The new EarthQuaker Devices Towers is available now at Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center. Click here to check it out!
Our resident pedal man Jasiu Mich and our friend Kira Campbell from the DC-based synthpop band Pretty Bitter explore the soundscapes contained within this pedal's castle walls, answering important questions such as, "will it shoegaze?"
There are effects pedals… and then there are instruments that reshape how you interact with sound. The newly released EarthQuaker Devices Towers Soundscape Generator firmly lands in the latter category. Designed as a stereo reverberant filter, Towers blends cascading micro-echoes, cathedral-style reverb, and vintage-inspired filtering into a single immersive sound design platform.
Now available at Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center, the Towers invites guitarists, synth players, and sonic explorers to step beyond conventional effects and into a space where delay, reverb, and filtering merge into evolving soundscapes.
A Generative Engine for Expansive Sound
At the core of Towers is an intricate architecture built around infinitely repeating micro-echoes. Your signal feeds into these constantly evolving reflections, generating dynamic impulses that flow into a massive reverb environment.
From there, the entire system is intertwined with a resonant low-pass filter that interacts with both the delay and reverb pathways. The result is a complex, layered sonic field that moves, shifts, and evolves in real time.
Rather than simply adding ambience, Towers creates living soundscapes—textures that can grow from subtle atmospheric depth to massive, otherworldly washes of tone.
Vintage-Inspired Filtering Meets Modern Modulation
The resonant low-pass filter inside Towers draws inspiration from classic synthesizer circuits known for their warm, expressive character. This filter can introduce dark atmospheric layers, resonant harmonics, or sweeping tonal motion depending on how it’s controlled.
Towers offers three distinct filter modes:
Manual Mode
-
Directly control filter frequency with the Frequency knob
-
Stereo interaction causes opposing movements between left and right channels
-
Ideal for sculpting precise tonal movement across the stereo field
Envelope Mode
-
Playing dynamics drive the filter response
-
Harder picking triggers stronger resonance and movement
-
Frequency knob adjusts envelope sensitivity
LFO Mode
-
A slow oscillator sweeps the filter across the stereo field
-
Creates a drifting, panoramic modulation effect
-
Frequency control adjusts the LFO rate
Together, these modes allow players to shift from subtle movement to dramatic stereo modulation.
The Stretch Feature: Controlled Sonic Chaos
One of the most intriguing features of Towers is Stretch, a function that slows the pedal’s internal processor to dramatically transform the sound.
Activating Stretch:
-
Doubles the reverb length
-
Introduces lo-fi artifacts
-
Pulls apart delay lines
-
Smears filter responses
-
Creates pitch-bending textures as the system morphs
Tap the Stretch footswitch for a quick burst of warped ambience, or hold it to let the entire system descend into increasingly abstract territory. The resulting textures can be unpredictable—in the best possible way.
Presets and Performance Control
Towers is designed not only for experimentation but also for live performance. Players can store and recall eight user-assignable presets, making it easy to capture evolving soundscapes and bring them back instantly.
The control layout includes:
-
Mix – Blends the dry signal with the effect
-
Length – Adjusts reverb duration and Stretch speed
-
Filter – Sets how much of the resonant filter feeds into the reverb
-
Frequency – Controls filter behavior depending on mode
-
Mode Toggle – Selects Manual, Envelope, or LFO operation
-
Preset Selector – Recalls stored configurations
-
Activate Footswitch – Engages or bypasses the effect
-
Stretch Footswitch – Activates the time-warping Stretch function
Built in Akron, Ohio
Like all EarthQuaker Devices pedals, Towers is designed and built in the USA by the company’s team of tone technicians in Akron, Ohio, along the historic Ohio and Erie Canal. The pedal features mechanical true bypass switching and is backed by EarthQuaker Devices’ lifetime warranty.
Towers Soundscape Generator – Key Specs
-
Type: Stereo Reverberant Filter / Soundscape Generator
-
True Bypass: Mechanical
-
Input Impedance: 500 kΩ
-
Output Impedance: 100 Ω
-
Current Draw: 85 mA (9V DC only)
Explore the Towers at Chuck Levin’s
With its blend of generative echoes, cathedral reverb, resonant filtering, and the unpredictable magic of Stretch, the EarthQuaker Devices Towers Soundscape Generator opens entirely new territory for musicians seeking immersive ambient textures.
Whether you’re creating cinematic soundscapes, experimental ambient passages, or expansive stereo atmospheres, Towers offers a deep well of sonic exploration.
Explore it online or stop by the shop and experience the soundscapes for yourself.