EarthQuaker Devices Aqueduct Vibrato Pedal

The EarthQuaker Devices Aqueduct is a vintage-inspired pitch vibrato with eight modulation modes.

It is also the latest pedal to feature EarthQuaker Devices Flexi-Switch feature.

Select between momentary and traditional latching, so you can switch in the moment and on the fly.

For standard latching operation, tap the footswitch once to activate the effect and then tap again to bypass.

For momentary operation, hold the foot switch down for as long as you would like to use the effect and bypass the effect on release.

Because it has eight modes to choose from, the Aqueduct offers a variety of pitch-shifting vibrato tones adaptable to nearly any musical situation.

Pitch modulation is provided through Sine, Triangle, Ramp, and Square modes because most players want to add subtle textures to their music.

Because most players want a touch-sensitive vibrato experience, you can just simply play harder or softer to get the effect.

Aqueduct’s controls are very intuitive therefore it is easy to use for both pedal novices and tap-dancing pedal-heads alike to dial in all sorts of effects.

What does the Aqueduct sound like?

Delivering synth-like sonar pulses, touch-sensitive frequency modulation, gentle rolling pitch-wobbles, steady pulsations, rapid trills, slimy sonic squiggles, whammy bar wiggles, pitch bends, pseudo-flange, and anything else your pitch-warped brain can picture in your murky mind’s eye.

If you didn’t connect with that, here is a video showing what it’s like!

Features

• True pitch-shifting vibrato
• Eight different modulation modes
• Flexi-switch for latch and momentary operation
• True bypass
• Silent soft-touch switching
• Very transparent because the dry signal path is all analogue

Controls:

The controls are simple.

Rate (1)

Adjusts the LFO speed which controls how quickly the pitch rises and falls.

Depth (2)

Controls the LFO amplitude, adjusting the intensity of the vibrato effect. The rotary switch labeled

Mode (3)

This selects between one of eight LFO waveshapes and envelope combinations which, therefore, drastically alters the character of the modulation and makes Aqueduct adaptable to nearly any musical situation.

EarthQuaker Devices Aqueduct Modes

Sine:

Classic amp-like vibrato is produced by the sine wave. Plug in, turn on, and commence the Chooglin’.

Triangle:

Triangle waves have a sharper rise and fall than sine waves with a more pronounced pitch bend at the peak of each LFO cycle.

Ramp:

Like a triangle wave with a twist. The Ramp waveform has a sharp sonar pulse followed by a rapid downward slope with a synthesizer-like sustain and release. This is where things start to get a little weird.

Square:

Square waves are the most rigid and abrupt of the waveforms.

Rather than gliding smoothly between pitches, square waves produce an instant on-or-off transition between notes. Use this mode for trills when you get tired of doing hammer-ons and pull-offs.

Random:

Random mode introduces a “warped record” effect at low settings and rolls the dice on a random assortment of greasy pitch bends as the Depth is increased.

This waveform isn’t a waveform at all as much as it’s a drunken master of modulation that  slurs your notes into a random way.

It has a “warped record” effect at low Depth settings and becomes sloppier and more randomized as you increase the Depth control.

Env D:

This is Envelope-Controlled Depth mode which sets the wave to a sine wave, and then the speed is adjusted using the Rate control. The Depth control sets the sensitivity of the envelope and this is the point at which the effect kicks in as you play.

In this mode, your pick attack sets the intensity of the modulation. The harder you dig in, the more obvious the effect, so try it during your next jam.

Env R:

In the Envelope-Controlled Rate mode, the input level controls the LFO rate. The LFO uses a sine-wave so, for instance, play harder for faster modulation or lay low for slower modulation speeds.

The Rate control adjusts the sensitivity of the envelope. Depth selects the LFO intensity.

Env P:

Envelope controlled pitch mode has a wet and dry blend, giving the tonal possibilities beyond vibrato to include chorus, flanger, and tactile tremolo bar-like pitch bends.

Because of this, we’ve called it “the My Bloody Valentine setting.”

Rate sets the sensitivity and overall range of the pitch bend.

Earthquaker Devices Aqueduct requires 9V DC centre negative power supply. Draws approx 68ma