The Blind Panic Devices Super Nintendecho is a delay pedal built on the PT2399 chip, announced by Delicious Audio in December 2022 as a 2023 release from a small UK builder. Its distinguishing feature is a game-controller-style joystick that lets you bend the delay time and feedback with your thumb while playing, alongside two hand-activated momentary buttons for stutter and glitch effects1.
The joystick and controls
The joystick sits at the bottom left of the case and controls time on its vertical axis and feedback on its horizontal axis1. On the vertical axis, moving the stick shifts the delay time up and down from where the time knob is set, so the timing of the repeats can be bent in real time without touching a knob1. Pressing down on the thumbstick clicks it, which kills the feedback; with long delay times, Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio notes this can be used for stutter and glitchy noise effects1.
The right section of the pedal carries four colored knobs as extra controls. The X knob sets time, and the Y knob controls the tone of the repeats as well as the full delay time, which reaches up to around a second1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Joystick, vertical axis | Shifts delay time up and down from where the time knob is set1 |
| Joystick, horizontal axis | Sets feedback1 |
| Joystick click | Kills the feedback, for stutter and glitchy noise at long delay times1 |
| X knob | Sets time1 |
| Y knob | Sets tone of the repeats and the full delay time, up to around a second1 |
| Select button | Turns delay time down to its minimum, creating frozen or stuttery sounds with long repeats1 |
| Two top-left buttons | Hand-activated momentary effects1 |
The PT2399 circuit
The pedal is based on the PT2399, a delay chip used across a wide range of pedals, from straightforward repeats to experimental designs like the Anasounds Dystopia Experimental PT2399 Delay, which Guitar Pedal X described as a "Really cool PT2399 Delay with a more worn-out Tape Sound"2. GuitarPCB, which publishes PT2399-based projects, describes the chip as providing "smooth delay effects with a maximum delay time of approximately 600 milliseconds," with possible subtle artifacts at the maximum setting that vary with each chip's tolerance3. An earlier GuitarPCB document notes the chip "was designed to deliver a maximum of 340ms of delay time" as originally designed4, so usable delay range differs from project to project.
"As usual with PT2399 chip, the repeats degrade in quality and clarity the longer the delay."
That degradation is part of the chip's character: repeats get darker and less defined as the delay time grows, which suits the Super Nintendecho's manipulated approach1.
Availability
Delicious Audio reported in December 2022 that the pedal would ship early in 2023, and noted at the time that Blind Panic Devices was a small UK builder without a website1. The builder's other documented pedals include the Dilithium Delay, also PT2399-based, and the B2 Buzzy Bee Fuzzy Delay.
Videos
Pedal Experiments
Questions
What does the joystick do on the Super Nintendecho?
The joystick sits at the bottom left of the case and controls delay time on its vertical axis and feedback on its horizontal axis. Moving it up and down shifts the delay time above and below where the time knob is set, so you can bend the timing of the repeats while you play. Pressing down on the thumbstick clicks it, which kills the feedback, something Paolo De Gregorio of Delicious Audio notes can be used for stutter and glitchy noise effects at long delay times.
How long can the delay time go on the Super Nintendecho?
The Y knob controls the full delay time, which reaches up to around a second according to Delicious Audio's writeup. As with most PT2399 delays, the repeats degrade in quality and clarity the longer the delay gets, which is part of the character of the chip. The Select button can also turn the delay time down to its minimum setting, producing frozen and stuttery sounds when the repeats are set long.
What chip is the Super Nintendecho based on?
The Super Nintendecho is based on the PT2399 chip, a common delay IC found in many compact delay pedals. GuitarPCB, which publishes PT2399-based projects, describes the chip as providing smooth delay effects with a maximum delay time of approximately 600 milliseconds, with possible subtle artifacts at the maximum setting that vary with each chip's tolerance.
What do the two momentary buttons do?
There are two buttons on the top left of the pedal, designed to be activated by hand rather than by foot, and they trigger momentary effects. One documented use is the Select button, which turns the delay time down to its minimum setting while held, creating frozen or stuttery sounds when the repeats are set long.
Sources (4)
- Blind Panic Devices Super Nintendecho, Delicious Audio, 2022-12-16
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2023-12-20
- NostalgiTone-Space-Modulator, GuitarPCB, 2024-09
- BD_DLay-v2.pdf, GuitarPCB.com, 2018-06
