The Retardante MKII from Lefa Pedals is a distortion delay drone machine: one pedal that combines distortion, delay and drones, plus more, into what Pedal of the Day called "one raucous effect"1. It is a new version of the original Lefa Retardante, built by Luis of Lefa Pedals, and it was released in January 2025 as a limited run of just 12 units1.
What it does
The MKII features infinite feedbacks, a distortion gate and an atomic drone, according to Pedal of the Day's review1. The delay circuit is based on the PT2399 chip, a delay IC widely used in compact pedals1. Players looking at this pedal alongside more conventional units will find it closer to the experimental end of delay pedals and distortion pedals than to a standard workhorse delay.
Pedal of the Day's reviewer described the character of Lefa Pedals' output this way1:
"makes some of the most unique, noisy, innovative and often downright scary pedals on the market today"
How it differs from the original Retardante
The MKII is an updated version of the original Retardante. Pedal of the Day summed up the difference: "This one just happens to be crazier, more uncontrollable, has better sound, more noise and more options"1. In other words, the same general idea as the first Retardante, pushed further in every direction, with more controls to shape the chaos.
Lefa describes the Retardante MKII as "crazier, more uncontrollable, has better sound, more noise and more options" than the original Retardante2. Pedal of the Day's reviewer, who notes that Lefa "makes some of the most unique, noisy, innovative and often downright scary pedals on the market today," frames the MKII as that approach taken further2.
Controls and footswitches
The pedal's controls and switching, as described in the review1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Bias switch | For more gate and bass |
| Bypass footswitch | Standard effect on/off |
| Second footswitch | Activates even more feedback and an infinite hold note |
The second footswitch is the pedal's most distinctive control: it pushes the delay into heavier feedback and holds a note infinitely, which is how the drone side of the machine works in practice1.
The Retardante MKII was limited to just 12 units, so availability depends on whether one comes up secondhand1.
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Questions
What is the Lefa Pedals Retardante MKII?
It is a distortion delay drone machine from Lefa Pedals, a new version of the original Lefa Retardante. It combines distortion, delay and drones in one effect, is based on the PT2399 delay chip, and was limited to just 12 units when it was released in January 2025.
What does the second footswitch do?
Alongside the bypass footswitch, the Retardante MKII has a second footswitch that activates even more feedback and an infinite hold note, letting a player push the delay into sustained self-oscillation while playing.
How many Retardante MKII pedals were made?
The Retardante MKII was limited to just 12 units, according to Pedal of the Day's January 2025 review of the pedal.
What does the Bias switch change?
The Bias control switch is for more gate and bass, letting the player lean the distortion section toward a tighter, gated character or a fuller low end.
Sources (2)
- Lefa Pedals Retardante MKII Distortion Delay Drone Machine, Pedal of the Day, 2025-01-25
- Lefa Pedals Destroy The Day LOFI Delay Fuzz Distortion, Pedal of the Day, 2020-07-28