The AC noises RICORDA is a stereo granular reverb pedal with built-in Freeze and Loop functions. AC noises describes it as a tool for "crafting immersive soundscapes," combining lush, expansive reverbs for guitarists with granular synthesis for experimental sound artists1. At its heart is a powerful DSP that AC noises says is more commonly found in modular synthesizers than effect pedals, so it is a fully digital design rather than an analog circuit1.
Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson framed it as "a huge spatial ambient reverb with a smart granular delay, and then Freeze and Loop functions," covering "ambient, rhythmic, reverse, shimmer and sampler / sustainer textures, with Grains dialled out for straightforward reverb" when you want a normal reverb sound2.
The Ricorda is sold out on AC noises' store, including the B-stock listing4. The Retro Series limited edition was believed sold out as early as January 20252.
Freeze and Loop
The two headlining functions work differently. Freeze mode "captures a momentary snapshot of the audio signal, sustaining it infinitely," which AC noises positions as ideal for drones or intricate sonic landscapes1. The Loop function offers up to 2 minutes of recording time, with the ability to overdub layers infinitely1. The pedal carries two footswitches: Freeze / Loop and Bypass5.
The controls in Primary and Secondary Mode
The Ricorda uses dual-mode operation: a Primary Mode and a Secondary Mode1. The same knobs serve different functions depending on the mode.
| Area | Primary Mode | Secondary Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Reverb controls | Mix, Decay, Size, Tone | Diffuse, LFO Speed, LFO Depth, Pre-Delay |
| Granular parameters | Mix, Number, Size, Time | Feedback, Spray, Stereo Spread, Pitch Offset |
| Input / output | Mono/Stereo input toggle switch | True Stereo / Dual Mono output configuration |
| Freeze / Loop | Freeze/Loop functionality | Pre/Post granular processing |
Sources: AC noises product pages13.
On the granular side, users can control "the density and size of the grains to their feedback and stereo spread"1. Karlsson's knob-by-knob reading of the pedal maps the controls across both modes: Number doubles as Intensity with Spray in the secondary mode, Size covers reverse reverberations counter-clockwise and forward or regular reverberations clockwise (with predelay in secondary), Decay Time becomes LFO speed, and Grains Mix becomes feedback2.
One of his favorite settings used both Size knobs fully counter-clockwise with +12 Octave, Stereo Output and a delicate Number adjustment, producing a rhythmic, accordion-like pattern2.
Designed with BunkerNoise
The Ricorda was born from a collaboration between AC noises and Andrea Degli Esposti from BunkerNoise1. BunkerNoise also hosts the pedal's firmware update page4. A Retro Series limited edition was offered in a different finish3, and a B-stock version was listed with minor cosmetic imperfections but otherwise brand new, fully tested and 100% functional, at £244.00 GBP against a £301.00 GBP regular price3.
What reviewers said
Guitar Pedal X named the Ricorda among its best new spatial, immersive and time-based effects of 2024, calling it "a really distinctive textural Granular / White Noise Reverb - which delivers unique kind of lo-fi textures"5.
"The only downside as mentioned is the lack of presets - as you can spend quite a bit of time dialling in superior settings"
Firmware updates
AC noises directs Ricorda owners to the BunkerNoise programmer page for firmware updates14. The update route lives at bunkernoise.io/programmer, the same site as the pedal's co-designer4.
Videos
AC noises
AC noises
collector//emitter
Questions
How long can the AC noises Ricorda loop record?
The Loop function offers up to 2 minutes of recording time, and you can overdub layers on top of it indefinitely. The loop sits alongside a separate Freeze mode, which captures a momentary snapshot of the audio signal and sustains it infinitely for drones and sustained textures.
Is the Ricorda true stereo?
Yes. The Ricorda is the first stereo unit in AC noises' current catalog, with a stereo spread control and selectable True Stereo or Dual Mono output configurations. There is also a Mono/Stereo input toggle switch, so it adapts to mono or stereo rigs.
How do you update the Ricorda firmware?
AC noises points users to the BunkerNoise programmer page at bunkernoise.io/programmer for firmware updates. That page is the maker's official route for keeping the pedal's DSP code current.
Is the AC noises Ricorda still available?
As of late October 2026 the Ricorda is sold out on AC noises' own store, including the B-stock listing. The Retro Series limited edition was believed sold out as early as January 2025, and the standard and B-stock pages now show no available units.
Sources (5)
- AC noises RICORDA, AC noises (acnoises.com)
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-01-09
- B-STOCK: Limited RETRO Series, AC noises
- B-STOCK: RICORDA (stereo granular reverb + freeze/loop), AC noises
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-12-20
