The Vahlbruch SpaceTime v3 is a handmade echo delay pedal from German builder Vahlbruch FX. Its defining idea is a hybrid signal path: your dry guitar signal stays entirely in the analog domain, preserving its character and dynamics without latency, while the echo signal is generated digitally in a parallel path and blended back in1. Vahlbruch says it delivers a warm, deep delay sound, is easy to operate, and can create classic analog-style self-oscillations1.
The V3 was released in June 2026, replacing the SpaceTime Tap V2, which is now discontinued2.
An echo with an analog dry path
The core design decision on the SpaceTime v3 is where your dry signal goes. Instead of converting your whole guitar signal to digital and back, the pedal passes it through analog circuitry from input to output, and only the repeats are created digitally in a parallel path, then added back in the analog world1. Vahlbruch frames this as uniquely combining the advantages of analog and digital audio circuits1.
Delicious Audio, reporting on the V3, described the approach as an analog dry path with zero latency2. The same hybrid idea appears elsewhere in the pedal world: the Wampler Faux Tape Echo v2 uses a completely pure analog dry path with the digital delay layered on top, so only the delay line is digital3. The appeal for players is that the tone you hear when the pedal is on is the tone of your guitar and the rest of your rig, with the repeats sitting on top rather than replacing your signal.
The V3 also carries over Vahlbruch's MagTraB magnetic switching, along with tap tempo2. The V2 before it was likewise a handmade echo pedal combining analog and digital circuits in the same way, with the dry signal fully analog and the echo generated in a parallel digital path4.
The controls
The V3 streamlines the interface compared with its predecessor. Where the V2 carried a larger control set, the V3 gives you three main knobs and a couple of extras2:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Time | Sets the delay time1 |
| Repeats | Sets the number of repeats2 |
| Mix-Level | Sets the echo mix level2 |
| Mod | Adjustable delay time modulation2 |
| Tone switch | Three positions: bright, mellow, dark1 |
The tone switch gives you three preset echo characters rather than a variable tone knob, which keeps the front panel simple1. Delicious Audio described the resulting repeats as warm digital repeats, and noted the V3 keeps an active 3 band equalizer on the echo side2.
Changes from the V2
The biggest change is physical. The V3 shrinks the footprint dramatically compared with the chunky enclosure of the V22. What you get in exchange is a more streamlined control set, and Delicious Audio was candid that the redesign came at a cost:
"TheSpaceTime Tap V3 fixed all of it, not without sacrifices."
Paolo De Gregorio, Delicious Audio2
The sacrifices were the V2's extra controls, dropped alongside the smaller footprint2. What did not change: the MagTraB magnetic switching, the 60mA current draw, and the handmade-in-Germany build quality2. The internal switches also remain, so you can still choose true bypass or buffered operation2.
The SpaceTime Tap V2 is discontinued and has been replaced by the V32.
Power and practical details
The SpaceTime v3 requires an external regulated 9V power supply, which is not included1. Current consumption is 60mA1, the same draw as the V22.
The power polarity is positive at the ring and negative at the tip1. This is the reverse of the center-negative convention used by most 9V pedals, so check your power supply and cable before plugging in.
Input impedance is 1M Ohms and output impedance is 1k Ohms1. The enclosure measures 115mm x 70mm x 48mm and weighs 240g1. In the US the list price is $230; in the European Union it is 199 euro including VAT1. Orders are handled by email through support@vahlbruch-fx.com1.
For more on the effect type generally, see delay pedals.
Videos
Mike Hermans
Alberto Barrero
Questions
Is the Vahlbruch SpaceTime v3 analog or digital?
It is a hybrid. Your dry guitar signal stays entirely in the analog domain with no latency, while the echo signal is generated digitally in a parallel path and blended back in. Vahlbruch describes this as combining the advantages of analog and digital audio circuits.
Does the SpaceTime v3 come with a power supply?
No. The pedal requires an external regulated 9V power supply, which is not included. You need to supply your own, and note that its polarity is positive at the ring and negative at the tip, which is not the most common pedalboard convention.
Can the SpaceTime v3 be set to true bypass?
Yes. Internal DIP switches let you choose true bypass, buffered bypass, or kill-dry mode. The V3 keeps this internal switching arrangement that was also present on the V2.
What is the power polarity of the SpaceTime v3?
The polarity is positive at the ring and negative at the tip. That is the reverse of the center-negative standard used by most 9V pedals, so a typical daisy chain or generic supply may not work without the right cable.
How much current does the SpaceTime v3 draw?
The current consumption is 60mA at 9V. That is modest by modern pedal standards and the same draw the V2 had, so most isolated pedalboard power supplies can run it comfortably.
Where is the SpaceTime v3 made?
It is handmade in Germany by Vahlbruch FX. Delicious Audio noted that the V3 keeps the same handmade-in-Germany build quality as the version it replaced.
Sources (4)
- Vahlbruch SpaceTime delay echo pedal, MagTraB switching, made in Germany, Vahlbruch FX, 2026
- Updated Pedal: Vahlbruch SpaceTime Tap V3, Delicious Audio, 2026-06-01
- Faux Tape Echo v2, Wampler Pedals, 2026-08-18
- Vahlbruch pedal, SpaceTime Delay Tap Tempo, MagTraB switching, made in Germany, Vahlbruch FX, 2025
