short, fast-selling runs, and the different releases have all varied in design so far. Tom (Bugs) seems to have decided to move to faster, more consistent production runs recently, though.

Sound palette ranges from insectoid to mechanical, with optional bleep. Not so into the bleepy end myself, but there's a lot of nice dirty, crunchy clicks, hums and pulses to be found in there. Im predominantly running mine into a sampler or looper to capture/build textures.

**Downpressor** (2008-04-22):

maybe I'm just not chichi enough for that stuff, but the current trend of "Lofi" just gives me gas.

**Crashproof** (2008-04-22):

I find the stuff kind of interesting in an abstract way, but then I think "why don't I just do that in software?"

I did just get a Stylophone though, and the extra noise and crackle it spits out is gonna be good for something someday I'm sure.

**michaeluna** (2008-04-22):

The 555 is capable of outputting a triangle wave also. Most people don't make use of it, so maybe that's a moot point.

**negatek** (2008-04-22):

I really like the 555 square wave stuff. I think it's a really powerful, almost primally distorted sound that''s completely impossible to generate in software. However musical uses can definitly be hard to manufacture.

I do get a lot of use out of my circuit bent HR-16 and various toys keyboards though.