The Cooper FX Arcades Delay Reverb LOFI Pitch is a cartridge-based digital multi-effects pedal from Cooper FX. Instead of one fixed set of effects, it uses swappable cards, each holding eight programs, and the Delay Reverb LOFI Pitch configuration covers four cards: Delay, Reverb, LOFI and Pitch, for 32 programs in total. Each program has two pages of controllable parameters.1
Pedal of the Day, reviewing the pedal in July 2020, described it as "a pedal with seemingly endless sonic possibilities," and placed it in the same vein as the Console Multi-Effect from ELTA Music.1
The cards and programs
The four cards divide the pedal's territory roughly along effect-type lines: the Delay card handles time-based effects, the Reverb card covers space, and the LOFI and Pitch cards cover degraded, characterful textures and pitch shifting. The Delay card's programs include Digital, Multi, Reverse and Grains, and the Reverb card includes a VHS program.1
| Card | Program | Control | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delay | Digital | Time | Sets delay time, tap tempo available1 |
| Delay | Multi | Time | Sets delay time; tap tempo can be applied to the primary tap with Bal fully counterclockwise1 |
| Delay | Reverse | RPit | Speed and pitch of the reverse delay1 |
| Delay | Grains | Size | Sets grain size1 |
| Reverb | VHS | LPF | Low pass filter cutoff frequency1 |
| Pitch | (Delay card pitch program) | Pit | Selects the quantized interval of the pitch shifting1 |
Expression, footswitch and MIDI
Assignment is a central part of how the Arcades works. Any of the parameters can be assigned to an external expression pedal, and the same parameters can also be assigned to the Left Footswitch. The pedal also taps into MIDI capabilities, which puts it alongside other MIDI and expression controllable effects.1
The Arcades has no stereo output. If your board or recording setup depends on a stereo send and return, this pedal runs mono out.1
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day's reviewer came away split in a way that says a lot about the pedal's character: some programs are usable staples, others are deliberately extreme1.
"Some of the sounds this unit produces are absolutely incredible; some of them you couldn’t use in a million years….or maybe you could, it’s all a matter of taste!"1
The same reviewer said they loved the experimental nature of the pedal and praised its execution.1
At the time of the July 2020 review, the pedal was possibly sold out, with the reviewer pointing readers to Cooper FX's site to try to snag one.1
Where it sits
For a player weighing the Arcades against other options, the card system is the distinguishing feature: one pedal that changes its whole personality depending on which cartridge is loaded, rather than a fixed multi-effects engine. Players mainly after time-based effects might also look at dedicated delay and reverb pedals, or at octave and pitch pedals for the shifting side, while Cooper FX's Outward V2 covers a different slice of the maker's range.1
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Questions
Does the Cooper FX Arcades have a stereo output?
No. Pedal of the Day's review notes that there is unfortunately no stereo out option on the Arcades, so the pedal runs mono on its output.
Can the Cooper FX Arcades be controlled with an expression pedal?
Yes. Any of the parameters can be assigned to an external expression pedal, and they can also be assigned to the Left Footswitch, according to Pedal of the Day's review.
Does the Cooper FX Arcades support MIDI?
Yes. The review describes MIDI capabilities as available on the Arcades, alongside its expression pedal and footswitch assignment options.
How many programs does the Cooper FX Arcades have?
The Arcades holds 32 programs across its four cards, with eight programs per card. Each program has two pages of controllable parameters.
Is the Cooper FX Arcades analog or digital?
It is digital. The pedal is card based, and each card uses a different digital card to produce its effects.
Does the Delay card have tap tempo?
Yes. On the Delay card's Digital program, the Time knob sets delay time with tap tempo available. On the Multi program, tap tempo can be applied to the primary tap with the Bal knob fully counterclockwise.
Sources (1)
- Cooper FX Arcades Delay Reverb Lofi Pitch, Pedal of the Day (pedal-of-the-day.com), 2020-07-07
