Sea Machine

The Sea Machine is a chorus pedal built around a wide range of modulation settings. Settings run from a light, shimmery chorus to deep pitch-bent detuning, with extra textures such as Leslie-style movement, stunted arpeggiation and self-oscillating echo tones. The maker also positions it for bass players after an 80s post-punk chorus sound.

Six knobs shape the sound. Rate sets the LFO speed, with a small LED that blinks to the tempo even when the pedal is bypassed. Depth sets how strongly the LFO modulates delay time, and Shape sweeps the LFO from triangle to square. Animate controls how far the pitch-shifted signal swings, Dimension adds slap-back, ambient reverb-like tails and eventually self-oscillation, and Intensity blends the modulated signal against the dry one, with unity at about noon.

Bypass uses Flexi-Switch relay-based true bypass, which supports both latching and momentary use. Because the switching is relay based, the pedal needs power to pass signal. It runs from a 9 V DC supply with a 2.1 mm negative-center barrel connector.