Disaster Transport EarthQuaker Devices Pedal
Limited to 3,500 units worldwide. Behold! The newest incarnation of one of our most beloved pedals ever, the Disaster Transport. For those of you well versed in the pedal’s celebrated history, you might notice some differences on this beautifully sparkly box. A new Mod Mode switch allows you to bend or stretch the modulation wave. The new Mod Speed switch offers three rates of modulation, from bizarrely animated gradual climbs and steep drop offs to rapid chorus and intense vibrato.
The delay line has been redesigned to reduce the noise floor and improve the quality of the delay. Plus, it’s now filtered to sound more like an analog delay than any of the previous versions. With knobs to control the Speed, Intensity, Mix, Repeats, and Time; this analog-voiced digital delay sits perfectly in the background with an evolved ambiance, but can also be dialed in for the dramatic effect of your choosing.
What's in the Box of the Disaster Transport EarthQuaker Devices Pedal?
- Disaster Transport Pedal
- Pedal Box
- Cloth Pedal Bag
- EarthQuaker Devices Sticker
- Disaster Transport Pedal Manual
Disaster Transport EarthQuaker Devices Pedal Controls
- Speed: Controls the speed of the modulation. The Speed operates in three ranges (Slow/Fast/Medium) selected by the Mod Speed toggle switch. The Disaster Transport uses a Ramp wave for the modulation. You’ll find this to be much more intense than most modulated delays. Think of it as a traditional Triangle wave that falls off a cliff in mid-cycle, creating a drastic pitch bend in its wake. Or don’t and just think about whatever you want.
- Intensity: Controls how much the LFO modulates the delay time. More subtle chorus type effects are achieved with less intensity and more intensity will yield wild pitch stretching and bending. The overall modulation style can be made more or less subtle by using the Mod Mode toggle switch to select Bend or Stretch.
- Mix: Sets the volume level for the delay signal. Hear more of what you just played 30-600ms ago by turning this up.
- Repeats: Controls the intensity of delay feedback from no repeats at zero to self-oscillation at max. Let the past pile up on you until it implodes.
- Time: Sets the delay time from around 30ms at zero to 600ms* at max. Everyone needs more time; all we can offer you is about 600ms worth.
- Mod Speed: Three position toggle switch that sets the range in which the Speed operates.
- Mod Mode: Two position toggle switch to choose the modulation style. Bend is more of a traditional chorus type modulation and Stretch is a wilder pitch stretching modulation.
- Modulate: This foot-operated switch features Flexi-Switch® Technology and turns the modulation on and off.
- Activate: This foot-operated switch features Flexi-Switch® Technology and turns the effect on and off.
*The delay time for the Disaster Transport Legacy Reissue can vary based on different settings and individual units.
The actual delay time is influenced by several factors, with one of the most significant being the Modulation setting. If the Modulation is active, the delay time will automatically be shorter due to the parameters that determine the delay. The specified approximate delay time of 600 ms is based on the Modulation being set to off.
Other factors affecting the delay time include the Intensity setting and the IC (Integrated Circuit) itself that controls it. The pt2399 is an older and unique IC, which can have variable tolerances. As a result, some units may produce longer delay times compared to others.
Disaster Transport EarthQuaker Devices Pedal Design Notes
We initially set out to recreate the original Disaster Transport pedal in its earliest form, but the OG of EQD, Jamie Stillman, couldn’t resist tinkering and improving the whole thing, so you just got upgraded, my friend. In doing so, we redesigned the delay line to reduce the noise floor and improve the quality of the delay. We boosted the output with a cleaner mixing section; it’s now filtered to sound more like an analog delay than any of the previous versions.
We’ve added a Mod Mode switch that allows you to choose between bending and stretching the modulation wave. The Bend setting offers a subtler vibe closer to a traditional chorus sound, while the new Stretch option gives you loads of pitch-stretching modulation to run wild with.
The other difference you probably spotted with your eagle eye is the Mod Speed three-position toggle switch. The Slow setting is excruciatingly slow and can produce bizarrely animated gradual climbs and steep drop offs. The Fast setting can go from a rapid chorus to an intense vibrato, while the Medium setting is the most traditional rate similar to the classic Memory Man circuit with a nice range to it.
The newly designed enclosure features knobs to control the Speed, Intensity, Mix, Repeats, and Time, with Modulate and Activate switches, making this a highly customizable pedal to get the delay sound of your dreams. Thanks to the ramp modulation circuitry, you can turn the delay time down and start to use feedback and modulation at a higher setting to harness a bizarre modulator and achieve subtle to wild chorus-type effects. Or set your delay time how you want to set it and use your modulation rates to set your tempo, so you can strum or pluck to the climbs and drop offs to match your riffs. The possibilities are endless.
Disaster Transport EarthQuaker Devices Pedal Specs
- Dimensions: 3.65 x 4.65 x 2.25 in. (93 x 118 x 57 mm) with knobs
- Current Draw: 35 mA
- Input Impedance: 1 MΩ
- Output Impedance: 1 kΩ
- Flexi-Switch® Technology: This device features Flexi-Switch® Technology! This relay-based, true bypass switching style allows you to simultaneously use momentary and latching style switching.
- For standard latching operation, tap the footswitch once to activate the effect and then tap again to bypass.
- For momentary operation, hold the footswitch down for as long as you’d like to use the effect. Once you release the switch the effect will be bypassed.
- Since the switching is relay based, it requires power to pass signal.
- Power: This device takes a standard 9 volt DC power supply with a 2.1mm negative center barrel. We always recommend pedal-specific, transformer-isolated wall-wart power supplies or multiple isolated-output supplies. Pedals will make extra noise if there is ripple or unclean power. Switching-type power supplies, daisy chains and non-pedal specific power supplies do not filter dirty power as well and let through unwanted noise. DO NOT RUN AT HIGHER VOLTAGES!
Disaster Transport EarthQuaker Devices Pedal Warranty
All EarthQuaker Devices pedals come with a limited lifetime warranty. If it breaks, they'll fix it.
