Rotary Patch Box

**I’ve got a couple in stock but we can build more on demand if needed. Please allow 2-3 days for shipping if the few are sold.

Price: $229

Shipping: Free US Domestic

International Shipping: Varies on location but we cover half of the international shipping as a promotion to match our free domestic shipping.

**International shipping charges are estimated. We will invoice you for the shipping once we can determine the exact cost to your country. Feel free to message us with any questions.

Please Read:

I built this for myself. I’m constantly testing pedals for quality control before we send them out.

This requires a number of sound sources to test against. I often test our filter pedals with a wide open OSC from one of my Moogs, I use a DSI Pro2 to help with balancing meters, I patch in a guitar or bass for other situations. For monitoring sometimes I’m using my desk mixer. Sometimes I go directly to my UAD Apollo interface, sometimes guitar amps. Because of all that I’ve had a pile of cables and power supplies hanging over the side of my music desk.

So officially I present to you: The Rotary Patch Box or “RPB” for short. 4 ins / 4 outs with an effect send loop. A total of 10 patch points. Each connection is selected by 2 (4 position) rotary switches. LEDs indicate what you’ve selected.

This pedal requires an 18volt supply with a negative tip. An 18volt power supply will not only power the LEDs, but its DC output will be conditioned with a number of choice capacitors to help clean up any unwanted noise. I also regulate a perfect DC 9volt output. You can use both the 18volt and the 9 volt outputs at the same time. The amount of power you can deliver depends on the supply your using. I recommend the Dunlop ECB004. (Not included)

I’ll include a DC to DC extension cable to ship with this unit.

So how do I use mine? …I took the liberty of etchings my own labels as an example.

Quite possible the most useful box I own at the moment.

Here is a FAQ:

• Why do people need this? I see a lot of people with satellite gear sitting off to the side of their studio setups. This will not only limit the chaos of having multiple patch cables that need to be plugged and un plugged, it also helps keep things organized. Switching between sources and destinations is a breeze.
  
• Why is there a send/return on a stomp switch? I enjoy being able to experiment with pedals while recording music. This lets me send anything running through the RPB into an effects loop. It also provides a way to “hot swap” pedals without damaging my monitors. Simply bypass the effects loop and no more annoying pops and ground buzzes when changing pedals or guitars.
  
• Why not just use a patch bay? I Needed something more instantaneous. Studies show that if something takes longer than a a few seconds to set up the current generations looses interest and starts flipping through TikTok. I do have a patch bay too. But I don’t have a 19″ rack on the auxiliary side of the studio. One of the outputs of my RPB actually goes to that.
  
• Why not use a line mixer? Any powered device adds noise. I never record through a line mixer into my DAW. I always patch directly. Having my auxiliary instruments set up with a line mixer would mean unpatching them and then re-patching them into my DAW for a direct signal when needed.
  
• Is this MONO? Yes, I primarily use a lot of mono synths. I am considering making a stereo version. Let me know if thats something you’d like.
  
• What kind of electronics are in the audio path? NOTHING. Inside the box are direct mechanical connections. No buffers, no boosts. You don’t actually need to plug it in for the routing to work. A power supply only powers the LEDs and power extensions.
  
• Why is there “Power Extension”? When using pedals this provides a quick way to power them without having to set up different power supplies. I personally switch between 18volt and 9volt supplies constantly. By providing a regulated 9volt output I have eliminated one power adaptor from my mess on the floor.
  

The original concept design for the Rotary Patch box.

Hyde Distortion Filter / EFCcv combo Flux Meter

Sale price: $420

Regularly $599
Domestic shipping: Free.

International shipping:$65

**Requires an 18volt power supply – not included. Click here.

Ships via UPS: **Feel free to message us with any questions. Click here. ***If attempting to purchase and it says product is not available it has already sold.

Available for immediate shipping. One only.

This item has sold.

