The gang over at Red Panda are known for making some of the funkiest, most individual and sonically genius pedals on the market today (see our reviews of the Particle and Context). Their latest is another example of innovation and adventure: the Raster Delay, which incorporates pitch shifting into the delay signal, among other things. Get ready for a wild ride, here we go!

The Raster may look a bit daunting, even though there are only a few knobs and switches, as the graphics lead you to believe you might need to be an electrical engineer to figure this pedal out. Alas, that is not the case, as it is actually rather intuitive once you sit down and figure out how everything works, both individually AND together. There are three control knobs that are pretty standard delay fare, and then some more stuff that most certainly is not. Feedback (number of repeats), Delay (delay time) and Blend (mixing your wet and dry signals) all do just what they should, and while they’re essential to making the Raster work, it’s the other controls on this compact pedal that will really blow you away.

First off, the Shift knob, which is activated by a second footswitch, and works in conjunction with the toggles switches, is the meat and potatoes of this delay. When engaged, you have the option to add pitch shifting capabilities into your delayed signal, either up (->) or down (<-), or none if you set it right in the middle. There are two toggles it works with, and they each have their own set of rules as well. The left toggle represents the Feedback selector, and the modes within this set are: pitch-shifted repeats in reverse (top), regular pitch-shifted repeats (middle) or first repeat only pitch-shift (bottom). The second toggle presents the following options: semitone steps (top), detuning from a 4th down to a minor 3rd up (middle), or phase shifter (bottom). Again, these all interact with the Shift knob, as well as all the other controls, to stun and amaze you as you try to figure out what it will do next.

With 750ms of clean delay time, plus all the pitch-shifting and wackiness you can achieve with this pedal, the Raster is one delay that will keep you on your toes, and keep your audiences and your engineers guessing. Not known for making regular, straight-forward pedals, Red Panda proves once again why they are one of the true visionary pedal makers out there right now, and are showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. For more awesome and innovative gear, make sure to stop by their website, and check out the video below for a small sampling of the power that the Raster holds within.

Specs:
20-750 ms delay time
Micro pitch shifting
Tuned pitch shifting, +/- 12 semitones
Phase shifting
Reverse delay (all repeats reversed)
Analog dry signal
Burr-Brown op amps
4.4″ x 3.3″ x 2.4″
Shift footswitch and CV/expression input

Submitted by Mike B, Website

Demo Rock pedalboard by West Coast Pedalboard