EarthQuaker Devices Bit Commander main image

EarthQuaker Devices Bit Commander image 2

Photo of EarthQuaker Devices Bit Commander and more gear in a pedalboard and closeup

EarthQuaker Devices Bit Commander

^# 16

Equipboard's ranking is determined by analyzing factors such as professional artist usage, popularity, user ratings, reviews, and more.

$198.14 Price Tier: Budget

4.5 (47)

2 Critic Reviews

6 Reviews

Newer option

EarthQuaker Devices Bit Commander V2 Monophonic Analog Guitar Synthesizer Pedal

$198.49 - $222.00

Find out who is using EarthQuaker Devices Bit Commander

9 community setups

Featured in

Best Guitar Synth Pedals for Wild Creative Sounds

53 wishlisted

132 saved

Page last updated Jun 23, 2026

Pricing and availability

We compare 600+ stores and found this item at 1 store. Prices updated June 23, 2026.

Store

Reviews

Price

5.0 (11)

$198.14 62 available New

$90.00 27 available Used

View Deal

Average Price: $144

Budget/Beginner

$150

$601+

Price Tier

In the Guitar Synth Pedals category, EarthQuaker Devices Bit Commander is priced in the Budget/Beginner range. This is great gear to get started with or for creators on a budget.

Budget

Standard

High-end

^* Product prices and availability are updated by Equipboard every 24hrs and are subject to change. Equipboard may receive compensation for purchases made at participating retailers linked on this site. This compensation does not affect what products or prices are displayed, or the order of prices listed. For more information, please refer to our affiliate disclosure.

Description

Edit description

For the guitar player that has it all, a guitar synthesizer.

The Bit Commander is a monophonic analog guitar synthesizer with four octaves of vintage square wave synth tones. It's no-nonsense interface makes it easy to add or subtract octaves to create a wide variety of sounds without having to dial in envelopes or oscillators. Ripping sub-octave thump, pulsing octave down, a lightly squared base tone and a swelling transformer based octave up all join together to make a single guitar sound like an army of olde tyme synths.

Like all analog octave effects, there are some basic rules to follow that will get you the most enjoyment from your Bit Commander. Use the neck pickup and play single notes. The best tracking occurs from the 7th fret up on all the strings. Below the 7th will still track but there will be occasional glitches and stutters. The lower the note, the harder it is for the Bit Commander to register. The use of Bass and lower registers on keyboards will yield unexpected, sometimes pleasing, sometimes disgusting results. These are not mistakes or flaws, it is the nature of analog octaves.

Product specs

Power	9V
Bypass	true bypass

Videos

Add video

ProGuitarShopDemos

Earthquaker Devices Bit Commander

ProGuitarShopDemos

EarthQuaker Devices Bit Commander Guitar Synthesizer

EarthQuakerDevices

EarthQuaker Devices Retrospective Ep. 3 – Bit Commander Analog Octave Synth

EarthQuakerDevices

Earthquaker Devices Bit Commander Guitar Synthesizer | Reverb Demo Video

Reverb

Earthquaker Devices Bit Commander- A Pedal Demo

Clever Noise Gear Demos

Earthquaker Devices Bit Commander Synthesizer

Prymaxe

EarthQuaker Devices Bit Commander Guitar Synth Pedal Review by Sweetwater

Sweetwater

5 Minutes with the Earthquaker Devices Bit Commander - Pedal Demo

Ryan Kiesshauer

EarthQuaker Devices Bit Commander - this is our favorite EQD pedal

We As A Company

Reviews

Add review

PROS

Unique, glitchy, bitcrushed sounds for distinctive effects
Effective across guitars and bass for versatile applications
Intuitive design makes it easy to dial in tones
Offers distinct fuzz distortion even without octave effects
Analog design provides warm, gritty tones
Monophonic tracking creates characterful glitches with fast playing
Voices (octaves and square wave) are individually impactful
Recommended positioning (after compressor, before dirt) enhances tracking
Can produce a full range of sounds from subtle to extreme

CONS

Limited control over filter sweep and sound shaping
Gating is fixed, affecting sustain of some sounds
Cannot blend clean signal with effected output
Inconsistent tracking, especially on lower frets and with chords
Lacks the Flexiswitch feature found in other EarthQuaker devices
Sound can be unstable from the bridge pickup
Requires additional drive pedal for some desired tones

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about EarthQuaker Devices Bit Commander.