Please read:

For your consideration:

We don’t make this version anymore. So these are few and far between. This is a panel that came in for a replacement. Nothing wrong with it. Customer had wanted the mini VU meter version. I’ve had it in the shop for a while and decided to put it into a b-stock wood box I was saving for myself. I was kinda wanting to keep the whole thing for myself.

It’s an awesome piece of wood. But after the glue set the bottom had a slight curve to it. So it didn’t sit totally flat. I shaved off the rubber pads to make it sit level. Easier than re-sanding the bottom and refinishing. So we have knocked a $179 off. Please keep in mind shipping is included in the price for domestic US folks.

The flux meter pulses and strobes to the audio signal. If Blinky and flashing lights bothers you in any way please pass on this item! This configuration was discontinued because they are difficult to build consistently and I had to go through a number of the glass lenses to find some that were perfect enough to use. OCD gets the better of me sometimes.

Perfect for people that like dimly lit studios.

Very hard to capture real life color. Its much more vibrant than that.

More about the Hyde/EFCcv combo boxes:

***Please read: Finally the completed vision. All analog filter and distortion. The Hyde Distortion Filter and the Electron Fuzz Custom CV together in one beautifully hand crafted box. The width is just 12.25″ wide and sits 5.5″ deep. Just slightly wider than an iMac keyboard.

***Phasing out the Flux Meter so that option is not available.

All 1/8″ jacks for interfacing with modular synth systems. The output is still line level so we recommend using these with a GPI module or something similar for attenuation and reamping to eurorack levels. Or just use it as normal with synths and drum machines. You just need the 1/8″ to 1/4″ jacks sold here.

The Hyde Distortion Filter is one half of the famous Jekyll n Hyde box but with some enhancements.

• Filter CV

• Inverted Filter CV

• Resonance CV

• Hi Pass CV

• Midrange Boost CV

• Distortion circuit bypass

The Electron Fuzz Custom is a high gain distortion that sounds exceptionally good with synths and drum machines. More info here.

The HDF sounds very good going into the Electron Fuzz Custom CV distortion offering a huge range of tone shaping possibilities. You can also run the EFCcv into the Hyde DF. There is no wrong way to use this. They also operate as two individual pedals.

You can find a lot of demos of the individual pedals and a few of the combo on my Instagram page.

***All purchases done with PayPal***.

The Mig Fuzz B-Stock

Price: $280
Domestic shipping: $free
International Shipping: $35 (I will invoice you separately for the shipping)
***International shipping is a flat rate. 

Only One.

This item has sold.

For your consideration:

I spend a lot of time trying to make sure everything is perfect. Sometimes mistakes happen. I’m not sure how this happened. A small mark on the lower left of the enclosure. So we are offering this Mig Fuzz at a discount. …It might have just been under the powder coating but I normally look for that.

***Please Read: We put our Mig Fuzz into an aluminum box. We have had many requests for a more durable “non-wood” version. After receiving a custom order for one we decided it was time to make this available. Same circuit as in the wood box version but we added 2 additional mods. In the mixable parallel circuit I made the clean gain stage adjustable and added some diode clipping on a potentiometer.  If you dial in only the parallel circuit and turn the diode clipping up it will give a completely different sounding pedal. This adds more tonal possibilities to an already versatile pallet of possible sounds.

Be advised this is a large pedal: 4 5/8ths” by 7 1/4th”  Price includes 2-3day priority sipping anywhere in the USA. We will cover half the international shipping to make it easier for our friends overseas!

This pedal also uses some unique vintage parts. I’m not sure how many more of the wire wound resistors we can get at the moment. I was lucky to get the last batch. If needed we can replace those with standard resistors but I’d rather not.  – Johnathan

More about the Mig Fuzz:

The newly redesigned Mig Fuzz is a classic 4 stage cascading amplifier distortion circuit with a mid range tone control featuring three very useful mods. This unit operates on a standard 9volt power supply (not included)

Mod one: (1st toggle) First stage clipping bypass. When active the tone sounds a little warmer. Its not a drastic change but a seasoned musician will notice the difference when playing.

