A Eulogy For The Depths
Corey Jenkins
Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the life of a treasured member of the EarthQuaker family that was tragically lost at sea on Monday, January 5, 2026—The Depths Analog Optical Vibe Machine.
I’d like to thank you all for being here today. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Corey Jenkins. In addition to being your friendly neighborhood washed up local musician, I am the Marketing Specialist at EarthQuaker Devices. Coincidentally, I am recognized as a minister by The State of Ohio (reach out if you want to get married at EarthQuaker Day) and I was a close friend of the dearly departed.
The Depths was conceived when EarthQuaker Devices Founder Jamie Stillman shoved off on a voyage to replicate one of his favorite sounds—the classic modulated swirls of the Uni-Vibe—by using components that were easier to source and work with near the dawn of the 2010s.
After experimenting with around a dozen circuit designs, Jamie settled on one that produced the same modulation stages and frequencies, and shared a similar LFO as his vintage Uni-Vibe, but was original and unique in terms of functionality.
The Depths made landfall on the Isle of Akron on Wednesday, July 3, 2013, where it was met with much love, warmth, and excitement. The Depths was adopted by players of every level and found a home on pedal boards seen in basements and arenas alike. Legend even has it that one pedal builder abandoned their own plans for a Uni-Vibe clone altogether because they felt they couldn’t do one better than The Depths.
As it matured, The Depths grew from V1 into V2 with the addition of Flexi-Switch technology, and continued to make fast friends with anyone looking for a fresh take on the classic optical vibe circuit sought by generations of players.
My personal relationship with The Depths is the kind we as musicians don’t get every day and shouldn’t take for granted. It’s the type of relationship Mudhoney had with the Univox Super-Fuzz and the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff. The type of relationship Sir Mix-a-Lot, OutKast, Missy Elliott, Beck, Madonna, and countless others have had with the Roland TR-808.
I’m talking about the type of relationship where a piece of gear becomes a muse and it’s not enough to simply use it on a recording. The type of relationship where you feel the need to at the very least reference it in the lyrics and maybe name your album, band, or in my case, a song, after it.
I met The Depths at EarthQuaker Day in 2019. It wasn’t a custom color or limited run. It wasn’t even an A-Stock unit. But on that day, it called to me. I took it home, plugged it in and played what would have amounted to a fairly vapid sounding arpeggio on my guitar had The Depths not been in the equation. The sound it produced was hypnotic. Somehow calm and commanding all at the same time.
I quickly recorded my new idea, gave the session the working title of “The Depths,” and sent it over to my friend Jeri—a frequent collaborator of mine and fellow Depths owner—so she could write lyrics and record vocals.
Upon listening to the completed song, I discovered she’d done something I hadn’t expected. She had written The Depths into the hook of the song. The working title stuck and the song prompted us to start a new band which would become the focal point of our creative lives for the following few years.
I didn’t just get EarthQuaker’s take on the classic optical vibe circuit the day I brought The Depths home. I got a song and eventually a band. For these gifts that The Depths gave to me, I will always be grateful.
It wasn’t just my life that was touched by The Depths. During the pedal’s life, EarthQuaker released over 10,000 units into the Optical Vibe Ocean, making it possible for The Depths to touch the lives of musicians the world over.
And if you’re here with us today, I’ll bet The Depths touched your life as well.
Sadly, the very thing that gave The Depths its life would ultimately bring about its death when it became unsustainable and impractical to secure the Light Dependent Resistors (LDRs) that were the lifeforce of The Depths.
It’s one of life’s great ironies.
The Depths may be gone, but its legacy and tonal imprint will continue to live on. Not only as a dweller of the celestial realm, but right here in our physical plane every time someone plugs one in and shoves off on a fantastic voyage of the vibe.
So as we stand along the coast, staring out at The Depths’ final resting place and paying our respects, it is important to us that we thank each and every one of you who let The Depths into your signal chain, and thus your life.
Bon voyage, Depths. Until we meet again.
Photos by Taichi Nishimaki.
Corey Jenkins is the Marketing Specialist at EarthQuaker Devices. An Akron, Ohio native, he started chasing tone at age nine after hearing Mick Ronson's guitar work on "Ziggy Stardust" for the first time. He has been active within the local music community for years and has worked professionally as a creative problem solver for the past decade and a half. In his spare time, Corey enjoys spending time with his son, his three cats, and his 1973 Univox miniKORG K1.