The Spaceman Effects Explorer Deluxe 6 Stage Optical Phaser is a phaser pedal built around an optical, photocell-based design: six sweeping analog stages that shift the phase of your signal using light-dependent cells rather than ordinary electronic sweep circuitry. Spaceman describes the circuit as "an optical six stage analog phaser" delivering "6 stages of optically swept phase shifting"1. Pedal of the Day reviewed it in November 2017, calling it "another classic gem from the Spaceman Effects crew"2.
A six-stage phaser with a photocell-based optical design
A phaser splits your signal, shifts the phase of part of it through a series of stages, and blends it back with the dry signal, producing the sweeping, jet-like movement players know from phaser pedals. What sets the Explorer Deluxe apart is how the sweep is driven: instead of the usual approach, Spaceman used photocells, so the phase stages are swept optically. Pedal of the Day described it as "an optical, photocell-based phaser design, one that features six sweeping analog stages"2. Six stages is a deeper phase network than the four stages of many classic phasers, which is where the pedal's pronounced, resonant character comes from.
The controls
The Explorer Deluxe covers the standard phaser parameters and adds a mix control, which is not a given on a phaser2.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Level | Sets the output volume of the phase tone2 |
| Mix | Blends the wet and dry signals2 |
| Resonance | Dials in the feedback properties, from subtle to, as Pedal of the Day put it, "crazy, outer-spacey, over-the-top phaser tones"2 |
| Speed | Wide-range control of the LFO, for fast or slow motion and everything between2 |
| Shape | Selects the LFO wave shape, or Manual mode in its sixth position12 |
The Mix knob is worth noting for players running distorted or compressed tones alongside the phaser: it gives what Pedal of the Day called "major levels of control over how your wet and dry signals are blended"2, letting you keep the low end of your dry signal intact while the phased signal sits on top.
Five LFO shapes plus Manual mode
The Shape knob is the heart of the pedal. Spaceman lists five wave shapes: Sine, Ramp Down, Ramp Up, Triangle and Square1. Pedal of the Day names the same set as Sine, Saw-Down, Saw-Up, Triangle and Square, "for seemingly endless phaser possibilities"2. The sixth position is Manual mode, which disconnects the LFO and freezes the phase sweep12, turning the Explorer Deluxe into a fixed, resonant filter position you can park anywhere in the sweep.
The pedal also carries a CV/EXP pedal input. With the five LFO wave shapes engaged, an expression pedal controls the speed of the LFO; in Manual mode it sweeps the phaser directly, with the Rate knob setting the highest point of the sweep and the Range knob setting the lowest point1. Pedal of the Day used an optional expression pedal to control the rate throughout its demo video2.
There is also a dedicated LED that monitors the LFO speed, which Pedal of the Day notes "you can manually turn off internally if you choose"2, useful for players who do not want a blinking light on a dark stage.
Power and connections: up to 24V
The Explorer Deluxe runs on 9-24V DC, negative center, through a 2.1mm jack1. Pedal of the Day points out that it "can even be run all the way up to 24V if desired, for more clean headroom"2, an option most compact pedals do not offer.
The expression jack is a 0-5V DC TRS connection that is over and reverse voltage protected1. Spaceman says the Explorer Deluxe can be run all the way up to 24V for more clean headroom2, so a standard supply is fine, but check its voltage before plugging in.
Availability and the Explorer reissue
The Explorer Deluxe was made in a small run2. Spaceman later brought the circuit back as a small form factor reissue of the original, the Explorer: 6 Stage Phaser [NOS], which the maker says carries "all the deluxe features of the original"1. The maker's page listed that reissue as sold out as of October 20261.
Videos
Mike Hermans
Demos In The Dark
Zachary Rizer
Questions
What does the Shape knob do on the Spaceman Explorer Deluxe?
The Shape knob selects the LFO waveform. Five wave shapes are available: Sine, Ramp Down (Saw-Down), Ramp Up (Saw-Up), Triangle and Square. The sixth position is Manual mode, which disconnects the LFO and freezes the phase sweep so you can set the phase position by hand or sweep it with an expression pedal.
Can an expression pedal control the Spaceman Explorer Deluxe?
Yes. The pedal has a CV/EXP pedal input on a 0-5V DC TRS jack that is over and reverse voltage protected. With the five LFO wave shapes, the expression input controls the speed of the LFO. In Manual mode it sweeps the phaser directly, with the Rate knob setting the highest point of the sweep and the Range knob setting the lowest point.
Can the LFO speed LED be turned off?
Yes. The Explorer Deluxe has a dedicated LED that monitors the LFO speed, and Pedal of the Day notes that it can be manually turned off internally if you choose, so players who do not want the light on stage can disable it inside the pedal.
Is the Spaceman Explorer Deluxe still available?
The Explorer Deluxe was made in a small run and is no longer in production. Spaceman Effects later brought the circuit back as a small form factor reissue, the Explorer: 6 Stage Phaser [NOS], with the deluxe features of the original, though the maker's page listed it as sold out as of October 2026.
Sources (2)
- Explorer Optical Phaser, Spaceman Effects
- Spaceman Effects Explorer Deluxe Optical Phaser, Pedal of the Day (www.pedal-of-the-day.com), 2017-11-27
