Catalinbread Proto Club 6 Review: A Unique Chorus and Phaser Combo

Introduction

Catalinbread has been releasing its Proto Club series of pedals for a while now, and the latest entry is the Proto Club 6. This compact pedal combines two classic modulation effects in a way that is genuinely different from anything else on the market. Instead of running a chorus and phaser one into the other, or even side by side in parallel, the Proto Club 6 splits your signal by frequency. A phaser is applied only to the low frequencies of your instrument, while a chorus is applied only to the high frequencies. An XF knob controls the blend point, letting you find the frequency center where the phaser cuts off and the chorus begins. There will always be both chorus and phaser in the mix, but you can expand the range that each effect takes up. This is a pedal that rewards experimentation and offers sounds you simply cannot get from a standard chorus or phaser.

What Is the Catalinbread Proto Club 6?

The Proto Club 6 is a modulation pedal that works by frequency splitting. The low end of your signal gets a phaser treatment, while the high end gets a chorus. The XF knob sets the crossover point between the two effects. Turn it one way and you hear more chorus across the signal; turn it the other way and the phaser takes over more of the spectrum. This design means the pedal is as much an EQ tool as it is a modulation effect. Shifting the XF knob changes the tonal balance of your sound in a way that feels powerful and musical.

The pedal is straightforward to use. There are four knobs on the top of the enclosure, and the controls respond intuitively. Even with the mix set low, the effect is present and musical. The phaser on the lows is subtle but identifiable, while the chorus on the highs adds an ethereal shimmer. It is a sound that is strangely subtle and obvious at the same time. You know something is happening, but it takes a moment to figure out exactly what.

Sound and Performance

Running a guitar into the Proto Club 6 and then into a pair of amplifiers reveals a rich, beautiful sound right away. With the mix knob at a moderate setting, the phaser on the low frequencies is clear, and the chorus on the highs is airy and spacious. Turning up the mix brings in more of the chorus character, and the effect becomes more pronounced. The phaser on the lows stays distinct as you pull the mix back down, which confirms that the frequency splitting is working as intended.

Slowing the speed down reveals some chorusing on the lows as well, but the phaser character remains dominant. Twisting the XF knob opens up a fun sound hiding in the pedal. One direction brings more chorus into the signal, while the other direction brings more phaser but also removes a lot of the low end. That telltale phaser hump is there, and it is easy to find musical sounds across the whole range of the control.

The EQ shifting is really the star of the show. Even though you are not directly controlling the EQ of the signal, you are choosing whether to dial in a phaser with a lot of lows or a chorus with a lot of highs. The tonal shaping you get across the XF control adds something new to the modulation mix. It is the sort of pedal where you do not always know exactly what you are going to get, but when you are in a mix, you will find something you could not have planned for.

Using the Proto Club 6 With Dirt

Modulation pedals are often used in front of a dirty amp or a dirt box, and the Proto Club 6 works well in that position. Running it into a Marshall-in-a-box style pedal produces a nasty, aggressive sound that is full of character. The phaser on the lows cuts through the dirt, while the chorus on the highs adds a swirling texture. Stacking loops on top of each other pushes the sound into extreme territory, but it remains musical throughout.

The pedal loses some volume when the XF knob is turned all the way to the right, likely because the low end is being rolled off. This is not a dealbreaker, but it is worth knowing if you plan to use extreme settings. In front of dirt, the Proto Club 6 feels right at home, and it is easy to spend a long time exploring the sounds it can produce.

Clean Playing and EQ Shifting

Switching to a hollow body guitar and playing clean reveals another side of the Proto Club 6. The EQ shifting is powerful even in a clean context. You are shifting and blending between two modulations, and the tonal characteristics you get across the XF control are genuinely exciting. There are subtle sounds, extreme sounds, and everything in between.

The pedal offers something your friends likely do not have. Most guitarists own a phaser or a chorus, but very few have a pedal that does both at the same time with the phaser on the lows and the chorus on the highs. If you write a hit song around this pedal, no one else will be able to recreate that sound unless they bought one too.

Buying Advice

The Catalinbread Proto Club 6 is a limited release. After a couple of weeks, Catalinbread stops selling these pedals, and once they are gone, they are gone for good. If you are interested in this pedal, it is worth deciding quickly. The pedal is best suited for guitarists who already own a standard chorus and phaser and want something genuinely different. It is also a great choice for players who enjoy experimenting with EQ and modulation in their signal chain. If you are looking for a traditional chorus or a traditional phaser, this is not that pedal. But if you want a unique modulation tool that can inspire new sounds, the Proto Club 6 is worth serious consideration.

Conclusion

The Catalinbread Proto Club 6 is a creative and unusual pedal that combines a low-frequency phaser with a high-frequency chorus. The XF knob gives you powerful EQ shaping that goes beyond simple modulation, and the pedal works well both clean and in front of dirt. It is a limited release, so if the concept appeals to you, do not wait too long. This is a pedal that can make your sound stand out in a way that standard modulation effects cannot match.