The Space Spiral is a modulated delay pedal from EarthQuaker Devices, and it is no longer in production: the maker's own product page states "THIS DEVICE IS NO LONGER IN PRODUCTION"1. It arrived as the company's NAMM release for 2017, and in the maker's demo video Aaron Rogers described the brief as "a dark modulated delay"2. EarthQuaker Devices calls it "a dark and dreamy modulated delay designed to take you across the highways of fantasy"1.
What it is and how it works
Premier Guitar's press release described the Space Spiral as "an analog-voiced digital delay with 30ms, 600ms of delay time"4. In plain terms, the echo engine is digital, but it is voiced to sound like an older analog delay: darker, softer repeats rather than clean digital copies. The technical analysis site Guitar FX Layouts noted that "the delay may be designed around a 'dawn of digital' echo processor" while judging "the sound is out of this world, man"5.
The delay time runs from a tight 30ms, which the maker's Aaron Rogers said puts the pedal "well within double-tracking" territory, up to 600ms12. Premier Guitar's review gives the top of the range as 660 ms6, so the two published figures disagree; the maker's own page says 600ms1.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Time | Sets the delay time from 30ms to 600ms; clockwise for long, counterclockwise for short1 |
| Depth | Controls the amount of modulation; clockwise for more, counterclockwise for less1 |
| Mix | Blends the delay signal in with the dry; clockwise for more, counterclockwise for less1 |
The Depth knob controls the amount of modulation applied to the repeats; clockwise gives more and counterclockwise gives less1.
Where it came from
EarthQuaker Devices announced the Space Spiral as its NAMM release for 2017, with gearnews.com reporting in January 2017 that the pedal was "due out now"7. Performer Magazine's reviewer Chris Devine called it "a unique modulated delay stompbox" in May 20178, and Pedal of the Day ran its review on June 1, 20173.
What reviewers said
Reviews at the time picked up on the same dark, modulated character the maker described. Pedal of the Day covered it as a "Space Spiral Modulated Delay guitar effects pedal" in mid-20173, and Performer Magazine's review emphasized its unusual take on the modulated delay format8. Premier Guitar's later review noted the delay range topping out at 660 ms6.
Where it sits in the EarthQuaker Devices range
The Space Spiral belongs to EarthQuaker Devices' delay line, alongside pedals like the Dispatch Master V3, the Disaster Transport SR and the Avalanche Run V2. A successor, the Space Spiral V2, carries the name forward. For a broader look at the category, see the site's Delay Pedals page.
The original Space Spiral is discontinued. If you are shopping new, the Space Spiral V2 is the current pedal in the line.
Videos
Knobs
ProGuitarShopDemos
ProGuitarShopDemos
Questions
Is the EarthQuaker Devices Space Spiral still in production?
No. EarthQuaker Devices' own product page states plainly that the Space Spiral is no longer in production. It was announced as the company's NAMM release for 2017, described at the time by maker demo video presenter Aaron Rogers as a dark modulated delay. Players looking for a current EarthQuaker Devices delay will find later designs in the company's range, including the Space Spiral V2.
How long is the Space Spiral's maximum delay time?
EarthQuaker Devices specifies a delay time range from 30ms to 600ms, with the Time knob turning clockwise for longer repeats. Premier Guitar's review gives the maximum as 660 ms, so the two published figures disagree; the maker's own page is the usual reference for a pedal's specification.
What does the Depth knob do on the Space Spiral?
Depth controls the amount of modulation applied to the repeats. EarthQuaker Devices describes it as controlling the desired amount of modulation, turning clockwise for more and counterclockwise for less. Alongside the Mix knob, which blends the delay signal with the dry guitar, it shapes how pronounced the wobble in the echoes becomes.
Is the Space Spiral an analog or digital delay?
It is an analog-voiced digital delay, as Premier Guitar's press release put it. The circuit is designed around what the technical analysis site Guitar FX Layouts called a dawn of digital echo processor, but the voicing is analog in character, which is where the pedal's dark, dreamy sound comes from.
Can the modulation be switched off on the Space Spiral?
The Depth knob controls the amount of modulation, turning clockwise for more and counterclockwise for less, so rolling it fully counterclockwise minimizes the modulation. There is no separate modulation switch on the pedal; the Depth control is the way to dial the effect back.
Sources (8)
- Space Spiral Modulated Delay Device, EarthQuaker Devices
- Aaron's Bass Hole, EarthQuaker Devices, 2017-02-17
- EarthQuaker Devices Space Spiral Modulated Delay, Pedal of the Day, 2017-06-01
- New EarthQuaker Space Spiral Delay: Release Details, Premier Guitar, 2017-01-19
- Guitar FX Layouts: Earthquaker Devices Space Spiral, Guitar FX Layouts (tagboardeffects.blogspot.com), 2020-04-08
- EarthQuaker Devices Space Spiral Review, Premier Guitar, 2017-03-08
- NAMM 2017: EarthQuaker Devices Space Spiral modulated delay pedal, gearnews.com, 2017-01-20
- EarthQuaker Devices Space Spiral Review, Performer Magazine, 2017-05-23