Mod two: (2nd Toggle) Tone stack toggle greatly changes sound of tone stack and gives the pedal a more classic “Tone Bender” sound.

Mod three: (Mix Knob) This is a repeating theme with RML pedals. It provides a mix between the main distortion and a more gentler overdrive signal. This gives you the option to mix in that more solid signal with your fully distorted signal creating a nice pallet of tonal possibilities. If you love the tone of your amp you don’t have to choose between one or the other. This is a highly recommended pedal for recording.

Using some very special vintage NOS parts to create a modern classic:

The Mig Fuzz uses a NOS (new old stock) Soviet capacitor at the heart of the tone stack. The parts are pre tested for accuracy and hand selected. Parts like this are not something you will find in other Fx pedals. We believe the insides should be as unique as the outsides The Mig Fuzz also uses 2 wire wound thimble resistors in the input and output paths. An Allen-Bradley carbon resistor guides your instruments signal in and through a slightly beefier .22uf capacitor to give a little more oomph on the input. (The original version used a vintage .22uf capacitor but those are no longer available.)

***Retro Mechanical Labs distortion boxes are designed to look like old test equipment of the 1950s while providing a modern sound using a unique combination of vintage parts when possible. Old stock antique meters are for look and feel only and may very in performance.

***Units are always shipped ASAP. If payment is received during regular post office hours, package normally goes out same day.

FINE PRINT:
*If you request special shipping, please contact RML via email at johnathan@RMLfx.com after placing your order.

*INTERNATIONAL BUYERS remember all taxes, tariffs or additional fees are covered by you and your responsibility to pay upon pickup/receipt of item(s). Please check with your customs office for more details.

EFC Studio 19″ Rack

Price: $1099 (Vintage Meters)


Domestic shipping: approximately $35 to $65 Default charge is $45 for which I will credit you back the difference or send a payment request when I run the weight to your location. We usually ship UPS 3 day shipping for this kind of order.
International Priority Shipping: **Shipping for orders overseas is determined upon request. Feel free to message us with any questions. Click here. If you are overseas expect a much higher shipping charge. Usually its closer to $100 USD

This item has sold.

For your consideration. EFC Studio sn# 067

Our flagship 19″ studio distortion rack with XLR ins/outs.
We no longer take orders for units with vintage meters due to scarcity and time involved. As promised (on rare occasion) we will make one available for a direct purchase. Today is one of those days.

“This is one of the best pieces of gear I’ve ever used/heard! like perfect for what I do.” -John M. 6/29/2024

This EFC Studio sports two vintage art deco meters on the left side is a Simpson Milliamperes

…and on the right is a more rare SWR POWER “Coax Ratiometer”

Each meter has been balanced for closest operation but will still have their own response character. And of course being very old (likely 1960s) they have minor nicks and signs of wear. Maybe even a ghost.

More on the EFC Studio:

The EFC (Electron Fuzz Custom) is a super hi gain distortion with a parallel clean circuit and self oscillating feedback.  The circuit was redesigned to fit the “studio” environment. The Studio version houses two EFC distortions in one 19″ 3u rack. Balanced XLR ins/outs on the back. Linkable Hi-Z inputs in the front.

The EFC distortion is very crunchy due to the way the transistors are biased. On the Studio version I added a new feature. A toggle that can change the biasing to a more conventional response. This is most apparent when using it with guitar or sounds where a longer decay is desired. It makes the notes sustain more.

The EFC Studio is intended to be used on every type of instrument. Guitar, Drums, Synths, Vocals etc. It can be used for stereo processing but is technically dual mono. This gives you better control over the stereo field. Personally I enjoy bus mixing through it. While there is nothing subtle about the EFC circuit, it can be used a very subtle ways.

Key Features:

• • Unconventional tone control: The “Hurt” and “Pain” knobs work as tone controls, but are directly tied to the gain staging. When you adjust one your adjusting the dynamics of the circuit. Not just sweeping out hi or low end. This makes for very interesting textures and a wide range of possible tones.

