The EarthQuaker Devices Dispatch Master V3 is a delay and reverb stompbox, the third edition of the Dispatch Master, announced in January 20191. It combines the two effects in one box with up to 1.5 seconds of delay time, and it retailed at $199 when launched1. Delicious Audio describes it as "an evergreen delay + reverb with a character that's luscious and haunting at once. Its dark and ambient quality doesn't sound unnatural"2.
What it is and what it does
The Dispatch Master V3 puts delay and reverb in a single pedal, so a player can get ambient repeats and a wash of reverb from one footswitch press. Delicious Audio's buying guide calls it "extremely simple to use, with only four knobs for Mix, Time, Reverb (length) and Repeats (delay)"4.
Because the two effects share one box, the pedal can lean either way. In Sweetwater's demo video, Miles Patterson shows how to isolate each effect13:
- Delay only: "all you have to do is turn the Reverb control all the way down"3
- Reverb only: "by turning the time and repeats controls all the way down"3
That makes it usable as a straight delay, a straight reverb, or a blend of both3.
The controls and the Flexi-Switch
The control set is four knobs4:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Mix | Sets the overall level of the effect |
| Time | Sets the delay time, up to 1.5 seconds1 |
| Reverb | Sets the reverb length; turn it fully down for delay only3 |
| Repeats | Sets the number of delay repeats; turn it and Time fully down for reverb only3 |
The V3's headline feature is EarthQuaker Devices' Flexi-Switch, "which gives you two footswitching modes: latching and momentary-style"1.
- Latching mode: "the effect is engaged/disengaged by tapping on the footswitch, like a regular pedal"1
- Momentary mode: "you can hold the button and the pedal will come on when you release the button the pedal will turn off", as Miles Patterson demonstrates in Sweetwater's video3
Momentary mode is useful for swells and short ambient accents: the effect only sounds while the footswitch is held, and stops the instant it is released31.
What changed between the V2 and V3
The Dispatch Master V3 is the third edition of the pedal1. According to Guitar.com, "the updated pedal is identical to its predecessor" apart from the Flexi-Switch update1. In other words, a player comparing the Dispatch Master V2 against the V3 is really comparing one footswitching system against another: the V2 predates Flexi-Switch, while the V3 adds the latching and momentary modes described above.
If you already own a V2, the Flexi-Switch is the only functional difference reported at launch. The delay and reverb circuits themselves carried over unchanged1.
How it compares in the EarthQuaker Devices range
EarthQuaker Devices makes several other delay and reverb pedals a player might weigh against the Dispatch Master V3. The Ghost Echo V3 is a reverb pedal with 30ms to 150ms of pre-delay rather than a delay and reverb combo5. The Avalanche Run V2 and the Disaster Transport SR are other options in the maker's delay and reverb lineup, alongside the Silos multi-mode delay.
Delicious Audio's delay-plus-reverb combo buying guide groups the Dispatch Master V3 with pedals of this type, praising its character as "luscious and haunting at once"2.
Videos
Sweetwater
The Pedal Zone
Musicmaker
Questions
What changed between the Dispatch Master V2 and V3?
The V3 is the third edition of the Dispatch Master, and according to Guitar.com it is otherwise identical to its predecessor apart from the Flexi-Switch update. The Flexi-Switch gives the pedal two footswitching modes: latching and momentary-style.
Can the Dispatch Master V3 do delay without reverb?
Yes. In Sweetwater's demo video, Miles Patterson explains that turning the Reverb control all the way down gives delay only. Going the other way, turning the Time and Repeats controls all the way down gives reverb only.
How much delay time does the Dispatch Master V3 have?
The Dispatch Master V3 offers up to 1.5 seconds of delay time, as reported by Guitar.com at the pedal's launch. It retailed at $199 when announced.
What is momentary mode on the Dispatch Master V3?
Momentary mode means the effect only sounds while you hold the footswitch. As Miles Patterson demonstrates in Sweetwater's video, you hold the button and the pedal comes on, then turns off when you release it. In latching mode, the effect engages and disengages with a normal tap, like a regular pedal.
Sources (5)
- NAMM 2019: EarthQuaker Devices launches the Dispatch Master V3, Guitar.com, 2019-01-14
- Best Delay + Reverb Pedal Combos In 2024, Delicious Audio, 2024-11-07
- EarthQuaker Devices Dispatch Master V3 Delay and Reverb Pedal Demo, Sweetwater, 2019-01-09
- The Best Ambient-Shoegaze Reverb Pedals In 2024, Delicious Audio, 2024-11-15
- EarthQuaker Devices Ghost Echo V3 Reverb, Delicious Audio, 2017-11-15
