Project overview
Inspired by EQD Sea Machine, the Sea Device is a chorus pedal that gives you an unprecedented measure of control over its parameters.
Introduction
The people from Akron, Ohio, have cooked up this circuit to achieve the ultimate versatile chorus. From subtle, shimmery chorus sounds to wobbly, seasick, warbly pitch-bent detuning that rocks the boat.
This digital-analog hybrid circuit gives you standout chorusing effects topped off with dramatic shimmer, based around a PT2399 short digital delay line, with controls for Animation, Dimension, and Depth. From there, knobs for Shape, Rate, and Intensity let you craft and fine-tune your chorus effect to perfection.
Its Sea Device palette of controls, both standard and proprietary that makes it unique – and eminently useful for everything from understated warble and classic Leslie effects to roller-coaster pitch bends, condensed arpeggiations, outrageous alien soundscapes, and more!
EarthQuaker Devices designed the original circuit of the Sea Machine to play nicely with the other pedals in your signal chain without distorting, attenuating volume or inducing mud. At Sweetwater, we tend to prefer it placed after distortion pedals and before signal boosters.
When engaged, the Sea device’s transparent buffer leaves your dry, all-analog signal crystal clear and untouched!
Controls
The Sea Device controls might look a bit complicated at the first contact but is much more intuitive than what it looks.
- The delay line (PT2399 LFO) controls Dimension, Animate, and Depth.
- RATE: Sets the speed of the LFO. The miniature LED will show the tempo even in bypass mode.
- SHAPE: From a soft triangle through a hard square wave.
- DIMENSION: Adds a slight slap-back at low levels, a reverb-like ambiance at mid-levels, and an echo-resonance at max.
- DEPTH: How much the LFO modulates the delay time.
- ANIMATE: How far the pitch-shifted signal swings, lower levels equals a tighter and more focused shift à la traditional chorus. As you increase the control, a more wild and animated pitch shift begins to emerge.
- INTENSITY: How much-modulated signal is blended in with the dry signal.
For any technical questions regarding this build, don’t forget to check out our Facebook Group and our forum at Free Stomp Boxes.
Tom (verified owner) –
I have read some bad reviews of this effect and I fervently disagree. It does a lot and sounds great. Get anything from classic chorus to warbled sea sick noise. The reverb option is just an extra feature that works nicely.
One thing I encountered on this version of the “sea machine” is the C1M (Rate Pot) didn’t work optimally. I swapped it out for a B1M and it ironed out the kinks. I think that these guys must’ve modified the circuit a touch to allow for a more commonly sourced component. Works great and sounds great. Thanks guys.