If you’ve ever had the opportunity to utilize a Dispatch Master Delay/Reverb combo pedal from EarthQuaker Devices, then you know how powerful it is, and what a useful tool it can be in your sonic arsenal. Somehow managing to improve upon this rad design, the EQD crew has created the Avalanche Run, taking the original design to the next level, without making it too complicated or busy. With new features and a ton of new options, this pedal has the potential to erase the entire delay and reverb section on your pedalboard.
The top row of controls are assigned to the Delay section of the Avalanche Run. Time starts things off, and does a wide range of delay times, from 0ms to just under 2000ms, or almost 2 full seconds. Repeats controls the number of echoes produced, from zero to almost infinity, for a whole slew of textures to play with. Tone lets you roll off the high or low end frequencies, or you can choose a nice, flat EQ when set it the middle. Finally, Mix acts as a volume control, blending your wet and dry signals together, letting you mix in as much or as little of the effect as you need.
The Reverb section is made up of only two controls, Decay and Mix. The Decay knob adjusts the decay length of the ‘verb, moving from short to long as you turn it clockwise. The Mix knob functions similarly to the Delay’s Mix knob, mixing in the reverb effect to taste. There’s also a Ratio Selector switch, which lets the user choose the delay subdivisions when using the Tap footswitch, and feature Quarter, Dotted Eighth, Quarter Triplet, Eighth, Eighth Triplet and Sixteenth note modes. An Expression control knob lets you select which parameter you want to control with an optional expression pedal, with the Time mode being particularly adventurous, and able to give you sounds not achieved by using the main control knob.
Finally, a toggle switch lets you select from Normal, Reverse and Swell modes, really opening the Avalanche Run up, and allowing for days of sonic exploration and discovery. Stereo Input and Outputs make this an extremely versatile pedal for inclusion on any pedalboard, and the Tap Tempo footswitch can send the pedal into self-oscillation when held down as well, making it just another icing-on-the-cake feature that we all know and love (it can also switch back and forth between normal and reverse delays when in Reverse mode). Continuing to push the boundaries and envelopes of all things musical, EarthQuaker Devices has stepped up yet again, and raised the bar in this genre of pedal to the highest we’ve seen. Looking for a space-saving, powerful, dreamy sonic discovery device? We’re pretty sure we’ve discovered it in the EQD Avalanche Run!
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