User Manual

Ahoy! Welcome to your new Depths
™
Optical Vibe
Machine! The Depths is our take on the classic op-
tical vibe circuit. Now you can swab the decks with
the same lush, pulsating, three-dimensional swirling
sound you know and love, with some modern accou
-
terments for all you land-lubbers out there.
The Depths is optimized for use with all kinds of in
-
struments, pickups, and to play well with dirt, so no-
body’s left waiting on shore. If it’s got a ¼” output,
plug it in and get deep!
In addition to the classic vibe controls, the Depths
features unique controls for “Voice” and “Throb.”
The “Voice” control adjusts the midrange focus of
the Depths, which is perfect for tailoring the effect
to your particular instrument. Clockwise, you’ll hear
a fuller sound with a low-end focus. Counter-clock
-
wise, you’ll hear a thinner, spikier sound with a for-
ward upper-midrange bite. The “Throb” knob adds a
hefty subharmonic low-end pulse to the vibrato sig-
nal, which is especially useful on synthesizers and
the bass guitar. It sounds great with a little bit of dirt
on the neck pickup of a guitar, too! This works best
with the “Voice” turned counter-clockwise for a warm-
er tone.
The Depths’ “Intensity” and “Rate” controls are dialed
in to give you the classic optical vibe sound at more
modest settings, but dive in deeper and you’ll nd
anything from a smooth ultra-slow warble to sharp,
speedy bursts! Also, the “Level” control has tons of
output above unity on tap to combat the perceived
volume loss of most vibe pedals, so your tone is al
-
ways above water. And, if 9v isn’t enough to keep you
aoat, the Depths may be powered at 18v for a stiffer
tone with more headroom and sparkle.
The Depths is true-bypass, uses rusty all-analog cir
-
cuitry, and is built one-at-a-time aboard the wreckage
of the SS Minnow, currently dry-docked in Akron,
Ohio, USA.
Controls
Voice- Dials in the overall sound. Turn it clockwise
for a fuller sound with more lows, bring it back for a
thinner, more midrange focused tone.
Throb- This controls the low end pulse. It may not be
immediately evident on the bridge pickup, but switch
to the neck or add some dirt and it comes alive. All
the way up for more throb, dial it back for less. Works
best when the “Voice” is set to a warmer tone.
Intensity- This controls how subtle or intense the
overall effect is. Counter clockwise from noon are the
more subtle, classic sounds. Clockwise from noon
are the more drastic and intense sounds.
Rate- Controls the speed of the effect.
Counterclockwise for slow, clockwise for fast.
Level- Controls the volume of the effect. Unity is
around 1 O’clock, everything above that is boost.
Suggested setting for “classic” vibe sound:
Run at 9v, Intensity- 11-12 O’clock, Voice- 3 O’clock,
Throb- 2 O’clock, Rate and Level set to taste. All the
controls are highly interactive with each other, so ex
-
periment to nd your tone!
Flexi-Switching
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
The Depths should be powered a standard 9-18 volt DC
power supply with a 2.1mm negative center barrel. We
always recommend pedal-specic, 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
specic power supplies do not lter dirty power as well and let through
unwanted noise.
Current Draw: 50mA
Input impedance: 1M
Output impedance: <1K
Questions? Comments? Concerns?
Send an email to [e-mail] and we’ll help you out.
This device is guaranteed for life (or at least the life of EarthQuaker
Devices).
© 2017 EarthQuaker Devices LLC. | www.earthquakerdevices.com | info
@
earthquakerdevices.com
The Depths
™