Systech
Systech
Also known as: Systech Audio
UnclaimedSystech, short for Systems & Technology in Music, Inc., was a Kalamazoo, Michigan effects pedal manufacturer active in the mid-1970s. The company was founded by Greg Hochman, who had previously worked as Keith Emerson's Moog technician, and Charlie Wicks, who later went on to found Pro-Co Sound (maker of the Rat distortion). Systech operated out of an old factory site on Kalamazoo Avenue alongs...
Systech, short for Systems & Technology in Music, Inc., was a Kalamazoo, Michigan effects pedal manufacturer active in the mid-1970s. The company was founded by Greg Hochman, who had previously worked as Keith Emerson's Moog technician, and Charlie Wicks, who later went on to found Pro-Co Sound (maker of the Rat distortion). Systech operated out of an old factory site on Kalamazoo Avenue alongside Wicks' Sound Factory and Bryce Roberson's recording studio, a hub that drew musicians from Detroit and Chicago.
The brand is best known for a small lineup of unusual, aggressive effects pedals that have become collector pieces. The Harmonic Energizer pairs a resonant bandpass filter with high-gain distortion, producing a vocal, stuck-wah character and a reported 55dB of gain. The Systech Overdrive uses a similar architecture, combining hard-clipping distortion with an active bandpass EQ sweepable from roughly 122Hz to 900Hz. The company also produced a Phaser and other stompboxes during its short production run.
Original Systech pedals are rare and expensive on the vintage market, and the Harmonic Energizer in particular has been reissued and reinterpreted by boutique builders such as Catalinbread, Coriolis Effects, and Aion FX, keeping the circuit's distinctive filtered-fuzz voice in circulation.
Systech has 5 products cataloged on Equipboard, including Multi Effects Pedals, Filter Effects Pedals, and Overdrive Effects Pedals. Their gear is featured by 7 artists, with the strongest followings in Rock, Electronic, and Jazz. Notable users include Frank Zappa, Larry "Ler" LaLonde, and Joe Walsh.
Artists Who Use Systech
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