• • Parallel clean circuit: Use this to mix the original signal under the distortion. Drive the inputs harder and the “Bleed” becomes a softer overdrive.

• • Input attenuation: “Input” attenuates the signal going to the distortion circuit. Less signal means less circuit compression.

• • Balanced ins/outs: XLR ins and outs for studio uses. XLR outputs are active while using the front Hi-Z ins and outs.

• • Linkable Hi-Z inputs: Plug a guitar or synth right into the front. When the inputs are linked a mono signal becomes stereo. It is possible to run the outs in front to an amp or other gear.

• • Universal power: Internal regulated power supply. 85 VAC to 264 VAC. Ideal for international power grids. No wall wart needed.

• • New Biasing mode: For more conventional decay response.

• • Dimensions: 19″ x 5.5″ x 5″ deep.

• • Panel meters: Supports both 2.5″ and 3.5″ panel meters. Look can vary depending on type used. Vintage and NOS panel meters will not match. When possible we will use the same style or manufacturer unless otherwise requested. Extremely mismatched meters my add to a more “Frankenstein-ish” look.

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***All purchases done with PayPal***.

432k Rev2 with Standard Meter (b-stock)

Price: $324 (Reg $349)
Domestic shipping: $FREE
Aprox. International Shipping: $39 – $65
(18volt supply not included) Get one the ECB004

Shipping with cream knobs and ox blood red knobs.

This item has sold.

For your consideration:

I’ve got one B- Stock 432k Rev 2.1 at a discounted price. The scuff is along a bottom edge. Not easy to see. I question my sanity for even offering it as a B-Stock. This unit has the 3 oxblood knobs. Same unit that is pictured.

This is the newly redesigned 432k rev2.1 …has a small change from the original. The Transistor drive knob used to be configured with a direct connection to the emitter of a transistor. This created a static sound when turning the knob, much like a finger dragging on a microphone. While everything functioned as designed a few people who didn’t read the manual assumed the potentiometer was “dirty”.

So I rebuilt that gain stage to work with an internal control voltage severing the direct connection with the sound path. The result is a very smooth operation and a better user experience.

More on the 432k rev2:

…Because vintage meters are limited and hard to find here is the “Standard meter” version. Meter is illuminated!
This model has a a couple of different mods not on the normal version. A sustain knob that works much like the sustain on the Muff pedals, additional gain stage clipping for a smoother fuzz. Those mods can drastically change the tone and texture of the pedal.  In addition to the mods I’ve used a different set of transistors to give the unit a slightly different sound than the regular 432k Distortion box. This is a large pedal. Its about the same size foot print as the 5.5×7.5 wood boxes.

…The 432k Distortion box is all about signal routing. One distortion circuit with an active hybrid diode/transistor ladder filter (with resonant feedback) for tone control. Another with a clean pass signal. Both signals are merged together and “glued” through a transistor drive and op amp style fuzz.  Also equipped with CV in for filter control. ***Use a CV to control the filter.
Things I enjoy about this pedal:

• Hyper Fuzz tone

• Hybrid Diode/Transistor ladder filter.

• Enhanced resonant feedback for more expressive tones

• Clean pass lets you bring a quality signal back into the compressed distortion

• Op Amp style fuzz at end of signal chain. Dial in harsh tones and smooth them out.

• Great for guitars and keyboards

• CV filter control. Use CV in to control filter with modular gear, synth or CV pedal.

• Low cut toggle for guitar use.

• True Bypass

• Knob controls:

Distortion: Volume of Distortion
Filter: Filter Frequency
Resonance: Active resonant feedback
Clean: Clean signal
Low Cut: low end roll off
Transistor: Transistor gain/drive
Op Amp: Op Amp Fuzz
Feedback: Noise loop (works best with sequenced sounds)
Output: Volume

**Requires a regulate 18volt DC Supply. Standard negative tip with a min of 150ma. (not included) Will run on 12volts for a dirtier sound. Lower voltage will affect the smoothness of the filter.

