Spaceman Effects Spaceman Apollo VIIb

The Spaceman Effects Apollo VIIb is a medium-gain overdrive and preamp pedal derived from the preamp section of the Voyager tremolo. Spaceman describes it as the preamp and overdrive section from the Voyager tremolo series, isolated in its own compact enclosure, and says it "features rich and complex textures, with a balanced clarity and dynamic response that is truly a delight to play"¹. RockBoard's PedalPedia entry adds that it "delivers dynamic overdrive tones with rich harmonic content and strong touch sensitivity"².

The VIIb is an updated and refined version of the 2019 Apollo VII, and its backstory is unusual: Spaceman says the original Apollo VII is "a fine overdrive, but it's not the Voyager preamp that Spaceman fans had asked for"³¹. Founder Zak Martin left the brand in 2019, and when he returned in 2024 he found the released Apollo VII circuit had been altered from his intended design, leading to the VIIb restoring that design¹⁴. The through-hole Apollo VIIb is listed as sold out on Spaceman's page¹.

From the Voyager preamp

The Apollo VIIb's clipping options include a mode drawn from the Voyager tremolo series: Spaceman describes the VOY position as the original semi-symmetrical LED-based clipping from the Voyager pedal series, using the same specific measured LEDs used in the Voyager I, 1e and II¹. The pedal is a fully analog circuit using only through-hole components, and Spaceman lists it at $299.00 to $329.00 USD¹. The VIIb revision arrived in 2025: Guitar Pedal X reported in April 2025 that Spaceman had opened limited pre-orders for the revised pedal in Blue, Black and White⁵.

Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson reported that "over 60% of the components and/or values have been changed to 'correct' the Apollo circuit," and that Spaceman says "It should really be called the Apollo VIII as it's 80% different from the original"⁵. The overall frequency curve, gain structure, clipping balance and dynamics were all refined as a result⁵. Delicious Audio reported the July 2025 announcement of the limited edition pedal in signed and numbered Blue, White and Black finishes, with the Black version featuring a vintage aerospace indicator light⁴.

Controls

The control layout is three knobs and a toggle:

RockBoard's PedalPedia entry summarizes the same set: "The Gain, Tone, and Level controls provide flexible shaping from clean boost to saturated drive"².

VOY, ALT and boost: three clipping modes

The three-position toggle gives two additional options beyond the original Voyager tremolo preamp³:

• VOY: The original semi-symmetrical LED-based clipping from the Voyager pedal series, using the same specific measured LEDs as the Voyager I, 1e and II. Spaceman says it offers a blend of odd and even-order harmonics¹³.
• ALT: A new asymmetrical diode clipping option exclusive to the Apollo VIIb, with increased even-order harmonics for a smoother breakup¹. Guitar Pedal X identifies the ALT diodes as asymmetrical silicon⁵.
• + (Boost): Removes the clipping diodes entirely. Spaceman says it is significantly louder and less compressed, with pronounced odd-order harmonics¹³.

Delicious Audio's summary of the three positions: "VOY for original semi-symmetrical LED clipping, ALT for exclusive asymmetrical clipping with smoother breakup, + for diode-less boost with sparkling, louder tones"⁴.

Power and connections

The through-hole Apollo VIIb runs on a 9V DC supply, center negative, through a 2.1mm jack, or on a 9V battery¹. Current draw is low: 4.85 mA in bypass and 5.7 mA engaged¹.

Alongside the instrument input and output, the pedal carries an EXP / control-voltage jack: a TRS input accepting 0 to 5V DC, protected against over-voltage and reverse voltage¹. That makes it usable with an expression pedal or an external control-voltage source rather than a fixed internal function.

Cadet Series, PDX Custom Series and limited editions

The Apollo VIIb is now available in either Cadet Series or PDX Custom Series builds¹³. The two differ in construction and switching:

Spaceman describes the Cadet Series as bringing "Spaceman's signature sonic character to a wider audience through repeatable, SMD-based designs," with consistent availability, accessible pricing and everyday reliability⁶. The Cadet version is covered on its own page: Apollo VIIb Cadet.

The limited editions stack up like this:

• First Edition: Three signed and numbered colors, Blue, Black and White, in a numbered, open edition format¹.
• Black Edition: Extra-limited, with a vintage dimmable aerospace indicator light¹.
• Gray Edition: Ultra-limited to 25 signed and numbered pedals, with a vintage dimmable aerospace indicator light and custom knobs on a gray powder-coated enclosure¹.

How it differs from the Apollo VII

The Apollo VII that launched in 2019 was a rich, medium-gain overdrive with three controls, level, gain and tone, each optimized for a wide variety of sounds⁷⁸. Guitar Pedal X noted at launch that it had "an incredible amount of headroom on this pedal too with up to 40dB of gain on tap"⁹. The VII keeps the Voyager lineage but, in Spaceman's own words, is not the Voyager preamp fans had asked for³. The VIIb restores Zak Martin's intended design after his 2024 return⁴, changes over 60% of components or values⁵, and adds the ALT asymmetrical clipping mode exclusive to the VIIb¹. The Apollo VII is also listed as sold out⁷.

Build and warranty

Each through-hole Apollo VIIb is completely soldered and wired by hand in Portland, Oregon, using only through-hole components with tight-tolerance, hand-selected and measured parts¹. RockBoard's PedalPedia entries for the Blue and Black versions confirm the Portland build². The pedal carries a Limited Lifetime Warranty¹.

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