Qi Etherealizer.
The Qi Etherealizer (pronounced “chee ethereal-izer”), a collaborative creation with Yvette Young, is a multi-effects pedal that combines Chorus, Delay, Granular effects, and, of course, Reverb, into a creative playground for atmospheric exploration.
Known for her innovative and explorative fingerstyle playing technique, love of guitar pedals, and leadership of the math rock band Covet, the Qi reflects her approach to creating lush, evolving soundscapes. Named after the vital life energy that flows through all living things, the Qi is designed to deliver rich textures, expansive atmospheres, and dynamic layers. By blending Yvette’s artistic vision with cutting-edge design, the Qi opens the door to immersive, otherworldly sounds.
“I hope that it will inspire people to be excited to have colors and textures to play with. I think this is going to be a wonderful tool for people to create ambient sounds and add interest to their playing! …I want people to think about their melodies and how they can start to sound a little less guitar-y and more…magical!” — YY
The Qi allows you to mix and match the Chorus, Delay, and Grain effects, running them in series or parallel to create your own inspiring universe of possibility in a stereo field. With the ability to save presets and bypass the Chorus, Delay, and Grain controls, you can quickly and instantly change settings by simultaneously pressing the Bypass and Freeze stomp switches. Go from a traditional chorus with a little bit of delay, or go all in and let the Qi take over with unexplainable washes of glitchy and lush ambiance. Whatever your style is, the Qi will give it a new life.
Global Controls:
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Space Knob: Space adds a delightfully charming reverb to your affected signal. Use this knob to modify the mix and decay of the reverb. Go from smaller room sounds to a huge, diffused ambient reverb at maximum settings. It’s lush and complementary, and adding it in with the other effects will put you squarely in dreamscape territory.
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Tone Knob: The Tone parameter controls the cutoff of a synth-style resonant low-pass filter, allowing you to shape the tone of the effect output.
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Series and Parallel: In series, effects feed into each other in the order of Chorus > Delay > Grain > Output. In parallel, all effect outputs (Chorus, Delay, Grain) are summed together and do not feed into each other. The top row of knobs acts as level controls, letting you manage each effect’s level. The Mix/Dry parameter controls the mix of wet and dry signal in series mode and dry level in parallel mode.
Grain Controls:
The Grain effect features two ‘flavors’ of operation:
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Grain Cloud: This mode triggers small samples (grains) randomly from your playing, giving you unpredictable yet charming glitchy textures. The X knob controls the length of time between grains, allowing transitions from dense clusters to sparse accents.
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Phrase Sample: This mode triggers grains rhythmically from your playing. Initial peaks are detected, and grains are played back starting at these peaks, creating a rhythmic and intentional effect. The X knob adjusts the playback tempo, while the minimum position syncs Phrase Sample time to the Delay time for in-time repeated grains.
Additionally, the Grain effect features five playback modes:
- x1: Normal playback
- x2: Double-speed and +1 octave
- x.5: Half-speed and -1 octave
- REV: Reverse playback
- RNDM: Randomized combination of the above modes
Delay Controls:
The delay effect offers a clean, full digital delay with repeats for up to two seconds.
- Time Knob: Adjusts time between delays.
- Feedback Knob: Controls the number of delay repeats.
- TAP/OSC Switch: Tap tempo control or, when held, ramps up feedback for oscillation.
Subdivisions:
Delay trails can follow these subdivisions:
- Quarter Note
- Dotted Eighth Note
- Eighth Note
Chorus Controls:
The Chorus effect includes two modes:
- Tri Chorus: A multi-dimensional favorite combining three voices for lush, vibrant sounds.
- Stereo Chorus: A classic chorus effect with modulation offset 180° in the right channel for stereo width.
Other Features:
- Three onboard presets (red, green, blue) plus a live mode (white).
- TRS MIDI ⅛” in and thru ports for MIDI control.
- USB-C port for firmware updates.
- Momentary Grain Freeze.
- Momentary Grain + Max Reverb Freeze.
Specs:
- Finish: Terracotta with original artwork by Yvette Young OR matte black with cream ink.
- Inputs: 2x 1/4” Unbalanced Jacks (Stereo Left and Right)
- Outputs: 2x 1/4” Unbalanced Jacks (Stereo Left and Right)
- Output Impedance: 220 Ohm
- Frequency Response: 20Hz to 20KHz
- MIDI: 1/8” TRS In (Type A) & Thru (Type A)
- Power: 9VDC, center negative, 300mA minimum (isolated power supply recommended; daisy chains not recommended).
- Dimensions: 5.83” x 4.87” x 2.30” (with knobs).
- Power Supply: Not included.
