The Donner White Tape is a stereo tape delay pedal from Donner, built to emulate the sound of classic tape echo machines. Donner describes it as an analog circuit stereo tape delay pedal that provides "the warm and organic tape delay sound and keeps decay of echo as natural as possible," complete with the "wow" and "flutter" pitch wobble of real tape and an authentic bass drop-off on the repeats1. The dry portion of your signal stays on an analog path, and the pedal switches with true bypass, so Donner says it maintains the natural characteristics and original tone of your guitar and amplifier1.
What makes it unusual at this price is the layout: two fully independent delay channels, each with its own Level, Time and Feedback knobs, one panned hard left and one panned hard right. Delicious Audio, covering the pedal when Donner released it in February 2022, called it "exactly like having two 3-knob tape echos in one pedal"2.
Analog or digital?
The maker's own description and the press coverage differ on one point, and it is worth knowing both. Donner calls the White Tape "an analog circuit stereo tape delay pedal"1. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio, writing when the pedal launched, described it differently: "this is actually a very simple dual, digital tape-style delay with each channel panned hard left and right," while noting the analog dry signal path and true bypass2. In other words, the press account has the delayed repeats generated digitally while the dry signal stays analog, and the maker's marketing emphasizes the analog circuit. Both agree on what a player hears: tape-style repeats with wow, flutter and bass drop-off, and an untouched dry tone.
The controls and jacks
The pedal carries six knobs, three per channel, plus a footswitch and an LED that indicates whether the effect is on or off12.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Time knob (per channel) | Adjusts the delay time from 25ms to 1000ms of the left/right channel1 |
| Feedback knob (per channel) | Controls the delay feedback of the left/right channel; fully counterclockwise gives one repeat, fully clockwise gives infinite feedback1 |
| Level knob (per channel) | Sets the delay level of that channel2 |
| Footswitch | Engages and disengages the effect, true bypass1 |
| LED | Indicates the effect on/off1 |
The Feedback range is worth a note for players who like ambient washes: at fully clockwise the repeats build into infinite feedback, while fully counterclockwise leaves a single repeat, which suits slapback use1.
On the back panel, the jacks are:
- Input jack: 1/4" mono audio jack, left/right input, for connecting an input device or instrument. When only the mono input jack L is connected, the pedal can still output stereo signals3.
- Output jack: 1/4" mono audio jack, left/right output, effect output for connection to an amp or other devices1.
- DC IN: power input, covered below1.
Running it in stereo
The two delay channels are completely separate. Delicious Audio noted that "the two channels cannot 'leak' into one another, but stay entirely separate on either side"2, so you can set a short echo on one amp and a long, feedback-heavy wash on the other. Because a mono input into jack L still produces stereo output3, you do not need a stereo source to use it this way.
The same coverage suggested uses beyond guitar, calling it "perfect for synthesizers, guitars, drum machines, and more"2. One buyer quoted on Donner's product page, Tom Stillwagon, described using it to feed dialog samples from an old Tascam tape recorder to create ambience in a project1, and another, Joseph S., reported running it into each channel of a Roland JC-1201.
Power
The White Tape runs on a 9V DC regulated power supply with center pin negative, drawing 100mA1. Donner's adapter note phrases the polarity as internal negative and external positive, which is the same center-negative arrangement1. The product pages list no battery option, so this is a pedalboard power supply affair rather than a battery pedal.
The 100mA draw is modest by modern standards, but the center-negative 9V DC requirement means it fits standard pedalboard power supplies. Donner specifies a regulated supply.
Where it came from
Donner is a Chinese builder that, as Delicious Audio put it, "has made a name for itself for its super affordable" pedals2. The White Tape lists at $79.99 USD, with a sale price of $45.99 USD1, and Donner describes it as engineered to provide warm and organic tape delay sounds, ensuring the decay of the echo remains as natural as possible1. The pedal sits among Donner's other delay offerings, including the compact Donner Yellow Fall mini analog delay, the Donner Echo Square, and the DSP-based Donner Versa Yellow Fall 2 delay and reverb introduced in January 2025. For a wider look at the category, see delay pedals.
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Questions
Is the Donner White Tape true bypass?
Yes. Donner specifies a true bypass footswitch, so when the effect is disengaged your signal passes through without processing. The pedal also keeps the dry portion of your signal on an analog path when the effect is on, which Donner says preserves the natural character of your guitar and amp.
Does the Donner White Tape run in stereo?
Yes. It has left and right 1/4 inch inputs and outputs, and two independent delay channels, one panned to each side. If you plug into the mono input jack L only, the pedal still outputs a stereo signal, so you can go in mono and come out to two amps.
What power supply does the Donner White Tape need?
A 9V DC regulated power supply with center pin negative, rated for at least 100mA. Donner describes the adapter polarity as internal negative and external positive, which is the same center-negative arrangement. The product pages list no battery option.
How long can the delay time go on the Donner White Tape?
Each of the two independent channels offers a delay time range from 25ms to 1000ms, set by its own Time knob. That is enough for quick slapback echoes on one side and a full second of repeats on the other.
Sources (3)
- Versatility Analog Tape Delay Pedal Time Guitar Effect Donner, donnerdeal.com
- Donner White Tape Stereo Analog Dual Echo, Delicious Audio, 2022-02-03
- Versatility Analog Tape Delay Pedal Time Guitar Effect Donner, Donner (us.donnermusic.com)