***All purchases done through Paypal. Units are always shipped ASAP. Please note when purchasing from eBay shipping charges may be vary.

****International shipping can vary. Typically I will credit back any difference when your unit is ready and I am able to verify exact shipping to your specific location.

Price: $499
Domestic shipping: $free
International Shipping: $65.00
***International shipping is estimated. 

In Stock!. Ready to ship.  04/13/2023

Ash Red. Looks very bright when shining light on it.

You will need an 18volt Power Supply like this one. Power supply NOT included.

This item has sold.

Please read:

One of the last remaining Jekyll n Hyde dual filter units with a vintage meter. Vintage meters of this size are getting scarce and we need them for EFC Studio orders. I’ve had a couple of remaining panels so I’m trying to send them off to a good home. **This is not a b-stock unit. The meter being very old does have a scuff on the upper right side of the bezel. Vintage meters often have various imperfections. If your OCD and that will bother you please be advised.

The Jekyll n Hyde is a dual LP filter distortion box with enhanced resonant feedback. One Transistor ladder filter and one Diode ladder filter. The input can be linked to feed a mono signal into each filter creating a wide stereo effect. This sounds great with mono analog synths. Both filters have a pre drive/distortion, a post gain and germanium clipping. Each filter also has a slow drifting LFO for subtle modulation and CV ins for filter control.

***We are no longer taking special orders for Jekyll n Hyde boxes. This is one of the last remaining units. I may assemble a couple B-Stock units if we have meters and parts over time. 

The filters can also be used separately for stereo processing.  Just unlink the inputs with the M/S toggle in the back. Depending on how you have it dialed in the you can create a very wide stereo field or a more natural one. Both filters have a different method of distortion in the pre-drive section. Jekyll is cleaner, Hyde can be made to be fully distorted.

***I do my best to give each box its own unique look and personality. Maybe the meter are so old they are haunted?

Johnathan-

***A couple of audio samples a Jekyll n Hyde paired up with a Buchla Modular:

***All purchases done through Paypal. Units are always shipped ASAP.

****International shipping can vary. Typically I will send a payment request when your unit is ready and I am able to verify exact shipping to your specific location.

Price: $949
Domestic US shipping: Free
Aprox. International Shipping: $24-$59

In Stock!. Ready to ship.  01/14/2023

You will need an 18volt Power Supply like this one. Power supply NOT included.

Unit measurements: (width) 7.25″ x (depth) 7.75″ x (hight) 8.75″

This item has sold.

Please read:

A machine of war now an instrument of artistic expression.

This is a Hyde Distortion Filter (Analog Diode ladder filter with pre-distortions)

It’s built into a vintage Military 1939 LM-4 “Crystal Frequency Indicator”. Used by the US Navy during WW2. This box took a considerable amount of work to complete. Getting the main knob to smoothly turn and interface with a modern potentiometer was difficult. We’ve replaced the window on the left side with a flux meter. It flashes and flickers in response to your audio signal. This LM-4 has an extremely low serial number of #24. Likely manufactured and used immediately for the war effort. There were many revisions later on such as the LM-15. No doubt making subtle improvements along the way. This is a very early unit.

January 14th 1939 appears on the ID tag. Its hard to know the exact manufacturing date but given the low serial no# we can assume its very close.

The layout of the input, output and knobs worked out especially well. As a general rule we don’t like to take a museum piece and add arbitrary holes that obscure print or disrupt the original design.

• Crystal on/off (True Bypass)
• R.F. Coupling (input)
• Phones (output)
• Modulation on/off (LFO Amount)
• Power Fil. Plate (LFO Speed)
• Corrector toggle (Distortion/Clean)
• H (top knob right Distortion Pre Mix)
• L (Post filter drive)
• Frequency Band Low\ /High (LFO bypass)
• Dial units (LPF Frequency)
• R.F. CPLG (Resonance)

We’ve put the 1/8″ cv jacks across the top along with the clipping diodes knob. The print has been laser etched. We left the remnants of an old surplus sticker that seems to indicate it was once resold here locally in Portland Oregon.

