Red Panda releases Bitmap 2.1 firmware, shown at NAMM 2025

January 1, 2025 · 2 sources

Red Panda released version 2.1 firmware for the Red Panda Bitmap 2 in December 2024, according to the maker's release notes¹. A video shot at the Delicious Audio booth at NAMM 2025 shows the changes the update introduced².

The release notes describe the update as expanding the pedal's "sonic range with more distortion and filter options" and adding "the ability to transfer presets between your pedal and a computer"¹. Input drive has more gain and offers three saturation types: hard clipping, which the notes call the default and the same as version 2.0.x and "similar to overdriving a mixer channel"; Distortion 1, a full-frequency distortion; and Distortion 2, a midrange-focused distortion¹.

The filter has three ranges: 330 Hz to 20 KHz (normal), 20 Hz to 20 kHz (extended), and ±2 octaves relative to the sampling rate (relative)¹. Filter resonance is adjusted by holding the WAVE button and turning the FILTER knob¹. An anti-aliasing filter has a response the notes compare to classic 12-bit samplers and can be set to on (default), oN (matches v2.0.x) or adjustable, which tracks filter frequency¹. Output level is adjustable from -30 to +6 dB by holding the WAVE button and turning the MIX knob; at the minimum setting an automatic gain control matches output volume to input¹.

The envelope follower is now pre-drive and has a wider range, and its destination can be set to the filter or mix (inverted) with the ENV:DEST toggle¹. The update also adds mono in/mono out and stereo in/stereo out configurations, tap tempo cancellation by holding the tap tempo switch, improved out-of-band noise rejection and USB and 1/4" MIDI improvements¹. The web editor can upload, download, copy and paste presets, has been updated for the new features and is also supported on Linux¹.

The notes state that the DRIVE control has more gain and will need to be turned down after updating, and that presets saved in earlier versions should not be attached¹. Delicious Audio describes the Bitmap 2 as "a Stereo bit crusher with fractional bit reduction and sample rate modulation"².