The Wash is a delay pedal with a reverb wash circuit built in, made by Hungry Robot Pedals, a builder based in Iowa and active since 20121. At its most basic, it is an analog-voiced, tap-tempo delay with just over 1000ms of delay time2. What sets it apart is the Wash circuit, engaged by its own footswitch, which adds reverb to the signal through a complicated network of internal feedback loops, a subtle multi-head Binson-style effect, and what the maker calls the Ripple Effect3.
Hungry Robot's pitch for the pedal is that it creates an organic, below-the-mix wash in one box, where normally a player would be stacking three or four reverb and delay pedals at the end of the chain2. The maker describes it as adding "a hauntingly beautiful wash to your signal in ways that can't be accomplished by stacking a reverb and a delay"2.
A delay with a reverb wash circuit
The Wash works as two things in one. Pedal of the Day called it "a true 2-In-1 pedal," with a delay side featuring Delay Level and Delay Feedback controls for up to 1000ms of analog-voiced delay, and a Wash side that adds reverb to the delay signal through internal feedback loops and subtle, Binson-type effects5.
The delay side stands on its own. Pedal of the Day's reviewer wrote53:
"This pedal happens to be a fantastic-sounding delay on it's own"
Pedal of the Day5
The Wash circuit, on the right footswitch, is what the maker says makes the pedal stand out from other delays on the market3. It can be used independently as a standalone delay or in conjunction with the Wash circuit3. When both are running, the reviewer found it could create "huge 'washes' of sound without compromising any of your original tone's clarity or presence"5.
The controls
The control set splits between the delay side and the wash side.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Delay Level | Sets the level of the delay repeats5 |
| Delay Feedback | Sets the number of repeats, fine-tuning up to 1000ms of analog-voiced delay5 |
| Ripple | Controls the Ripple Effect, where each successive delay trail slowly scatters and transforms into reverb2 |
| The Wash (middle knob) | Controls the mix/level of the wash, acting as a wet/dry mix35 |
| Resonance | Fine-tunes the resonance and decay of the wash, its EQ and how long it stays present35 |
The Ripple Effect is the pedal's signature feature. In the maker's words, it is "a feature in which each successive delay trail slowly scatters and transforms into reverb"6. Pedal of the Day described the same behavior from the player's side: the Ripple knob "slowly scatters each successive delay trail, and then transforms them" into reverb5. Turning the Wash control up makes the sound progressively more ambient5.
There is also a Tap Tempo switch for setting delay time by tapping, which the reviewer found more accurate with four or five taps5.
Power
The Wash runs on a standard pedalboard supply: 9V DC, negative center, 2.1mm barrel, with a current draw of 92 mA2.
At 92 mA, The Wash draws more current than a simple analog pedal. It will work on most isolated power supplies, but plan for it when budgeting outputs on a small supply2.
Versions: the original and V2
The Wash has gone through several stages since its 2016 announcement, when Gearnews reported it alongside a second new model at an RRP of USD $2504.
The original The Wash is discontinued. The current route to one is the Hungry Robot Classics program, which builds each pedal to order and sells direct only, not through dealers36.
The V2's smaller enclosure and optional top jacks matter for pedalboard planning: the smaller footprint and rear-panel alternatives free up space compared with the original layout2. Players who want tap tempo should note that the V2 Manual drops it, while the tap-tempo versions keep it36.
Where it sits in the Hungry Robot lineup
The Wash is one of several delay and reverb designs from the builder. The Moby Dick V2 is a smaller-footprint update of the original Moby Dick with circuit updates, including a far more prominent modulation and chorusing effect than the original version7. For players comparing ambient options, The Wash pairs its delay with a reverb wash in a single box: its Wash Circuit creates the wash that would normally require stacking 3-4 reverb and delay pedals at the end of a chain2.
Videos
PedalNerds - Nathan Shafer
Eirik Stordrange
Eirik Stordrange
Questions
Does Hungry Robot The Wash have tap tempo?
The original The Wash has a tap-tempo switch for setting delay time, and reviewers found it works best with four or five taps. The V2 Manual version removes the tap tempo circuitry to simplify the circuit and lower the price, so that version has no tap tempo.
Is The Wash analog or digital?
Hungry Robot describes The Wash as an analog-voiced delay with just over 1000ms of delay time. The reverb wash comes from a network of internal feedback loops and a subtle multi-head Binson-style effect rather than a conventional digital reverb block.
Can The Wash be used as a delay only?
Yes. The maker states The Wash can be used independently as a standalone delay, with the Wash circuit engaged only when you want it. The right footswitch turns the Wash circuit on and off, so you can run straight analog-voiced delay and add the reverb wash as needed.
What is the Ripple Effect on The Wash?
The Ripple Effect is a feature in which each successive delay trail slowly scatters and transforms into reverb. The Ripple knob controls how much of this happens, letting repeats dissolve into an ambient wash rather than fading out as ordinary echoes.
Is The Wash still available?
The original was discontinued, but Hungry Robot brought it back through its Hungry Robot Classics program marking the builder's 10 year anniversary. These reissues are direct-only, built one by one as orders come in, rather than stocked through dealers.
Sources (7)
- New Pedals: Hungry Robot's The Wash, Delicious Audio, 2016-05-03
- The Wash, Hungry Robot Pedals
- The Wash (V1), Hungry Robot Pedals, 2022-07-31
- Hungry Robot pedals announce two new models for 2016, gearnews.com, 2016-01-25
- Hungry Robot Pedals The Wash Delay, Pedal of the Day, 2016-10-04
- The Wash (V2 Manual), Hungry Robot Pedals
- Summer NAMM 2018: Hungry Robot Moby Dick V2 upgrades an impressive delay pedal, gearnews.com, 2018-07-01
