The Death By Audio Speed Tripper is a delay pedal with an optical phaser placed in the feedback path of the delay circuit, so the repeats bend in and out of phase with one another as they recede. Paolo De Gregorio of Delicious Audio described the result as "filtered, morphing swells that sound beyond psychedelic"1. It was built in honor of LEVITATION, the psychedelic festival out of Austin, and is the second pedal collaboration between Death By Audio and LEVITATION1.
The pedal was announced in early October 2021, was available for pre-order at that point, and shipped across late October and early November 202123. It was produced in a limited run of 666 pedals worldwide at an RRP of USD 2694.
How the delay and phaser work together
The circuit is an optical phaser placed in the feedback path of a delay1. In practice, that means the phase network sits where the repeats are fed back into the delay, so each repeat passes through the phaser and the repeats bend in and out of phase with one another1. The delay itself runs from 30ms to 1100ms4.
The Speed Tripper is a slim, pedalboard-friendly unit2. It sits alongside other Death By Audio delays such as the Ghost Delay, the Echo Dream 2 and the Micro Dream, and in the wider field of delay pedals it is unusual for putting a phaser inside the feedback loop rather than offering a separate phaser effect.
Controls
Four dials on top handle the main controls, with delay times demarcated on the side of the Delay Time dial5.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Delay Time | Controls the length of the delay, from ~30ms to ~1100ms. Longer times will degrade the quality of the repeats, introducing noise, artifacts, and other hellish accompaniment6. |
| Feedback | One of the four dials; works alongside Delay Time to shape the repeats5. |
| Intensity | The amount of delay being sent through the phase network. Turn the knob left for an unphased signal, and right for full phase1. |
| Tripper Speed | Along with Intensity, brings the optical phaser into play and warbles the sound5. |
"Keeping it down is said to give users 'oceanic movement,' while turning it up will produce more warbly sounds"
The Blend control is not on the panel: it is an internal control that sets the volume of the delayed signal relative to the clean signal2.
Power and practical details
The Speed Tripper takes a standard 2.1mm, 9V, center-negative DC power supply and consumes roughly 50mA1. The enclosure measures 4.88" x 3.68" x 2.15" including hardware and weighs 9.5 oz.1.
The Speed Tripper was a limited run of 666 pedals worldwide4. It was announced as available for pre-order in October 20212, so it may not be easy to find new.
What reviewers said
Jef at gearnews.com summed the pedal up this way:
"Overall, this box sounds like a lot of fun."
He described the combination of the optical phaser with the 30ms to 1100ms delay as leaving a lot of fun to be had, calling the pedal pretty mental in a good way overall4. Guitar World's Jackson Maxwell noted the maker's warning that longer delay times degrade the repeats and introduce noise and "other hellish accompaniment" into the signal2, which is part of the pedal's character rather than a flaw to design around.
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Questions
How long can the Death By Audio Speed Tripper delay go?
The Delay Time knob runs from about 30ms to about 1100ms. Death By Audio notes that longer times will degrade the quality of the repeats, introducing noise, artifacts and what the maker calls other hellish accompaniment into the signal. Delay times are demarcated on the side of the dial, so the setting is easy to read at a glance.
What power supply does the Speed Tripper use?
The Speed Tripper takes a standard 2.1mm, 9V, center-negative DC power supply and draws roughly 50mA. That is within reach of most pedalboard power supplies, but it is worth checking the output ratings on a daisy chain before sharing a port with other pedals.
What does the Intensity knob do on the Speed Tripper?
Intensity sets the amount of delay being sent through the phase network. Turned left, the signal is unphased; turned right, it gets full phase. Along with the Tripper Speed knob, it brings the optical phaser into play and warbles the sound.
Where is the Blend control on the Speed Tripper?
The Blend control is internal rather than on the top panel. It sets the volume of the delayed signal relative to the clean signal, so the wet and dry balance is set with a screwdriver rather than a knob.
Is the Speed Tripper a limited edition?
Yes. The Speed Tripper is a limited edition pedal built in honor of LEVITATION, the psychedelic festival out of Austin, and it was produced in a limited run of 666 pedals worldwide. It is the second pedal collaboration between Death By Audio and LEVITATION.
Sources (6)
- Death By Audio Speed Tripper Delay+Phaser (LEVITATION LTD. Edition), Delicious Audio, 2021-10-21
- Add some trippiness to your tone with Death By Audio's new Speed Tripper delay pedal, Guitar World, 2021-10-07
- Death By Audio unveils new Speed Tripper delay, limited to 666 pedals, Guitar.com, 2021-10-07
- Death By Audio Speed Tripper: A psychedelic delay to blow your mind, gearnews.com, 2021-10-08
- Death By Audio's new Speed Tripper pedal sounds like “listening to the Rolling Stones through a kaleidoscope on acid”, MusicRadar, 2021-10-08
- SPEED TRIPPER, Death By Audio
