All-Pedal looks to repeat its killer colourful Macrodose Filter formula - with its new Microdose Phaser Spaceman collaboration
I’m a big fan of the forerunner to this pedal - the marvellously colourful and potent Microdose Filter pedal - based on an evolution of Subdecay’s Prometheus DLX. And while this new one is a collaboration with Spaceman Effects - and evolved from its former Explorer Deluxe 6 Stage Optical Phaser - looks-wise in terms of overall format and topology is still looks to me closer to a Subdecay variant - especially in having those 2 larger lower dials.
The Explorer Deluxe was released back in early 2018 and came with 6 controls - Resonance, Level, Mix, Shape, Speed, and Range. Where the 6 Waveform shapes it covered were - Sine, Ramp Down, Ramp Up, Triangle, Square, and Manual. Spaceman miniaturised that format into its Compact Explorer - which retains all the same features in a much smaller enclosure.
The new Microdose Phaser is based on the same original format - so obviously an optical phaser variety too, we have a much more evolved control topology with 8 knobs, 2 slider switches, and dual footswitches. Interestingly while the original inspiration was a 6 Stage variety - that is not available for the Microdose - as we step from 2 to 4 and onto 8 Stages instead.
The big win for me here is in all those different Waverforms - 16 no less, and a new Warp control which allows you to adjust the Duty Cycle / Wave Symmetry of the Phase - being able to skew the waveform in interesting ways - while when parked at noon it is neutral and has no impact. Finally we have Tap-Tempo enabled via second Footswitch, which is also served by a Multiplier control which very much works as a Tap Division adjuster.
The Microdose Phaser’s tone creation is all-analogue, while it has a digital surface layer and LFO - in order to manipulate waveforms and tap-tempo.
Controls - Warp (Modify Duty Cycle / Wave Symmetry), Depth, Resonance, Level, Rate, Wave Set / Bank (See Waveform knob) : Alternate / Standard, Stages : 2 / 4 / 8, Blend (Dry>Wet Mix), (Tap) Multiplier : 0.5 / 1 / 1.5 / 2 / 3 / 4, Waveforms : 8 x Standard + 8 x Alternate (see below graphic and details), Tap Tempo Footswitch, Bypass Footswitch.
16 Waveforms
The Waveform Dial is actually split into 2 banks of 8 waveforms - with the upper Blue Portion Standard / Original - corresponding to the inner Waveform ring, and the lower Purple Portion Alternate corresponding to the outer ring.
Standard / Original has all your typical suspects - generally the simpler waveform variants, while the Alternates move into step-filtering and pitch-shifting territory - with some pretty unique variants rarely found on phaser stompboxes.
For me the 16 waveforms are probably the big draw here!
I still very much love my Macrodose Filter - while that has slightly been sidelined by Subdecay's further evolved Prometheus 3 Dual Super Filter.
And I thought I had pretty much completed my phaser ToneQuest mostly last year, while there's too much to like about this new Microdose Phaser for that not to go down on the wishlist too. In fact the only niggle I have is the positioning of the jewel LED - which for the Macrodose - was in a more aesthetic 'nose' position in symmetry with the 2 larger knobs as eyes - and corresponding / sort of aligning to the graphic of the mouth. For this new variety the designer has kind of skewed that symmetry by moving the 'nose' way too far up the enclosure!
Otherwise I can't see how anyone would not love this extended range phaser - it has supreme granularity through all those different controls, with additional Warp and Tap Tempo onboard too. I cannot see how anyone would not fail to be satisfied. Andy Martin's demo really illustrates the finer qualities of this pedal - and it sounds incredibly throughout.
I would have liked to have tested this one out before launch - to have some more constructive insights on how well everything works - but I obviously don't always get my way! Based on my experience with its sibling I cannot foresees any issues.
Pricing is pretty much the same as the Macrodose at $325 - which is about fair for what you're getting - and you of course have that really cool All-Pedal artwork which wraps around every side of the pedal - with colourful additional details. Available of course from the All-Pedal Webstore - actually Reverb.com! and imminently at leading International Dealers.
One of the most interesting and original phasers out there fore sure!
Demos
