The BrandNewNoise Tongue Drum Delay is a tongue drum squished into a box that acts as a delay effect. A tongue drum is a steel instrument you strike with mallets to produce tuned, bell-like notes, and here the drum emerges from a wooden enclosed delay effect box rather than standing on its own. The box has a built-in record function that you can loop on playback, and that recorded sound is then routed through a delay effect, so a few struck phrases can repeat and blur behind you as you keep playing1.
Robin Vincent, writing in gearnews.com when the instrument was reported in February 2022, described the result this way:
"What you get is a deliciously simple and fascinating music generator that you could play for hours."
It is not a guitar pedal in the usual sense, but it sits in the same world: players looking at delay pedals or looping pedals will recognize what it is doing, recording a phrase and repeating it through a delay1.
The controls
The front panel is simple. There is a pitch control knob, two knobs for the delay, and an infinite loop switch1. Playback speed is under your control as well, and since changing the speed of playback changes the pitch of the sound, the speed control doubles as a way to shift the recorded material up or down1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Pitch knob | Pitch control for the sound1 |
| Two delay knobs | Control the delay effect1 |
| Infinite loop switch | Looping control for recorded playback1 |
| Playback speed control | Changes the speed of playback and so the pitch of the sound1 |
Recording and looping
The record function is the heart of the instrument. You strike the tongue drum, the box records what you play, and you can loop that recording on playback, with the loop then running through the delay effect1. The infinite loop switch keeps the loop repeating, and the audio output lets you send the result into a larger setup1.
The price and availability here come from February 2022, when the Tongue Drum Delay was reported as available now for $400 from BrandNewNoise Instruments & Audio Recorders1.
Videos
BrandNewNoise Instruments and Musical Toys
Questions
What is the BrandNewNoise Tongue Drum Delay?
It is a tongue drum built into a wooden enclosed delay effect box, made by BrandNewNoise Instruments & Audio Recorders. You play the drum with mallets, and the box has a built-in record function that you can loop on playback, with the sound routed through a delay effect. Writing in gearnews.com, Robin Vincent called it a deliciously simple and fascinating music generator.
How much does the BrandNewNoise Tongue Drum Delay cost?
When it was reported as available in February 2022, the Tongue Drum Delay was listed at $400 USD from BrandNewNoise Instruments & Audio Recorders.
Does the Tongue Drum Delay have an audio output?
Yes. The box has an audio output for integrating the Tongue Drum Delay into a larger setup, so the drum's looped and delayed sound can be sent onward to other gear.
What does the infinite loop switch do?
The Tongue Drum Delay has an infinite loop switch alongside its record function. The box records what you play on the tongue drum and can loop it on playback, and the infinite loop switch is the control for keeping that loop going.
Can the Tongue Drum Delay record and loop sounds?
Yes. The box has a built-in record function that you can loop on playback, and the recorded sound is then routed through a delay effect. You also have control over the speed of playback, and so the pitch of the sound.
Sources (1)
- Tongue Drum delay box: mallet melodies memorised, gearnews.com, 2022-02-19