The Deep Space Devices Red Ghost is a heavy distortion pedal and, when it appeared in 2018, the maker's first pedal. Pedal of the Day called it "an absolute mammoth of a distortion," and Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio described it as "a heavy, one-knob distortion that will make stoner rockers happy"12. Reviewers heard it covering sludge, doom, metal and rock and roll1.
The controls: Volume/Gain, Shake and Mass
The Red Ghost keeps its front panel simple: one large knob and two toggle switches.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume/Gain (big red knob) | Adjusts both the volume and the gain of the pedal's "Horde" circuit, for quick and easy settings12 |
| Shake (toggle) | A diode switcher producing either a subtle thrash sound or a more menacing, fuller distortion1 |
| Mass, up position | A treble boost, for punching right through any mix or band situation1 |
| Mass, down position | A bass boost, giving more beefy low end without sacrificing clarity1 |
On the Shake switch, Delicious Audio wrote: "With 'Shake' in the 'Up' position, your tone will wear a howling halo of gritty distortion."2
Pedal of the Day's reviewer found the layout easy to live with: "The Red Ghost is pretty easy to figure out, control-wise," with a small learning curve and a versatile array of sounds1.
Where it came from and what came after
Deep Space Devices introduced the Red Ghost in March 2018 as its first release12. The maker followed it with the Golem Distortion, and by 2019 the lineup had grown again with the Trigonaut Octave Glitch Overdrive; Pedal of the Day traced that run "starting with the Red Ghost and Golem Distortions, and continuing with today's featured pedal"3. By late 2018, gearnews.com counted the company's product palette at a grand total of three pedals, all in the fuzz and overdrive vein4.
Videos
Distortion LTD
Pedal of the Day
MrExcane
Questions
Is the Red Ghost Deep Space Devices' first pedal?
Yes. When Pedal of the Day reviewed it in March 2018, the Red Ghost Distortion was described as the maker's first, and at that time only, pedal creation. Delicious Audio likewise called Deep Space Devices a small manufacturer that had just put out its first pedal. The maker went on to release the Golem Distortion and later the Trigonaut.
What does the Shake switch do on the Red Ghost?
Shake is a diode switcher. Pedal of the Day describes it as producing either a subtle thrash sound or a more menacing, fuller distortion. Delicious Audio puts it more colorfully: with Shake in the Up position, your tone wears a howling halo of gritty distortion.
What does the Mass knob do on the Red Ghost?
Mass is a two-position toggle. In the up spot it works as a treble boost, which Pedal of the Day says helps the pedal punch right through any mix or band situation. In the down position it is a bass boost, adding beefy low end without sacrificing clarity.
What kind of music is the Red Ghost made for?
Reviewers place it firmly in heavy territory. Pedal of the Day says it enjoys elements of sludge, doom, metal and even some good old rock and roll, and Delicious Audio calls it a heavy, one-knob distortion that will make stoner rockers happy.
Sources (4)
- Deep Space Devices Red Ghost Distortion, Pedal of the Day, 2018-03-21
- Deep Space Devices Red Ghost Distortion, Delicious Audio, 2018-03-22
- Deep Space Devices Trigonaut Octave Glitch Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2019-07-01
- Fuzz, Glitch and Filth: Deep Space Devices' Trigonaut has it all, gearnews.com, 2018-10-27
