The Benson Amps Florist is a collaboration between Benson Amps and Non Human Audio: a dynamically modulated, envelope-driven dual delay line effect that Benson calls "a versatile effects box". It sits in the territory between delay, chorus and flanger, and it is built around two delay lines that each behave differently. Benson released it in July 2024 at $25912.
The Florist's circuit is inspired by the Non-Human Audio Slow Loris, though it is a slightly differently calibrated effect with two different A + B short delay lines1.
What it does
The Florist takes the core idea of Non-Human Audio's Slow Loris, a dynamically modulated slapback delay, and builds on it. Each delay line side has a different detector circuit, so, as Chris Benson put it on That Pedal Show, "they're not going to do the same thing"2. The two wet signals and the dry signal have independent volume control to blend the signals together1.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| DRY | Volume control for the dry signal1 |
| WET A | Volume control for the first delay line's wet signal1 |
| WET B | Volume control for the second delay line's wet signal1 |
| GHOSTS (footswitch) | Latching switch that creates feedback right on the verge of oscillation in both delay lines1 |
On top of that, Benson adds a second delay channel using its own different detector to try to achieve some through-zero flanging and tri-chorus sounds1. Benson describes the range of what it can sound like broadly: "it can sound great as a chorus or slapback) and a vast array of weirder sounds that defy categories... flanging, modulated reverb, notes flying everywhere in unpredictable ways, swirling high frequency sighs etc."1. Among the sounds Benson names:
- chorus1
- slapback1
- flanging1
- modulated reverb1
- "notes flying everywhere in unpredictable ways"1
- "swirling high frequency sighs"1
The GHOSTS footswitch
The Florist's second footswitch feature is called GHOSTS. It is a latching switch that creates feedback right on the verge of oscillation in both of the delay lines1. Benson explained the intent on That Pedal Show: "I introduced um feedback on the end of the very edge of oscillation on both sides um so it doesn't totally run away"2. The result is a modulated reverb-like effect, which is one reason the pedal gets filed near reverb as well as delay.
Florist and the Slow Loris
The Florist is a variant of the Non-Human Audio Slow Loris, but Benson is explicit that it is not simply a revision: "While the Florist starts with the core idea of the Slow Loris, it is something else entirely and is not a revision or mo[dification]"1. Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson, reviewing the pedal at release, put it this way: "And while inspired by the Slow Loris - this is a slightly differently calibrated effect with 2 different A + B Short Del[ay lines]"3.
What reviewers said
Guitar Pedal X listed the Florist among its 2024 picks for modulation, pitch and utility pedals at $2594. In the fuller review, Karlsson's verdict was: "This is a very simple pedal in most ways - but capable of some really unique and unusual tones. Works really elegantly"3. He also noted the pedal is not to everyone's taste overall3, and he liked the look: "Looks really cool in any case with those transparent knobs on top of a bubblegum pink enclosure"3.
Where it sits in Benson's range
The Florist is one of several delay-adjacent pedals from Benson Amps. The maker also offers the PT2399 delay and the V3205 delay, and the Deep Sea Diver Fuzz-Echo developed with Jessica Dobson. The Florist is the odd one out in that lineup: rather than a straight echo, it is a modulator that uses delay lines as its raw material21.
Videos
That Pedal Show
Benson Amps
AndyDemos
Questions
What is the difference between the Benson Amps Florist and the Non-Human Audio Slow Loris?
The Florist starts with the core idea of the Non-Human Audio Slow Loris but is, in Benson's words, something else entirely and not a revision or modification of it. Guitar Pedal X described it as inspired by the Slow Loris but a slightly differently calibrated effect, with two different A and B short delay lines. Each side of the Florist has its own detector circuit, so the two delay lines do not do the same thing.
What does the GHOSTS footswitch do on the Florist?
GHOSTS is a latching footswitch feature that creates feedback right on the verge of oscillation in both of the delay lines. Chris Benson described it on That Pedal Show as feedback on the very edge of oscillation on both sides, so it does not totally run away, and the effect is a modulated reverb-like wash.
Can the Florist work as a chorus?
Yes. Benson says the Florist can sound great as a chorus or slapback, alongside a vast array of weirder sounds that defy categories, including flanging, modulated reverb, notes flying everywhere in unpredictable ways and swirling high frequency sighs.
How much does the Benson Amps Florist cost?
The Florist is listed at $259.00 USD on the Benson Amps product page, and Guitar Pedal X's 2024 review also gave the price as $259.
Can the Florist do through-zero flanging?
Benson says the second delay channel uses its own different detector to try to achieve some through-zero flanging and tri-chorus sounds. The wording is cautious: the aim is to get there, and the two delay lines each behave differently because of their separate detector circuits.
Sources (4)
- Florist - BENSON AMPS, Benson Amps
- Chris Benson Of Benson Amps & Pedals At TPS! Preamps, Fuzzes, Delay, Surf's Up & Florist, That Pedal Show (YouTube), 2024-05-16
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-07-29
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-12-19
