NPD: EQD Space Spiral Delay

[Winston Psmith]

Along with my mission to pick up the Viola the other day, I got myself a new, used Delay pedal, an EQD Space Spiral V1 Delay.

 

Earthquaker discontinued the Space Spiral a while back, so I was glad to find one in nearly new condition.

 

It's a Modulated Delay, which isn't quite the same as a classic Memory Man-style Delay w/Modulation pedal. The Space Spiral doesn't add a Modulation effect to the repeats, like the Memory Man, or the Carbon Copy ; it modulates the Delay Time, which can produce extreme Pitch-Bending effects at extreme settings, or something more like a Chorus effect, at lower settings. Turn on one of your favorite Delay pedals, and turn the Delay Time knob back and forth. You'll hear the echoes change pitch and duration while you're turning the knob; that's sort of what the LFO in the Space Spiral does.

 

First up, it runs off of a Princeton PT2399 chip, a Digital chip that can sound "Analog", which is to say, it's not a pristine-sounding Delay. You can generally tell which pedals are likely to have the Princeton chip, as they'll often tout "Analog-like" sound, will usually have some form of Modulation or Filtering added to the Delay, and they tend to top out somewhere between 300 and 600 milliseconds. I've seen some very cagey promo copy using phrases like "Analog warmth" without specifically saying that something is an Analog circuit, and at least one line (Modtone) calling their Delay pedal an Analog Delay, when it's not.

 

You can push a PT chip near 900 milliseconds or so, but the sound quality degrades quickly. Catalinbread's Bicycle Delay, J. Rockett's Immortal Echo, Mojo Hand FX' Mirror Ball, and JHS' Pink Panther are just some of the pedals using the PT chip. There are a LOT more than you may expect.

 

One issue with many, but not all PT-based Delays; when you hit the switch, you'll hear that old familiar "POP" that some of us remember all too well from our first pedals back in the 70's. It's a feature, not a bug, to use the current phraseology. My Bicycle Delay does it, the Space Spiral does it, and I've read reviews of other PT-based pedals that do it. Some players have them in a discrete loop, which seems cumbersome. For my purposes, it'll be an always-ON effect, so I'm not concerned with the noise.

 

The controls are pretty simple and straightforward. The top row has knobs for Time, Repeats, and Mix, which are self-evident. The bottom row has Depth, Shape, and Rate. The Shape control takes the Mod waveform from a fairly smooth Triangle Wave to a choppier Square Wave setting.

 

The pedal can go from subtle to seasick, depending on the Mod settings, and the Delay Time. Long Delay times with slow, deep Triangle Wave Modulation will have you heaving over the rails. You can use it as a more-or-less conventional Delay pedal, if you dial back the Depth & Rate controls to Zero (around 7 o'clock), but why bother? PT chip-based Delays aren't noted for their sound quality, even beyond the switch-popping issue.

 

I got this for my live Novparolo pedalboard, which held a Quantum Drive (local boutique Dual OD/Distortion), a Keeley Seafoam Chorus V1, and a Malekko 616 Analog Delay (a personal favorite), in the S/R loop of a GR-20 Guitar Synth. In that board, I keep all three pedals ON, as "thickeners" for the Guitar signal. It really makes a difference in how they blend with the Guitar Synth tones. For now, I've swapped out the 616 for the Space Spiral, for a more textured sound.

 

If anyone is interested, I've found that a completely Dry Guitar signal just sounds anemic when blended back in with the Guitar Synth tones, while heavy Distortion or over-processed tones wind up sounding like I'm in my own way. Getting the two signals to play nicely together is part of the fun, and an essential part of the technique.

 

FWIW, there were 2 versions of the Space Spiral, and mine is a V1. V2 had what EQD calls a Variswitch; tap it for normal On/Off function, or press-&-hold for Momentary function. Not a critical feature for my purposes, but I can see where it might be very useful, especially in something like the Rainbow Machine, where you might want to bring that sound in briefly for an accent effect, then have it drop back out.

[KuruPrionz]

3 minutes ago, Winston Psmith said:

If anyone is interested, I've found that a completely Dry Guitar signal just sounds anemic when blended back in with the Guitar Synth tones, while heavy Distortion or over-processed tones wind up sounding like I'm in my own way. Getting the two signals to play nicely together is part of the fun, and an essential part of the technique.

It's been my experience that a completely dry guitar sound needs to be coming from a different source than any other sound that is being created simultaneously. 

That is the magic trick for the Roland JC120 chorus amps, one speaker is dry and the other has chorus. That causes a 3d sound effect as the modulated sound varies from the non-modulated sound. Yes, if you blend them together and out of the same speakers, it's not a particularly interesting addition. You could also just have different sounds in each speaker, different modulation rates, different levels of distortion, etc. 

 

Your milage may vary! 

Sounds like a fun pedal!!!

I've more or less gone to amps that have all built in effects. Next step in my process is to add another Peavey VIP1 (I already have the amp and the second Sanpera 1 pedal). Then I'll have 2 amps and 2 small pedals with LOTS of mix options onboard for stereo madness and it will still fit on my folding dolly. Fun!!!

