DOD FX84 Milk Box Compressor

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All three cosmetic versions of the FX84 Milk Box, from 1996 (left), 1997, and 2000

The FX84 Milk Box debuted at Winter NAMM 1996 as one of the five new "final series" pedals, effectively replacing the FX80B in DOD's lineup. As one might expect, the FX84 featured a cow motif, and the names given to the control knobs were perhaps DOD's least intuitive to date. Compared to the FX80B, its most notable feature was the "Pasteurization" knob, essentially a touch-sensitive high-eq tone control. In 1998, the FX84 was one of the pedals given a cosmetic "facelift" before production moved to China with the VFX series.

• Controls: Quarts (level), Cream (compression), Pasteurization (high frequency expansion; the harder you play, the more "expansion"), Spill (attack time)


• From the manual: "The FX84 Milk Box compressor has formatable [???] compression, and has special high frequency expansion circuitry. The extra creamy compression the FX84 Milk Box addes [sic] with the high frequency expansion (PASTEURIZATION) allows you to completely control the dynamics of your guitar. You obviously haven't settled for any typical compressor pedal, so get full use of the FX84 by reading this manual (before operating it)."
  
  The manual continues by stating the FX84 should be operated in front of an amplifier and not in an effects loop, and should appear first in a chain of effects pedals.


• Technical info:


• Notable IC chips: Four 4558-type op amps; two THAT 2159 VCAs


• Component-side circuitboard images: June 1996 March 1997 March 2000


• FX heritage: FX80 FX80B FX84


• Notable artists using the FX84: During early ZPZ tours (2006-07?), Dweezil Zappa used a FX84 (among other pedals). It was auctioned on eBay in September 2008 after he reconfigured his pedal drawer.


• External links:


• DOD FX84 Milk Box Compressor on Effects Database


• DOD FX84 Milk Box Compressor on Noise Guide



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