The Troika Delay is a collaboration between JHS Pedals, the Kansas City, Missouri effects maker, and Third Man Hardware, the gear arm of Jack White's Third Man Records. Released on 12 November 2025, it is a multi-purpose, pro-audio, studio-grade delay device designed to work with microphones, guitars, or any instrument you want to put through it123. Where most delay pedals are built for guitar-level signals only, the Troika sits somewhere between a stompbox and a piece of outboard studio gear, usable on a desktop in the studio or at your feet on stage4.
The project came from White himself. Jack White brought the idea to JHS founder Josh Scott, and JHS designed it with Third Man, giving it what the company described as the same care and attention as its Colour Box and Pulp N Peel preamp pedals2. White's own use was practical rather than promotional: he and his team used a prototype extensively on vocals, guitars, guitar solos and synths while making his album No Name5.
A delay for microphones, guitars and line-level instruments
The Troika's core idea is that a delay should not care what kind of signal it receives. It is equipped with both XLR and 1/4" inputs and outputs, so it welcomes microphones, guitars and any line-level instrument4. Guitar World describes it as a "horse-powered" delay pedal, a nod to Third Man's aesthetic, and notes that the character of the effect leans into White's love of "mechanical" sounds, in the spirit of a tape delay, while eliminating the hum, hiss and extra snarl of vintage tape units5. The dated release record also ties the design to a rare Honda Sound Works Fab Delay as an inspiration5.
For microphone work, the input stage is the key. A high-grade Lundahl transformer sits on the mic input, with a secondary output transformer, which Delicious Audio credits with the unit's clean, noise-free performance with a mic41. The mic path offers a wide adjustable gain range of +20dB to +80dB, set by a Mic Gain mini dial on the side of the unit45. For outputs, there is a choice of Echo and Dry/Wet connections5.
"It's not just a guitar pedal, though, it's also designed to work with microphones or any instrument you want to use."
Because it passes +48V of phantom power, the Troika can sit in a condenser microphone's signal path without cutting the power your console supplies, though it does not generate phantom power itself2. That makes it usable as an inline effect on a vocal channel rather than something you have to route around.
The controls: three sliders
Instead of the knobs most delay pedals use, the Troika has three sliders, styled like a small mixing console. Guitar.com reports that White specifically opted for sliders to give him greater real-time control in a live setting, and Pedal of the Day says the design gives players easy, real-time control on stage32.
| Slider | What it does |
|---|---|
| Repeats | Governs feedback, how many repeats you hear4 |
| Volume | Sets the level of the effected signal4 |
| Distance | Sweeps delay time from a tight 80ms slapback to a full one-second echo4 |
The layout was designed with live performance in mind: the bypass switch sits clear of the sliders, so an accidental nudge during a slider adjustment cannot switch the effect off mid-song4. Pedal of the Day found the simple control layout makes it quick to work with, saying it is "a cinch to dial in a great tone in mere seconds"2.
Power and connections
The connection set is what separates the Troika from a standard guitar delay213:
- XLR and 1/4" inputs, each with dedicated transformers5
- XLR and 1/4" outputs1
- A choice of Echo and Dry/Wet outputs5
- A Mic Gain mini dial on the side5
- Passes +48V phantom power from an external source2
The Lundahl input transformer and secondary output transformer are the components doing the pro-audio work here, handling balanced microphone signals at proper levels rather than expecting everything to arrive at guitar level1.
Versions and where to buy
The Troika ships in two colourways. The standard version is black and priced at $3495. A limited-edition yellow model is priced at $369 and sold exclusively through Reverb's Third Man Hardware shop15. Both versions were available as of the November 2025 launch3, though Pedal of the Day flagged it as a pretty limited release2.
Videos
JHS Pedals and 3 more
Reverb and 3 more
R.J. Ronquillo and 2 more
Questions
Can you use the Troika Delay on vocals?
Yes. The Troika was conceived to solve Jack White's challenge of using delay on a live microphone, and it accepts microphones through an XLR input with a high-grade Lundahl transformer. White used a prototype heavily on vocals, guitars, guitar solos and synths during work on his album No Name.
Does the Troika Delay provide phantom power?
No. The Troika passes +48V of phantom power from your mixing desk or preamp through to a condenser microphone, but it does not generate phantom power itself. Your console or interface still needs to supply it.
Does the Troika Delay have delay trails?
Yes. The Troika offers internally selectable trails, so you can choose whether repeats continue ringing out after you hit the bypass switch or stop immediately with the effect.
What is the maximum delay time on the Troika?
The Distance slider sweeps the delay time from a tight 80ms slapback to a full one-second echo. That range covers classic slapback through longer, more spacious repeats.
Where can you buy the yellow Troika Delay?
The limited-edition yellow version, priced at $369, is sold exclusively through Reverb's Third Man Hardware shop. The standard black version at $349 is available through regular retail channels.
Sources (5)
- Third Man and JHS Pedals Debut Troika Delay, Premier Guitar, 2025-11-14
- Third Man Hardware / JHS Pedals Troika Delay, Pedal of the Day, 2025-11-13
- Third Man Hardware and JHS Pedals’ new Troika delay is “more than a pedal”, Guitar.com, 2025-11-12
- New Pedal: Third Man + JHS Troika Delay, Delicious Audio, 2025-11-12
- Third Man Hardware and JHS Pedals release Troika Delay, Guitar World, 2025-11-12
