Spaceman Effects Voyager I

The Spaceman Effects Voyager I is an optical analog tremolo pedal: an all-analog, light-based circuit that raises and lowers your volume in a repeating wave, the way the tremolo circuits in vintage amplifiers did. What sets it apart from a standard tremolo is an envelope section that listens to how hard you play and changes the effect in response, so the pedal reacts to your picking dynamics rather than simply cycling at a fixed rate¹.

Spaceman describes the design in its own words:

The Voyager I is no longer available: Spaceman's product pages list it as sold out¹².

How the envelope section works

The core of the Voyager I is what Spaceman calls an optional envelope control section that changes parameters based on your playing dynamics¹. A selector switch chooses between two envelope modes, Freq and Fade, and an Envelope control dials in the sensitivity of the envelope section so the pedal responds to your touch the way you want¹.

The two modes work in opposite directions:

In Freq mode, digging in makes the tremolo pulse faster and easing off lets it relax, which suits players who want the intensity of the effect to track their attack. In Fade mode, hard playing pushes the tremolo out of the way entirely and it returns as you soften up or hold notes, effectively using your dynamics as an on/off control for the effect¹.

The other controls

Alongside the envelope section, the Voyager I carries the controls a tremolo player expects, plus a tonal shaping option¹²:

The wave shape switch is the classic tremolo choice: a triangle wave gives the smooth, rounded swell associated with amplifier tremolo, while a square wave chops the signal on and off more abruptly. The Filter control is less common on tremolo pedals, letting you voice the effect brighter or warmer to sit with the rest of your rig².

Finishes and the Pink Edition

The Voyager I appeared in a range of finishes across its run, shown on Spaceman's product page as Silver, Black, Brass, White, Navy Blue, Chrome, and Copper². Pricing varied by finish, from $349.00 to $499.00². Guitar Pedal X reports that on the original Voyager I "the price tag went as high as $499 for the shiny copper edition!"³.

The final version was a one-of-a-kind Pink Edition:

• Pink powder-coated enclosure with a heavy duty white and black engraved faceplate¹
• Signed and numbered on the inside, with a 1-of-1 hand-hammered number tag on the enclosure¹
• A white jewel indicator with a soft pink LED¹
• Listed at $499.00¹

The Voyager II reissue

Spaceman later reissued the dynamic optical tremolo as the Voyager II³. The circuit concept carries over, but the reissue makes several changes:

• The Voyager I's all analog, light-based (optical) design gives it what Spaceman describes as vintage tone and feel, while its unique control options set it apart from the old standards¹²
• In the Freq setting, the LFO speed increases with louder dynamics and slows back down when playing with a lighter touch¹
• A one-of-a-kind Pink Edition appeared in a pink powder-coated enclosure with a heavy duty white and black engraved faceplate, signed and numbered on the inside, with a 1-of-1 hand-hammered number tag on the enclosure¹

For a player weighing the two, the Voyager I is the original handmade run, an all analog, light-based (optical) tremolo whose unique control options set it apart from the old standards¹², while the Voyager II is the current version of the same dynamic optical tremolo design.

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