The EarthQuaker Devices Afterneath Pedal: Ambient Guitar Reverb Heaven
The EarthQuaker Devices Afterneath pedal is a popular choice among musicians looking to create atmospheric soundscapes and ambient textures. The Afterneath can be used to create everything from subtle, natural-sounding reverb to wild, otherworldly soundscapes. Want to sound like a Wizard lost in a cave? The Afterneath is for you.
The Afterneath’s controls might not be the most intuitive when you first get it out of the box but once you’ve spent a little time with it, you’ll get used to it.
Here’s an overview of the controls.
- Length: This control adjusts the decay time of the reverb, allowing you to set how long the reverb tails will last. Turning the control clockwise will result in a longer decay, while turning it counterclockwise will shorten the decay.
- Diffuse: The Diffuse control adjusts the diffusion of the reverb, which determines how the sound is spread out over time. Turning the Diffuse control clockwise will result in a more dense and widespread reverb, while turning it counterclockwise will result in a more focused and tighter reverb.
- Damping: The Damping control allows you to adjust the tone of the reverb by dampening the high frequency content. Turning the control clockwise will result in a darker and more subdued reverb, while turning it counterclockwise will result in a brighter and more resonant reverb.
- Reflect: The Reflect control adjusts the amount of reflections in the reverb, which determines how much of the original signal is reflected back. Turning the Reflect control clockwise will result in a higher density of reflections, while turning it counterclockwise will result in fewer reflections.
- DRY: The DRY control adjusts the volume of the dry, unaffected signal. Turning the DRY control clockwise will result in a higher volume of the dry signal, while turning it counterclockwise will result in a lower volume of the dry signal.
- WET: The WET control adjusts the volume of the wet, reverberated signal. Turning the WET control clockwise will result in a higher volume of the wet signal, while turning it counterclockwise will result in a lower volume of the wet signal.
The latest version of the pedal also has a MODE control, but I’ve got one of the earlier versions so not 100% what how that one sounds.
Some Afterneath starter settings
- Subtle Reverb: For a subtle and natural-sounding reverb, set the Length control to about 9 o’clock, the Diffuse control to 12 o’clock, the Damping control to about 1 o’clock, the Reflect control to about 11 o’clock, the DRY control to about 12 o’clock, and the WET control to about 1 o’clock.
- Atmospheric Soundscapes: To create atmospheric and ethereal soundscapes, set the Length control to maximum, the Diffuse control to about 2 o’clock, the Damping control to minimum, the Reflect control to about 12 o’clock, the DRY control to about 9 o’clock, and the WET control to about 3 o’clock.
- Modulated Reverb: For a modulated and dynamic reverb, set the Length control to about 11 o’clock, the Diffuse control to about 1 o’clock, the Damping control to about 3 o’clock, the Reflect control to minimum, the DRY control to about 12 o’clock, and the WET control to about 2 o’clock.
- Shimmer Reverb: To create shimmering and dreamlike reverb, set the Length control to about 3 o’clock, the Diffuse control to maximum, the Damping control to about 11 o’clock, the Reflect control to about 1 o’clock, the DRY control to about 12 o’clock, and the WET control to about 2 o’clock.
There’s also the Eurorack module, one day I might give that a run as well.
The Afterneath and Radiohead
Radiohead has used the EarthQuaker Devices Afterneath in various ways in their music, most notably for its ability to create atmospheric and ambient textures. For example, in the song “Bloom” from their 2011 album “The King of Limbs,” the Afterneath is used to add a dreamlike and otherworldly feel to the guitar parts.
In live performances, Radiohead‘s guitarist Ed O’Brien has been known to use the Afterneath to add depth and dimension to his guitar parts, creating complex soundscapes and textures that enhance the overall sound of the band.