The unit sits on a shock absorbent support system designed for installation on aircraft or naval vessels.

What does it sound like? The music in the video below was made with a Hyde Distortion Filter and an Electron Fuzz Distortion.

The standard Hyde distortion filter looks like this:

Please contact me here if you have any questions: Johanthans e mail.

1968 Electron Fuzz Custom

Price: $288

Looks like we are sold out. – 05/16/23

Domestic shipping: $free
International Priority Shipping: We cover half of international shipping on this box!

**International shipping charges are estimated. We will invoice you for the shipping once we can determine the exact cost to your country. Feel free to message us with any questions.

This item has sold.

Please read: Brand new EFC pedal with new art and 5 vintage Motorola 2n3904 transistors. Only 4 units available.

A unique part of history. A while ago I acquired a some very old Tektronix PCBs, I set them aside to be used for a special project. Recently I decided to try some parts from them on an EFC Distortion pedal and it sounded great!

The transistors, harvested from a 1968 “Rom Scanner” PCB have a slightly different character than the normal EFC pedal. The transistors are lower gain coming in with a beta of about 120 to 160 …the normal transistors we use are in the 400+ range. The pedal still sounds like an EFC but “different”. Still very high gain but maybe a bit more “defined”

Unfortunately I only have a small hand full of these transistors so we are only able to make a total of 4 pedals.

The pedal has the newest EFC artwork that will eventually replace the simple radio tower image.

Lots of cool history about Tektronix available. Check it out here: Tektronix INC

The Electron Fuzz “Custom” is an extremely high gain distortion. Seriously, normal volume setting is at about 10% of its full output potential. Two gain/tone controls “Hurt” and “Pain” give a variety of tone textures and a feedback noise loop can be adjusted to add a very gritty almost 8-bit sound or a squelching scream. (Great for droning or well crafted solos and recording). The extra stomp switch adds 2 more additional gain stages and a boost of high end to the sound. Best of all the distortion oscillates when notes are held adding a new level of expression.

***Orders may take 1-2 days depending on availability.

More about the EFC (Electron Fuzz Custom)

Here is a great demo video from the “Pedal and Effects” youtube channel featuring Alessandro Cortini of NIN, Sonoio and Modwheelmood.

Please read the brief history of the Electron Fuzz here.

[list_circle]Things I personally enjoy about this pedal:

• Fuzzy to crunchy tones

• Wide range of possible textures and character

• Expressive distortion oscillations

• Feedback noise loop for unusual sound design

• Extremely high gain for recording direct to your DAW

• Use with guitars and keyboards

• VU meter responds to your playing

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The red LED on the radio tower switches on when boost mode is enabled. A convent way to know where you are when playing.

• Knob controls:

A unique approach to tone control…

Hurt: Controls the gain of 3rd gain stage. Lowering the gain will also reduce low end.
Pain: Controls the gain of the 2nd transistor gain stage. Lowering the gain will reduce high end.
Output: Volume/saturation. Take some of the edge off the mix or crank the pain and hurt all the way for a big, dirty, crunchy fuzz.
FB Noise: On/Off adjusts the amount of feedback in the circuit for noise making. Creates a weird octave mod fx.

• Switch controls:
Low cut toggle: Cuts the low end for a slightly less bassy more gated sound.
x1000 gain: On left stomp switch. This takes your sound through an addition 2 transistor gain stages and pushes the electrons way past 11! The booster switch adds a loud and dirty, thrash crunch to this versatile pedal. Incredible for feedback noise and FX textures. Can cause the parasitic frequency oscillation but sounds awesome while playing.
True Bypass: Lets you play through the pedal.

• Meter: Responds to your playing, and reflects first gain stage transistor distortion. Illuminates when active.

***All purchases done through Paypal. Units are always shipped ASAP. Please note when purchasing from eBay shipping charges may be vary.

****International shipping can vary. Typically I will credit back any difference when your unit is ready and I am able to verify exact shipping to your specific location.