[Winston Psmith]

@KuruPrionz- Some of the early "stereo" Chorus pedals did exactly what you describe, sending the Modulated signal through one Out jack, and the Dry signal through the other.

 

Sounds like you've condensed your rig down to one folding rolling cart. I wonder if we have the same model? This is the rig I had for a live radio show, some time back. The Rolls Headphone Amp strapped to the top is something the radio station gave me to cannibalize for parts.

 

[KuruPrionz]

I don't have a cart and my gig goodies bag is a bag, not a suitcase. No pedal board either, if I bring the Sanpera 1 it goes in the gig goodies bag. 

I use a folding dolly, has much larger wheels. I've had 2 amps and the bag on the dolly, it's a bit heavy but can be done. 

I haven't lugged a guitar case for a long time, well padded guitar gig bags with shoulder straps are my go to. 

Since I'm only gigging with "screwdriver strat or tele, I don't worry too much about the instrument and so far no real damage of any kind. 

 

Last week at a thrift store I found a beautiful Road Runner heavily padded guitar bag in excellent condition (all zippers work great) for $6.

That's my new favorite bag. 

 

Most gigs around here are only worth bringing one amp. Sometimes I don't bring any sort of floor foot controller, I just set the amp so it sings and turn the guitar up and down. 

On those rare occasions I want modulation, two clicks over from "no effects" is a nice chorus, that's on the amp.

 

Simplicity first might be my mantra, years of playing acoustic guitar may have done that to me. 

[Caevan O’Shite]

[Winston Psmith]

@Caevan O’Shite- Much as I've enjoyed Knobs' videos over time, I find them somewhat misleading, as well. Very often, Knobs is running prerecorded loops of processed sound through the effect being demonstrated, as in this video. Knobs' emphasis on artistry can detract from the usefulness of the information provided.

 

For example, the slow attack (SV-2, Bumblebee, Slow Gear) sound in much of this video isn't produced by the Space Spiral. I'm not sure what else Knobs is using to produce that effect, but the video could easily give you the impression that it's the Spiral. It's not, although it sounds lovely being processed through the Spiral. (Another argument for having a Volume Pedal right before your Delay effects in the signal chain, for "Volume Swell/Fade" effects.)

 

One thing this video points up, without saying so directly, is that the Spiral really could have used an EXP In jack. Many of the more interesting sounds in the video are the result of turning the control knobs IRT, which is hard to do with both hands on your Guitar, Bass, or other Stringed Instrument.

 

Finally, right around the 6:45 - 6:46 mark, you'll hear the "POP", when Knobs presses the footswitch. I'm glad that showed up in the video, although Knobs makes no mention of it when it happens, and I'm not sure how many viewers will notice it.

[Caevan O’Shite]

12 hours ago, Winston Psmith said:

For example, the slow attack (SV-2, Bumblebee, Slow Gear) sound in much of this video isn't produced by the Space Spiral. I'm not sure what else Knobs is using to produce that effect, but the video could easily give you the impression that it's the Spiral. It's not, although it sounds lovely being processed through the Spiral. (Another argument for having a Volume Pedal right before your Delay effects in the signal chain, for "Volume Swell/Fade" effects.)

Oh, it never occurred to me that anyone might presume the various volume-swells in that video were produced via the Space Spiral; perhaps because such volume-swells have so often been a feature in my own playing. It just occurred to me, that I liked the combination.
 

 

12 hours ago, Winston Psmith said:

One thing this video points up, without saying so directly, is that the Spiral really could have used an EXP In jack. Many of the more interesting sounds in the video are the result of turning the control knobs IRT, which is hard to do with both hands on your Guitar, Bass, or other Stringed Instrument.

That DID occur to me!


But... what about the Water Bear that I posted? Can the Water Bear get a li'l love 'n washy echoes?

[Winston Psmith]

 I like the little tardigrades . . .

[Old Music Guy]

On 2/22/2023 at 11:32 AM, KuruPrionz said:

That is the magic trick for the Roland JC120 chorus amps, one speaker is dry and the other has chorus.

I used a JC-120 back in the 70s disco daze for my Rhodes. I currently have another one in my music room, which is dated 1980. I use it for my Yamaha MO8.  

My take: I was 25 then, I'm 69+1 now. It sucked to move it then, and that hasn't changed. 

There is no question IMHO that the Roland Chorus is the best ever. But, If I could find a pedal that sounded half as good, I would be all over it. 

 

EDIT: SP

[Dannyalcatraz]

I was tardy grading the tardigrade…but I did grade it!

[Winston Psmith]

@Old Music Guy- My favorite of the Boss Chorus pedals was the mid-80's CE-3, which allowed you to send the Chorus effect through one Out jack, and the direct Guitar, Or KB, through the other.

 

Can't swear it would give you the same sound as a JC-120, but they weigh a lot less, and I still see them for reasonable prices.