Setup and maintenance

0 0

The Bit Commander tracks best with a neck humbucker and the tone knob rolled off, especially effective around the 9th fret and higher.
Source

Features and functionality

0 0

This pedal struggles with tracking when there's high harmonic content in the input, leading to stuttering rather than latency.
Source
0 0

The pedal exhibits a unique PLL or square wave fuzz quality, offering a distinctly synth-like sound rather than traditional fuzz tones.
Source
0 0

The Bit Commander is praised for its special edition finish, which some owners find visually appealing.
Source
0 0

Top-mounted jacks on the Bit Commander are appreciated for improving cable management on pedalboards.
Source

Use cases and applications

0 0

Ideal for single note play and perfect fifths; chords can result in glitching.
Source
0 0

The Bit Commander can emulate bass sounds and create thick pads when combined with reverb and delay.
Source
0 0

The Bit Commander excels in creating blown-out solos, especially when highlighting the upper octave fuzz without relying on lower octaves.
Source
0 0

Pairing the Bit Commander with phaser and delay pedals is recommended for enhancing its synth-like qualities and creating expansive soundscapes.
Source
0 0

Combining the Bit Commander with a compressor, particularly before the phaser, enhances sound quality, allowing for robust bass addition in loop setups.
Source
0 0

The pedal's up octave feature is noted for its effectiveness when paired with fuzz, capturing tones reminiscent of the White Stripes.
Source

Comparisons

0 0

Compared to the Whammy 5, the Bit Commander is considered more limiting due to its glitching and specific pickup requirements.
Source
0 0

Replacing the Bit Commander with an octave fuzz results in a loss of character, particularly noted in the lower octaves, reinforcing its unique sound profile.
Source

User experience

0 0

Owners using heavy gauge picks and Ernie Ball Burly Slinkies report improved tracking, suggesting this setup minimizes typical tracking issues for the Bit Commander.
Source

Value and pricing

0 0

Owners have found success in snagging discounted Bit Commanders during sales, with some securing deals at 15% off retail prices.
Source

Critic Reviews

Earthquaker Devices Bit Commander Pedal Review - Premier Guitar

premierguitar.com

The EarthQuaker Devices Bit Commander is a versatile analog synthesizer that impresses with its ability to enhance melody lines and adapt to various musical contexts. Its simple controls make experimentation intuitive, and it tracks playing nuances with remarkable precision. The pedal excels in creating funky and futuristic sounds with a warm, fuzzy tone. However, it struggles with low octaves and chords, and its sustain can be inconsistent. Despite these limitations, the Bit Commander is a powerful, musically expressive tool for those seeking unique, responsive synth tones. A must-have for adventurous guitarists.

positive

Full Review

Earthquaker Devices Bit Commander review | MusicRadar

musicradar.com

Full Review

Add review

4.5 out of 5

Based on 6 Reviews and 47 Ratings

5 star

4 star

3 star

2 star

1 star

nbaker1251

1001

over 9 years ago

Amazing

Earthquaker Devices always makes great pedals but this is just amazing! It is very versatile and unique. Great for adding a bit of grit and sleaze to your guitar. Tip for use: put after a compressor and before dirt pedals for better tracking. Also, without any of the octaves on, it's a great warm fuzz.

joshua_bails

106

over 10 years ago

Fun, interesting, and definitely worth a try!

This may be one the most intuitive and straightforward synth pedals out there that still gives you quite a bit to work with. Being that it is an analog synth pedal, the sound from a bridge pickup is incredibly unstable but there are very easy ways to get that grit back to you tone. Now if unpredictability is what your interested in, it does sound fantastic. Anything below around the seventh fret is also pretty sputtery, but that is also the nature of the beast that is an analog synth pedal. Overall, this is a fine pedal for anyone looking for that 8-bit, square wave synth sound.

roem

171

over 10 years ago

Bad bad bad... ASS.

This little thing is so dirty and digital. Used it all over my latest record. Not to mention, it's all analog. Amazing and fun to play.

jimmarchi1

41010

10 years ago over 10 years ago

it can't be ALL analog, but I get ya, cool

nils813

552

over 9 years ago

Good for crazy, distorted, crushed sounds. Wild, but can be tamed.

I use the Bit Commander if I'm doing heavily driven octave parts, like bassy riffs. Sounds very good with a bit of calibration. No need to stack it with a drive either- it packs grit along with its sub (down 2 octaves) down 1 octave, and up 1 octave settings.

mumblingmind

almost 12 years ago

not so bit

from the internet, it sounded amazing. When i plugged this baby in, it took some time getting use to. to get what i want, i have to use a dirty pedal. for whatever reason, it likes to cut out on when i dont. Havent found a way to use it in song writing. But it has such an interesting tone, i have to keep and work through it.