Guitar Tricks Insider April/May Digital Edition | Page 62

GEAR REVIEW

GEAR REVIEW

EARTHQUAKER –
“DISASTER
TRANSPORT”
DELAY GUITAR
EFFECT STOMP BOX
Review By Dave Celentano

STREET PRICE $215

A small Akron, Ohio-based company barely a
decade old and going by the name of EarthQuaker
Devices has been steadily gaining momentum
on the more established effects pedal giants.
EarthQuaker’s expanding line of guitar effects
pedals emit out-of-this world sounds with names
equally as unworldly like “Arpanoid,” “Afterneath
Otherworldly Reverberation Machine,” “Black
Eye,” “Cloven Hoof Fuzz,” “Zap Machine,”
“Palisades,” “Crimson Drive,” and “Interstellar
Orbiter.” Considering the endless number of
effects pedals available and manufactures
producing them, the EarthQuaker line stands out
as hand-built, rugged, user friendly, and most
importantly, ear friendly as you’ll be treated to
classic psychedelic sounds, textures, overdrives,
and many new aural creations. EarthQuaker’s
“Disaster Transport” pedal is a 2-for-1 deal. It’s
a digital delay pedal piggy-backed with chorus
(not included on the Disaster Transport Jr.) that
replicates an old school vintage tape echo, with all
its glorious lo-fi attributes, and a chorusing feature
that impacts only the delayed signal, and ranges
from nauseatingly intense modulation to subtle
chorusing. This pedal will satisfy the most vintageminded tone enthusiasts looking for authenticsounding analog delay. The Disaster Transport
produces a multitude of vintage-sounding
delays and chorus effects including a convincing
’50s style slap-back echo, the Edge inspired
dotted eighth note repeats, psychedelic grunge
chorusing/echo, pulsing hypnotic delays along
with wickedly cool-sounding effects like lasers,
intergalactic space wars, and spaceships taking off
and landing.

FEATURES
The Time knob controls the delay, which
ranges from 30ms (fully counter-clockwise) to
625ms (fully clockwise) and repeats ranging
from one to almost infinite. I favored the spot
between 9 and 10 o’clock on the Repeats
knob where the echo diminished gently, and
didn’t overpower the dry signal resulting in
aural clarity.
You can make quick and easy tone
adjustments with the Tone knob while
simultaneously filtering out noise generated
from long delay times. This results in more
62

DIGITAL EDITION

APR/MAY

natural-sounding tape repeats. Roll the Tone
knob back for warmer analog echo and clockwise
for edgier tones.
The Mix knob is the master volume for the delay
signal, and controls blending echo with the dry
signal with the 12 o’clock position equaling the
dry signal. The position above it boosts the delay
signal louder than the dry level (up to four times
the original signal) and below diminishes the
effect from the original signal. To replicate the
Edge’s signature dotted eighth note delay, set
the Mix level about 11-12 o’clock.
The Depth knob controls the modulation of the
effected signal, which ranges from a nauseating
pitch-bending warble, to a Leslie speaker
vibrato and softer chorusing colors. Note:
the modulation affects only the delay signal
resulting in a crisp and defined performance
by leaving the original clean and untouched.
This is an excellent feature especially when
coupled with a bit of distortion. Tip: to produce
a more natural modulation, roll back the Depth
as the delay time increases. Rate controls the
speed of the modulation while a cool LED light
pulses in time v