The Dreadbox Raindrops is a hybrid delay, pitch shifter and reverb pedal from the Greek maker Dreadbox, a company better known for its synthesizers. It packs three algorithms into one compact stereo box: a modulated delay, a pitch shifted delay, and a lush reverb built from cascading delays1. The circuit is a hybrid design with multiple delay stages and ICs, an analog dry signal path, a hybrid delay path and a digital reverb circuit12.
Dreadbox says the pedal "lets you craft everything from delicate, short echos to massive, lo-fi soundscapes that build like a torrential downpour"2. It was announced in September 2022 and designed for both guitar and synths3. Note that it is a different product from the earlier Dreadbox Raindrops Stereo Delay, a stereo delay and looper pedal Dreadbox showed in 20214.
Three modes in one pedal
A three-way Mode switch selects between the three algorithms: Modulated delay, Pitch shifted delay, or Lush reverb13. Delicious Audio describes the reverb mode as created from cascading delays, and notes that each algorithm allows the saving of one preset7. Dreadbox's current page confirms preset memory for each algorithm1.
Modulated delay. Delay times run from 50ms up to about 1 second with tap tempo, and the delay carries LFO modulation that Delicious Audio characterizes as ranging from subtle to extreme17. Above 700ms, Dreadbox says the repeats "starts to become lo-fi and some dirt is added to the repeats"1, and Delicious Audio likewise reports lo-fi sounds above 700ms7. For a player, that means the long settings are not clean studio delay: they darken and roughen, which suits ambient and lo-fi textures but not pristine slapback.
Pitch shifted delay. The second algorithm shifts the pitch of the repeats, and it gives you the option of placing the feedback path before or after the pitch shifting7. That choice matters: feedback after the shifter means each repeat climbs or drops further from the last, building arpeggio-like cascades, while feedback before the shifter keeps the shifts more contained.
Lush reverb. The third mode is a reverb made from cascading delays7. Dreadbox does not publish separate controls or decay specs for this mode beyond the shared knob set.
Pedal of the Day summed up the range: "You can achieve from simple short echos, to long, dirty and lo-fi delays and from simple pitch shifting bursts to extensively lasting reverbs"8.
The controls
The front panel keeps things simple, with a context-sensitive knob at the center of the design3.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Time | Sets the delay time from 50ms up to about 1 second, with tap tempo23 |
| Feedback | Sets the number of repeats3 |
| Mix | Sets the dry/wet balance of the effect3 |
| Control | A multi-function knob that controls different parameters depending on which mode you are in3 |
| Mode | Three-way switch: Modulated delay, Pitch shifted delay, Lush reverb3 |
| Footswitch | Sets the effect on or off; hold it down to act as a Shift function button2 |
There is also a second level of controls: Pedal of the Day notes that holding down the On/Shift switch accesses "an entire second level of controls"8. Between the Shift layer and the mode-dependent Control knob, the pedal offers more parameter depth than its knob count suggests, at the cost of some menu-style digging.
Power and connections
The Raindrops runs on a 9V DC supply with a Boss-style center pin negative 2.1mm barrel, and the power supply is not included2.
The pedal draws 220mA2. That is far beyond battery territory and more than many small pedals use, so it needs a supply with adequate current, and players sharing a daisy chain should make sure the total budget covers it.
Connections are true stereo in and out on TS unbalanced 6.4mm (1/4-inch) jacks12. The input accepts audio, line or fretted instrument signals at up to 2Vpp levels, which is why the pedal works with line-level synths as well as guitars2. The output is described as sending to an amp, mixer or monitor2. Gearnews highlighted the stereo operation as a key strength, writing: "For me, the strength here is that stereo operation, plus all those algorithms/modes in one unit"3.
The bypass is buffered, not true bypass: Dreadbox specifies a Buffered OpAmp bypass2, and Pedal of the Day describes the switching as CMOS buffered bypass8. With an analog dry path, the buffered bypass keeps the dry signal consistent when the effect is off.
What reviewers said
Press coverage has been positive about the concept. Gearnews pointed to the combination of stereo operation and multiple algorithms in one unit as the pedal's main draw3. Pedal of the Day went further on the stereo image, writing that "the stereo effect on the Raindrops is simply incredible"8, and noted the pedal "is equipped with multiple delay stages and different chips"8. Delicious Audio confirmed the pedal was shipping as of December 20227.
Videos
Dreadbox
Do Noise
Ambient Endeavors
Questions
Is the Dreadbox Raindrops true bypass?
No. Dreadbox specifies a buffered OpAmp bypass, and Pedal of the Day describes the switching as CMOS buffered bypass. The dry signal path is analog, so the pedal stays in the signal chain even when the effect is switched off.
How much current does the Raindrops draw?
Dreadbox lists a current draw of 220mA. That is well above what a typical small analog pedal uses, so it needs a proper 9V DC supply rather than a battery, and it is worth checking that a daisy chain can deliver enough current.
Is the Dreadbox Raindrops stereo?
Yes. Dreadbox specifies true stereo in and out, with TS unbalanced 6.4mm jack inputs and outputs. Pedal of the Day called the stereo effect on the Raindrops simply incredible.
What is the maximum delay time on the Raindrops?
Delay times run from 50ms up to about 1 second, set by the Time knob with tap tempo. Above 700ms the repeats start to become lo-fi and some dirt is added, which Dreadbox presents as part of the pedal's character.
Can the Raindrops be used with synths?
Yes. Gearnews notes the pedal was designed for both guitar and synths, and Dreadbox describes the input as accepting audio, line or fretted instrument signals at up to 2Vpp levels, which covers line-level synth outputs.
Sources (8)
- Raindrops, Dreadbox Synthesizers, 2026-09-02
- Raindrops Effect Pedal, Dreadbox Synthesizers, 2024-10-09
- Dreadbox Raindrops Hybrid Delay/Pitch Shifter/Reverb pedal, gearnews.com, 2022-09-13
- Dreadbox Kinematic / Lethargy / Komorebi / Darkness, Pedal of the Day, 2021-11-10
- Komorebi, Dreadbox Synthesizers
- Red Panda RD-1 Pitch Delay review, guitar.com, 2026-08-17
- Dreadbox Raindrops Delay, Delicious Audio, 2022-12-19
- Dreadbox Treminator Smashing Tremolo & Raindrops Stereo Delay, Pedal of the Day, 2022-10-17
