Xploration • Curation • Recommendation
Spaceman Effects releases 2 of its most appealing Affordable Cadet Series Pedals to date - the Polaris and Sputnik III
Key Points
Spaceman Effects released Cadet Polaris and Cadet Sputnik III. As of 2026-07-13, the price was £199 (Polaris) and £219 (Sputnik III). Both SMT Cadet editions are available from the Spaceman Effects Webstore.
Series: NOS hand-made THT; Standard hybrid SMT+THT; Cadet machine-made SMT (Germanium transistors and diodes excepted). Earlier: Polaris £319–£399; Sputnik III £269–£399; Sputnik III previously: Hybrid Standard £269; Limited all‑THT up to £399.
Controls — Polaris: Level; Bass (-1/2/1); Depth (Single‑Pole/2‑Pole/2‑Pole Resonant); Drive; Initial; Filter. Sputnik III: Scan (Scramble/Corruption); Filter (Flat/Bass Cut + Mid Scoop); Signal; Calibrate; Range; Drift footswitch. For electrical work or modifications, consult a qualified tech.
I’ve detailed before how Spaceman Effects has various series of pedals at different price points - NOS Series (entirely hand-made THT), Standard Series (Hybrid SMT + THT), and the Affordable Cadet Series (Machine-made SMT) - there are further nuances - somewhat further conflated now by a PDX Custom Series, and a Mod Series.
For me I’m mostly concerned with the style of components and the process of manufacture. The machine-made flow-line Cadet series - is by far and away the most affordable Spaceman pedals you can buy.
You can see here that the Cadet Polaris is just $199, and the Cadet Sputnik III is at $219 - where originally those were at $319 to $399 and $269 to $399 respectively - for different editions. Available of course from the Spaceman Effect Webstore and leading International Dealers.
The Sputnik III was the first Spaceman pedal to split into Standard and Limited Editions back in 2020 - where the former consisted of the same NOS Germanium Transistors - but the supporting cast of components was SMT-based - versus full-size THT components for the Limited Editions. So the Sputnik III had the most extreme range of pricing at that point - $269 for the Hybrid Standard Version [SMT / THT Mix] (which is what I have), and then up to $399 for the Limited All-THT Editions - the new Cadet Sputnik III is thus $40 more affordable.
Actually I’m starting to think that the Standard Hybrid Series - has been replaced by the All-SMT Cadet Series (with the exception of Germanium Transistors and Diodes) - while typically a pedal with THT components will be a limited small batch handmade run!
I of course have all the Spaceman Effects pedals that I want - so the Cadet Series comes a little late for my own purposes.
The machine-made editions are near enough every bit as good as the far more pricier Limited Editions - for anyone thinking of dipping their toes into Spaceman Effects - the Cadet Series is the perfect place to start!
Both those pedals have been covered numerous times on this site - so I will just reference their controls here, and share with you the original Edition Demos.
Polaris Controls - Level, Bass : -1/2/1, Depth (Filter) : Single-Pole/2-Pole/2-Pole Resonant, Drive, Initial, Filter.
Sputnik III Controls - Scan (Scramble/Corruption), Filter : Flat/Bass Cut + Mid Scoop, Signal (Volume), Calibrate (Tone), Range (Fuzz Gain), Drift Footswitch (Engage Scan).
Original Edition Demos
