The Caroline Kilobyte 2000 is a lo-fi delay pedal and the successor to the original Kilobyte Lo Fi Delay, which the company introduced in 2013. Delicious Audio called it "the ultimate evolution of the company's lo-fi delay pedal" when it was announced in April 20251. Like the original, it uses a digital delay chip for the echoes with an analog dry path, and it keeps the dedicated overdrive/boost preamp idea that only affects the repeats2.
The headline change is a much hotter preamp. On a That Pedal Show demo of the pedal, the presenters explained that there is gain on the input and "there's five times more gain now", with the new preamp affecting the delay signal only while the dry signal keeps the same preamp as before3. Caroline's own framing of the design, quoted on the show, was that instead of trying to make the chip super dark or analog, "we made it nasty", and that "The KB2000 fully realizes the frequency and bandwidth compromised design of our original"3.
Controls and footswitches
The Sharpness knob adjusts preamp gain and tone, which is where the louder new preamp lives1. Alongside it, the pedal carries the features Caroline added for this version: tap tempo and trails bypass1.
The right footswitch triggers the momentary Havoc effect, held down for as long as you want it1. The FX loop is the other structural addition: it lets you process only the repeats, for instance placing another effect on the delayed signal alone, or achieve a fully wet output1.
Where it came from
The original Kilobyte was announced by Caroline in January 2013 as a lo-fi digital delay pedal, funded through Kickstarter until 10pm EST Friday, January 18th, 20132. The maker described the concept then as using a digital delay chip for the echoes, followed by "a dedicated overdrive/boost preamp that only affects the repeats", with an analog dry path to maintain the integrity of the guitar signal, for what the company called a powerful, warm, and dynamic tone2. The Kilobyte 2000 keeps that architecture and updates it, as described above1.
What reviewers said
That Pedal Show demoed the Kilobyte 2000 in January 2026 alongside four other new pedals. Their verdict on the sound3:
"And that is one of the vibiest delays."
Dan and Mick, That Pedal Show3
They described the repeats as thickening everything up and sitting underneath everything because they are not bright, an overall sound quality they found fun3.
Videos
CarolineGuitarCo
AndyDemos
Mark Johnston
News
Questions
Does the Caroline Kilobyte 2000 have tap tempo?
Yes. Tap tempo is one of the features Caroline added for the Kilobyte 2000, along with trails bypass. The original Kilobyte from 2013 did not have tap tempo, so this is one of the main differences between the two versions of the pedal.
Is the Kilobyte 2000 true bypass?
The Kilobyte 2000 uses trails bypass rather than true bypass. With trails bypass, the delay repeats continue to ring out and fade naturally after you switch the pedal off, instead of being cut off immediately. That suits a lo-fi delay, where the character of the fading repeats is part of the sound.
What chip does the Kilobyte 2000 use?
The Kilobyte 2000 is based on the PT2399 chip, the same delay chip used in the original Kilobyte. Delicious Audio described the PT2399 as infamous yet awesome, and Caroline has leaned into the chip's lo-fi character rather than trying to hide it.
What does the right footswitch do on the Kilobyte 2000?
The right footswitch triggers the momentary Havoc effect. It only affects the sound while you hold it down, which players use for self-oscillating, runaway delay moments and other dramatic effects in the middle of a performance.
Can the Kilobyte 2000 process only the repeats?
Yes. The Kilobyte 2000 has an FX loop that lets you process only the repeats, for example by running another pedal on the delayed signal alone, or you can use it to achieve a fully wet output with no dry signal.
Sources (3)
- New Pedal: Caroline Kilobyte 2000 Lo-Fi Delay, Delicious Audio, 2025-04-10
- KILOBYTE DELAY: Available until January 19, 2013 through Kickstarter, Caroline Guitar Company, 2013-01-13
- New Pedals! Keeley Nocturne, Jam Retrovibe 4, Caroline Kilo 2K, DevTech Soft Drive, Hagerman EF86, That Pedal Show (YouTube), 2026-01-30
