The Death By Audio Exploding Head is a triple delay pedal: three identical delay circuits connected in series, black into gray into red, each with its own set of controls12. Where a conventional delay gives you one repeat path, the Exploding Head stacks three of them, so the repeats of one delay feed the next. Premier Guitar describes it simply: "It's three identical delays run in series."2
The pedal first appeared in November 2022 as a limited edition from Death By Audio, the Brooklyn builder run by Oliver Ackermann, released to mark the 13th anniversary of the A Place To Bury Strangers album Exploding Head, which was recorded at Death By Audio's studios in New York13. The Reverb-exclusive Exploding Head Echo edition was limited to 500 units, and each one shipped with a 13th anniversary double LP of the album, digitally remastered by Ackermann and pressed on clear vinyl3.
Three delays in series with an infinity switch
The core idea is the series connection. Your guitar hits the first (black) delay, its output feeds the second (gray) delay, and that feeds the third (red) delay1. Because each stage has its own time, feedback and blend settings, the three delays interact: Pedal of the Day notes the design gives "individual control over delay parameters for a soiree of rhythmic multi-tap echoes, feedback, noise, swells"1.
The second core feature is the momentary INFINITY switch. Engaging it feeds the output of the third delay back into the first, wrapping a feedback loop around all three delay circuits13. Premier Guitar's reviewer found this "enables momentary self-oscillation effects"2, and Pedal of the Day describes the result as "a feedback swell unlike any of" the individual delays1. The volume of that feedback is set by the Blend knob of the first, black delay13.
What that sounds like depends on the settings. Premier Guitar's review found the pedal "creates washy reverbs, percussive multi-head delay effects, and mutant delays that chatter like rogue tremolos"2. Pedal of the Day's take on the sound was that it "produces all new otherworldly soundscapes ready to inspire future records to come!"1
The controls: Time, Fback and Blend for each delay
Each of the three delay sections carries the same three knobs, a knob-per-function design with no menus13.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| TIME | Sets the delay time for that section, from about 10ms to about 600ms3 |
| FBACK | Sets the number of repeats for that delay; different feedback amounts per section create new rhythmic patterns and build oscillations at multiple speeds13 |
| BLEND | Sets the volume of that delay section; at maximum the repeats are louder than the clean signal3 |
The independent Blend controls are also the pedal's isolation system. Pedal of the Day notes you can "isolate one (or several) delay lines with the independent BLEND controls or use all three delays simultaneously"1. That is also how you tame it: Delicious Audio notes the pedal "can also be subjugated, if needed, into regular old-time echo effects like slapback or, you know, regular repeats" by turning two of the three Blend knobs to zero3.
Two recipes from the coverage:
- Faux reverb: multiple short slap delays stacked together1
- Ambient cloud: long delay times with Feedback up, for a slowly evolving wash1
From Ghost Delay to the Exploding Head Echo edition
The Exploding Head has a family history. Premier Guitar calls it "effectively an evolution of DBA's own extinct and much-coveted Ghost Delay"2, and Pedal of the Day likewise points back to "the now legendary and unobtainable Ghost Delay"1. For players who know the older pedal, the Exploding Head is its successor in a smaller box; Pedal of the Day describes the enclosure as "an extremely compact and road-ready size" that is pedalboard friendly1.
The 2022 release was tied to the album anniversary rather than a standard product launch. Delicious Audio quotes the brand's own description of the pedal as a "triple delay dream maker/destroyer system in an ultra-small footprint"3. The Echo edition also added a stereo output section, so players using a TRS cable "can achieve a wide stereo spread" of the three delays3.
"One thing all users will agree on, though, is that the Exploding Head sounds colossal. And with a loud amplifier, it sounds wonderfully alive."
The same review adds a practical note on tone: "While digital, the basic tonality of a single Exploding Head delay line is not worlds apart from a bright analog echo"2. There are no presets or digital control2, so everything is done with the knobs and the two footswitches.
Because the Exploding Head Echo was limited to 500 units3, it is a pedal to find secondhand rather than order new. Pedal of the Day's parting advice on the limited edition was blunt: "if you can find one, GRAB IT!"1
Videos
Reverb
collector//emitter
Pedal of the Day and Death By Audio
Questions
Is the Death By Audio Exploding Head analog or digital?
It is digital. Premier Guitar's review notes that while the circuit is digital, the basic tonality of a single Exploding Head delay line is not far from a bright analog echo. There are no presets or digital control; every parameter is a physical knob.
Does the Exploding Head have presets?
No. Premier Guitar's review states plainly that there are no presets or digital control. The pedal uses a knob-per-function design, with delay time, feedback and wet/dry blend knobs for each of the three delay sections, so changes are made by hand.
How do I get a plain slapback from the Exploding Head?
Turn two of the three Blend knobs to zero. Delicious Audio notes the pedal can be used for regular echo effects like slapback or plain repeats by zeroing two Blend controls, which isolates a single delay line and leaves the other two out of the signal.
What does the infinity switch do?
The momentary infinity switch feeds the output of the third delay into the first delay, creating a multi-delay feedback loop around all three circuits. Holding it down produces a feedback swell and momentary self-oscillation, and the first (black) Blend knob sets how loud that feedback is.
How many Exploding Head Echo pedals were made?
The Exploding Head Echo edition was limited to 500 units and sold as a Reverb exclusive. Each one came with a 13th anniversary double LP of A Place To Bury Strangers' album Exploding Head, remastered by Oliver Ackermann and pressed on clear vinyl.
Sources (3)
- Death By Audio Exploding Head Triple Delay, Pedal of the Day, 2022-11-30
- Death By Audio Exploding Head Review, Premier Guitar, 2023-03-12
- Death By Audio Exploding Head Echo, Delicious Audio, 2022-11-30
