'BUGBRAND BUGCRUSHER MICRO' alternatives? (sample rate reducers)

[Greg.Bassman]

Hi all. Ok so, I'm on the market for a sample rate reducer (in the form of a stompbox).

My mate used to own the 'Bugbrand Bugcrusher Micro'; excellent sounding pedal!. As I understand it, it sounds a bit like a tame ring modulator; it creates new harmonics, and more of them the lower you go with the sample rate. Sadly, it was one of only few released in 2008; he has since sold it on, and Ebay shows no sign of any either. I've looked into other brands, but nothing quite compares.

What alternatives are out there at the moment? something that sounds the same, or could be twigged to sound like the Bugbrand perhaps?

Cheers. Greg.

Edited December 17, 2015 by Greg.Bassman

[ColinB]

If you're handy with a soldering iron you could go the DIY route [url="http://shop.pedalparts.co.uk/Crusher_-_Analog_Bit_Crusher/p847124_9120292.aspx"]here[/url] for ~£30 all in.

[elephantgrey]

Basicaly any analouge 'bitcrusher' is based off of the bugcrusher. Like the 8-bit duck, Catalinbread Heliotrope, EarthQuaker Devices Bit Commander, Devi Ever Legend of Fuzz, and Noise Maker Effects Arcade.

[Greg.Bassman]

Cheers for the feedback both!

[elephantgrey]

The IE Frantabit also has a switch to go between normal digital samplerate reduction, and a digital simulation of the analogue "samplerate reduction" might be worth checking out.

[Greg.Bassman]

What do you guys make of the 'Lofi machine' by Mooer? Resembles the Bugcrusher slightly, in that it has just the one control knob...

[Jimryan]

I've got a Lo-Fi machine and love it. It's mainly only used on either the guitar or synth settings as I didn't find the bass setting all that. My only criticism on it, is that if the sample rate is set at a certain point or higher (2/3 o'clock I think) you get a lot of background noise and a swirling sound. So on mine it's set just below that point to eliminate it and by sticking it in synth mode it boosts it a tad.

[elephantgrey]

The lofi machine is a digital bitcrusher. The large knob is samplerate, top left small is blend, top rated small is bitdepth, and switch at top centre is an eq ccontrol. (High mid low, but labled guitar synth bass).

I use it as my bitcrusher (I then use the IE Frantabit as digital samplerate reducer)

It doesn't seam to gow down to either as few bits as the IE, nor as low samplerate. If i where to choose just one if go for the IE, it reduces ore, and hasn't got the always on eq section.