The Mr. Black Downward Spiral "Unicorn Tears" Special Edition is a modulated delay with downward pitch-shifted repeats: each echo that comes back is shifted down in pitch as well as repeated, so a part played through it seems to fall away below itself with every repeat. Mr. Black describes the effect in suitably dramatic terms: "The fall lasts forever and the bottom never comes. This is not a normal sound."1
This version is a limited run rainbow "Unicorn Tears" special edition of the pedal, sold at a list price of $199.95 USD as of the maker's product page in October 2026. It is a sibling to the standard Mr. Black Downward Spiral, and sits in Mr. Black's delay range alongside pedals like the Tapex 2 and the JDD-3000+. For more on the effect type itself, see Delay Pedals.1
What it does
The Downward Spiral combines modulation with a delay line that pitches each repeat downward, so the echoes do not simply fade: they drop. Mr. Black's own description is "Spinning down into the abyss the echoes of infinity are reborn anew and the cycle becomes: the Downward Spiral."1
A deliberate part of the design is self-oscillation. Mr. Black lists "Mesmerizing, endless self-oscillation" as a feature, meaning the pedal can be pushed into regenerating its own repeats indefinitely. Players who use delay pedals for ambient textures and sound-on-sound washes will recognize this as the behavior some delays try to suppress; here it is presented as the point of the pedal.1
The features Mr. Black lists for the pedal are:
- Modulated delay with downward pitch-shifted repeats1
- Mesmerizing, endless self-oscillation1
- True-Bypass switching1
- Runs on battery or standard center-negative DC power1
Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Effect type | Modulated delay, downward pitch-shifted repeats1 |
| Bypass | True-Bypass1 |
| Power | 9VDC, 2.1mm negative center-pin1 |
| Current draw | Less than 60mA1 |
| Recommended supply | 100mA or more1 |
| Battery | Internal 9V, not included1 |
| Input impedance | ~500KΩ1 |
| Output impedance | ~2KΩ1 |
| List price | $199.95 USD1 |
Power and connections
The pedal runs from a 9VDC supply with a 2.1mm negative center-pin plug, the standard center-negative format used by most pedalboard supplies. Current draw is under 60mA, and Mr. Black recommends a supply output of at least 100mA. An internal 9V battery can be used instead, though none is included with the pedal. Input impedance is approximately 500KΩ and output impedance approximately 2KΩ.1
Mr. Black recommends a power supply rated at 100mA or greater for this pedal. A supply output below that may not be sufficient even though the pedal's draw is under 60mA.
Buying direct: the return policy
Because the Unicorn Tears edition is a limited run sold through Mr. Black's own product page, the maker's terms are strict: "ALL SALES FINAL! NO RETURNS/EXCHANGES/REFUNDS."1 In practical terms, an order of this pedal cannot be sent back, so it is a purchase to make only once you are sure it is the effect you want.
The manual for the pedal is available as a PDF from Mr. Black at http://www.mrblack.jackdeville.com/manuals/downwardspiral-manual.pdf.1
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