Spaceman Effects Apollo VIIb Voyager

The Spaceman Effects Apollo VIIb Voyager is a tremolo preamp/overdrive pedal from Spaceman Effects, presented as a revised version of the 2019 Apollo VII¹. It is 100% analog with mechanical bypass, and carries a universal price of $299¹.

The circuit is fully analog, built with through-hole components, and uses a mechanical bypass¹². Spaceman describes it as a medium-gain overdrive with a natural tone structure, and each unit is fully soldered and wired by hand in the old style¹².

A revised Apollo VII, closer to an Apollo VIII

The Apollo VIIb exists because of a change at the company. Spaceman founder Zak Martin returned to the brand in 2024 and found that the released Apollo VII circuit had been altered from his intended design after his 2019 departure³⁴. The VIIb restores his intended design, with over 60 percent of the components and values changed to correct the Apollo circuit¹. Spaceman itself says the revision goes further than a tweak: as Guitar Pedal X reported at launch, the company clarified that the circuit is 80 percent different from the original, and that "It should really be called the Apollo VIII as it's 80% different from the original"¹.

The overall frequency curve, gain structure, clipping balance and dynamics were all refined in the process¹. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio described the pedal as "an updated and refined version of the Apollo VII, as it was intended to be," restoring Martin's design upon his 2024 return³².

The first edition was offered in three signed and numbered colors, Blue, Black and White, in a numbered, open edition format². The Black Edition is extra-limited and features a vintage dimmable aerospace indicator light², which Delicious Audio noted as "the Black version featuring a vintage aerospace indicator light"³.

The controls: Level, Gain, Tone and a clipping selector

The pedal keeps the three-knob layout of the original Apollo VII, which was itself named as a tribute to NASA's first three-person space mission, Apollo VII⁵. Spaceman says the Gain and Level controls deliver a range from a perfectly voiced and powerful boost to layered organic overdrive, while the Tone control dials in sparkle or analog warmth². RockBoard's PedalPedia entry summarizes the same three controls as providing flexible shaping from clean boost to saturated drive⁶.

The fourth control is a three-position toggle switch that gives two additional options beyond the original Voyager tremolo preamp². Where the Apollo VII's toggle offered LED clipping, silicon diode clipping and no diodes⁷⁵, the VIIb replaces that set with VOY, ALT and Boost modes⁷⁵².

What the VOY, None +Boost and ALT clipping settings do

The clipping selector is where the VIIb departs most clearly from the earlier pedal. Guitar Pedal X lists the settings as VOY (Semi-Symmetrical LEDs), None +Boost, and ALT (Asymmetrical Silicon)¹.

• VOY: the original semi-symmetrical LED clipping from the Voyager tremolo preamp³.
• ALT: a new asymmetrical silicon diode clipping option exclusive to the Apollo VIIb, with increased even-order harmonics for a smoother breakup²³.
• + (Boost): removes the clipping diodes entirely, for a significantly louder, less compressed signal with pronounced odd-order harmonics². Delicious Audio calls it "diode-less boost with sparkling, louder tones"³.

For a player, the practical difference is in how each setting breaks up: VOY behaves like the Voyager preamp it came from, ALT softens the breakup with even-order harmonics, and + turns the pedal into a clean-ish loud boost²³.

Power, build and availability

The pedal can be powered by a 9V battery or an external power supply², and Guitar Pedal X confirmed the battery option at launch¹. It is fully soldered and wired by hand in the old style¹.

What reviewers said

Delicious Audio covered the launch as a limited edition overdrive and preamp pedal, noting the three clipping modes and the Black version's vintage aerospace indicator light³.

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