The EarthQuaker Devices x Death By Audio Time Shadows is a collaboration delay pedal between EarthQuaker Devices and Death By Audio, which EarthQuaker calls a Subharmonic Multi-Delay Resonator1. In practice it is a delay with sub-octave, filter and pitch-shifting modes, capable of what Guitar.com's reviewer described as "enveloping distorted swells, running into a gritty delay that's smeary enough to basically cross over into reverb"1.
The pedal began life in 2020 as a limited exclusive sold through Reverb, and returned in June 2024 as a permanent part of the lineup with a new third mode, six preset slots and assignable expression control12. The updated version is widely known as the Time Shadows II.
A subharmonic delay with three modes
Each of the original's two modes was designed by one of the two companies, and the reissue adds a new middle mode, !¡ mode, created by both founders to blend the two sides together12.
| Mode | What it does |
|---|---|
| EarthQuaker mode | Enveloping distorted swells into a gritty, smeary delay with a polyphonic sub-octave blended in, which the reviewer compared to a full-on modular-synth resonant filter swell1 |
| !¡ mode | Uses your attack to initiate two parallel delay lines; with each repeat, one climbs in pitch and one descends, an inherently dissonant effect1 |
| Death By Audio mode | Regular delay-like repeats, heavily filtered with a wide-ranging resonant low-pass, plus a second shorter delay phased against the main signal1 |
The !¡ mode is the newest addition and the most unusual of the three. Because one delay line climbs and the other descends with every repeat, the two lines pull away from each other in pitch, which Guitar.com's reviewer found inherently dissonant, though he also found that putting the mode before distortion was a very gratifying experience1.
The controls, presets and expression input
The reissue follows EarthQuaker's recent pedal format with six preset slots and an expression jack assignable to any of the main controls15. The Filter control behaves differently depending on the mode: in EarthQuaker mode it selects the cutoff for the low-pass envelope and adjusts the gate on the input, with a huge sweep from barely-audible rumble to piercing resonant screeches1.
Guitar.com's reviewer found the six preset slots particularly useful on a pedal this unpredictable, since they let you get consistent results at a live show or recording session rather than chasing a happy accident1.
The expression control and presets are features of the 2024 reissue. The original 2020 limited edition had only the two company-designed modes and no preset or expression functionality12.
From limited Pedal Movie edition to full production
The Time Shadows was initially released in 2020 as a limited exclusive created for Reverb's Pedal Movie, in a limited-edition run of 1,000 available exclusively on Reverb14. A purchase included priority access to The Pedal Movie upon its release the following year4. Guitar.com's coverage dates the Pedal Movie collaboration to 2021, while the pedal's own launch was reported in November 2020, so the two dates refer to the movie's announcement and its release window24.
In June 2024 the pedal returned in non-limited form as a permanent part of EarthQuaker's lineup, priced at $199126. The reboot added the third dual delay mode, the six presets and the assignable expression jack1.
What reviewers said
Guitar.com's Cillian Breathnach rated the pedal 9 out of 10, calling it a fantastic collaborative pedal that explores the fringes of what each of its makers does, and found it very inspiring to play despite the strangeness of the sound. His caveat was that the middle !¡ mode may be too dissonant for many use cases1.
"It's able to kick out sounds you'd normally need a gigantic ambient pedalboard for."
He also found that on some settings the Death By Audio mode's crunching resonance works almost like a ring modulator, and that the pedal has no real alternatives that sound like it. The experimental delays he considered comparable, the Chase Bliss Habit and Thermae, Meris Polymoon, the EQD Rainbow Machine, and the Red Panda Raster, Tensor and Particle, are all a good bit pricier than the Time Shadows1.
At launch, Guitar World quoted the makers' own description of the two original sides4:
"It's an insane synth buzz bazooka sound on the EarthQuaker side and a multi-intertwined delay filter remorphinator of cosmic waves on the Death By Audio side."
Guitar World's 2025 pitch-shifter buying guide lists the Time Shadows II among its picks, noting it as a glitchy option in the category7.
Who designed it
The Time Shadows is a first-time collaboration between EarthQuaker Devices founder Jamie Stillman and Death By Audio founder Oliver "Ollie" Ackermann, with one side of the original pedal created by each24. The new third mode on the reissue was created by Stillman and Ackermann together to blend the two sides2.
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Questions
What is the difference between Time Shadows and Time Shadows II?
The original Time Shadows was a limited exclusive released in 2020 in a run of 1,000 on Reverb, with two modes, one designed by each company. The 2024 reissue, widely called Time Shadows II, is a permanent part of the lineup and adds a new third mode blending the two sides, six preset slots and an expression jack assignable to any of the main controls.
How much does the Time Shadows cost?
The 2024 full-production version was priced at $199 USD, or £199 in the UK, when Guitar.com reviewed it in June 2024. The reviewer noted that comparable experimental delays such as the Chase Bliss Habit and Thermae, Meris Polymoon and Red Panda Raster were all a good bit pricier.
How many Time Shadows were made in the original run?
The original Time Shadows was released in 2020 as a limited exclusive alongside Reverb's Pedal Movie, in a limited-edition run of 1,000 available exclusively on Reverb. A purchase also included priority access to The Pedal Movie upon its release the following year.
Who designed the Time Shadows?
It was a first-time collaboration between EarthQuaker Devices founder Jamie Stillman and Death By Audio founder Oliver "Ollie" Ackermann, with each of the original's two modes designed by one of the companies. The new third mode on the reissue was created by both to blend the two sides together.
Can I use an expression pedal with the Time Shadows?
Yes. The 2024 reissue has an expression jack assignable to any of the main controls, so a standard expression pedal can sweep whichever parameter you choose. The original 2020 limited edition did not have this feature.
Sources (7)
- Earthquaker Devices x Death By Audio Time Shadows review, Guitar.com, 2024-06-10
- 60 Seconds S1E29: Death By Audio x Earthquaker Devices Time Shadows II, Guitar.com, 2024-06-07
- Time Shadows Subharmonic Multi-Delay Resonator, EarthQuaker Devices
- Pedal giants unite with the launch of the Chase Bliss Audio x Z.Vex Bliss Factory and EarthQuaker x Death By Audio Time Shadows, Guitar World, 2020-11-10
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-06-06
- EarthQuaker Devices Time Shadows II, gearnews.com, 2024-06-07
- Best pitch shifter pedals: top picks from Digitech, Eventide and more, Guitar World, 2022-01-13
