The All-Pedal Microdose is a phaser pedal and the first phaser launched by All-Pedal, built as a collaboration with Spaceman Effects of Portland1. It is an optical, stage-selectable design: you can run 2, 4 or 8 stages of phase shifting, sweep the effect through 16 different LFO waveshapes, and lock the speed to your tempo with a dedicated tap tempo footswitch1. It was announced as brand new on 21 September 20232.
The pedal grew out of an earlier design. Premier Guitar describes the Microdose as an evolution and expansion of Spaceman's Explorer Optical Phaser, with 16 waveforms, more than triple the Explorer's five3. Guitar Pedal X notes it is in part based on the Spaceman Explorer Deluxe Optical Phaser4.
Analog or digital?
All-Pedal's product page specifies an all-analog signal path1, and Pedal of the Day likewise describes an all-analog signal path with optically swept phase shifting2. Premier Guitar, however, calls the Microdose "a digital phaser collaboration with Portland's Spaceman Effects"3. What is not in dispute is the behavior: the phase shifting is optical and stage selectable, and the wide-range LFO carries 16 waveshapes1.
Controls and features
The face of the pedal carries eight knobs, two switches and two footswitches3. The controls work together like this:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| LEVEL | Sets the overall volume of the effect1 |
| RES | Adds feedback for over-the-top phase tones1 |
| WAVEFORM | Selects wave shapes, used with the WAVE SET switch1 |
| WAVE SET | Selector switch used with the WAVEFORM control to choose among the 16 wave shapes1 |
| MULTIPLIER | Rate multiplier with selectable speeds of .5x, 1x, 1.5x, 2x, 3x, 4x1 |
| TAP TEMPO switch | Footswitch for locking the effect to the beat1 |
The 16 waveshapes are split into two sets: 8 standard and 8 alternate patterns, reached by combining the WAVEFORM control with the WAVE SET selector switch1. Premier Guitar describes the waveforms as selectable via an 8-stop rotary knob3. Each waveform setting can be treated to two-, four- or eight-stage phasing3, so the same waveshape can produce anything from a subtle two-stage shimmer to a deep eight-stage sweep.
There is no preset functionality. Premier Guitar's reviewer found that "with such a vast expanse of sounds on tap and no preset functionality, the pedal's usefulness on stage can feel limited"3. Every sound has to be dialed in by hand with the knobs and switches.
From the Spaceman Explorer to the Microdose
The Microdose's family tree runs through Spaceman's Explorer line. Premier Guitar calls it an evolution and expansion of the Explorer Optical Phaser, with the waveform count growing from the Explorer's five to the Microdose's 163. Guitar Pedal X traces it in part to the Spaceman Explorer Deluxe Optical Phaser4. Pedal of the Day reported the collaboration between All-Pedal and Spaceman Effects at the pedal's announcement in September 20232.
Compared with a classic minimal phaser, the Microdose is a much deeper machine. Premier Guitar's reviewer wrote3:
"It’s so feature-packed and overflowing with an embarrassment of tone riches that it feels barely related at all to its humble ’70s ancestor."3
What reviewers said
The All-Pedal Microdose carries a list price of $325.003.
Premier Guitar's reviewer welcomed the tap tempo as "a welcome addition that adds flexibility and more control over complex modulations"3, while flagging the lack of presets as a limitation for stage use3. Pedal of the Day highlighted the all-analog signal path, the selectable 2, 4 or 8 stages of optically swept phase shifting, and the 16 waveshapes2.
Videos
Reverb
Pedal of the Day
Sasha Ivantic
Questions
Is the All-Pedal Microdose analog or digital?
The maker describes an all-analog signal path with optically swept phase shifting, while Premier Guitar's review calls it a digital phaser collaboration with Spaceman Effects. What is agreed is that the phase shifting itself is optical and stage selectable, with the wide-range LFO offering 16 waveshapes.
Does the Microdose have tap tempo?
Yes. The pedal has a dedicated Tap Tempo footswitch for locking the effect to the beat, paired with a Multiplier control offering selectable speeds of .5x, 1x, 1.5x, 2x, 3x and 4x. Premier Guitar's reviewer found the tap tempo a welcome addition that adds flexibility and more control over complex modulations.
Can you save presets on the Microdose?
No. Premier Guitar's review notes that with such a vast expanse of sounds on tap and no preset functionality, the pedal's usefulness on stage can feel limited. Settings are made with the knobs and switches on the face of the pedal.
How many stages does the Microdose offer?
The Microdose is stage selectable, offering 2, 4 or 8 stages of optically swept phase shifting. Two stages give a subtle, vowel-like sweep, four the classic phaser character, and eight a deeper, more dramatic sweep.
Who designed the All-Pedal Microdose?
The Microdose is a collaboration between All-Pedal and Spaceman Effects of Portland, and it was the first phaser launched by All-Pedal. Premier Guitar describes it as an evolution and expansion of Spaceman's Explorer Optical Phaser, with 16 waveforms, more than triple the Explorer's five.
Sources (4)
- AllPedal Microdose Phaser: Analog, Handcrafted, Versatile, AllPedal
- All-Pedal Microdose Phaser, Pedal of the Day, 2023-09-21
- All-Pedal Microdose: Full Guitar Effects Review, Premier Guitar, 2024-05-14
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2023-12-19
