Death By Audio Moonbeam

The Death By Audio Moonbeam is a stereo, multi-stage phaser pedal that lets you reshape your sound by choosing between different stage counts and color modes. At its core are two fully analog 6-stage phase shifter engines, and a Phase Selector switch picks how many stages are active, from one to six¹. Death By Audio says you can use it on guitar, bass, synth, or anything else you run through it¹.

The maker describes the range as "everything from classic swirling movements to ultra-gooey bends, resonant filtered tremolos, and textures yet to be discovered"¹. It is part of Death By Audio's Destroyer Series, announced in December 2025 alongside the Dream Station and Thee Treble Overload¹²³, and it carries a list price of $250¹.

Two analog phasers with one to six stages

The Moonbeam houses two fully analog 6-stage phase shifter engines in one pedal¹. A Phase Selector control chooses how many stages are active, ranging from one to six¹. Premier Guitar's reviewer noted the two engines "can be used in 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6-stage modes"⁴.

The stage count changes the character a lot. In the reviewer's experience, the odd-numbered settings behave differently from the even ones⁴:

• 1-stage: the more binary, less vowel-inflected phase pulses could sound like vintage practice-amp tremolo⁴
• 3-stage: yielded "cool unique auto wah sounds and weird variations on volume swell effects"⁴
• 4-stage: sounded nearly equivalent to a script-style MXR Phase 90⁴
• 1-, 3-, and 5-stage modes: sound thinner and more "snorkely" than their even-numbered counterparts, analogous to a wah parked in a fixed position⁴

The controls and six color modes

The control set is minimal but wide ranging. A Frequency control sets the speed of the sweep, and a Depth control sets its intensity. Death By Audio says the Frequency control's range extends from two-minute phase sweeps to ring-modulated frequency shifts, and the Depth control spans rotary-style warbles to deep resonant bends⁵. Premier Guitar's reviewer found both controls "go beyond the conventions of more pedestrian phasers"⁴.

A six-position color switch selects the mode²:

Premier Guitar's reviewer found the modes respond differently to the Depth control. Higher depth settings helped the Moonbeam approximate an Electro-Harmonix Small Stone's color switch mode, as well as a fast-pulsing Leslie speaker⁴. At minimum depth settings, the pedal generates subtle animation that enlivens arpeggios, leads, and simple strumming, which the reviewer said makes it ideal for players who rarely switch their phasers off⁴.

Stereo and mono connections

The Moonbeam has TRS stereo input and output jacks for mono or stereo operation¹. Use a standard TS instrument cable for mono, or a TRS cable to run it in true stereo. Premier Guitar's reviewer found the stereo operation worthwhile, writing that the effects "sound beautiful in stereo (which requires appropriate TRS cabling)"⁴.

Part of the Destroyer Series

The Moonbeam is part of Death By Audio's Destroyer Series, and it was the first pedal of the line to land². The series was announced in December 2025 as a trio of stereo pedals: the Dream Station, the Moonbeam Phaser, and Thee Treble Overload⁶. The Moonbeam carries the line's signature look, with a compact footprint¹. Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson called it "an analog stereo 6-stage phaser with six modes" and noted it is hand-made in New York, USA².

What reviewers said

Premier Guitar reviewed the Moonbeam alongside the Dream Station in February 2026. The reviewer found it excels in the slow-phase David Gilmour "Breathe" Uni-Vibe context, and that its low noise floor makes it suitable for mixing or artists working in quieter settings⁴. On the pedal's overall character:

The reviewer also noted the pedals look fantastic and come with a lifetime warranty⁴. Guitar Pedal X's review was similarly positive, calling it a "superb" first entry in the Destroyer Series².

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