The Malekko Charlie Foxtrot is a digital buffer/granular pedal from Malekko that captures pieces of your playing and replays them with pitch manipulation, sitting somewhere between a delay, a looper and a pitch shifter. RockBoard's PedalPedia describes it as a digital buffer/granular pedal with both autocapture and manual capture of the input signal1. Premier Guitar's reviewer called it "Something of a cross between a sampler/looper, a delay, and a pitch shifter"2. It is a digital circuit, runs on 9V DC center negative at 50mA, and had a street price of $189 when Premier Guitar reviewed it in July 202312.
What it does to your sound
Because the pedal records your signal into a buffer and then manipulates it, the range of sounds is wide. Premier Guitar's reviewer wrote that "Charlie avails textures ranging from subtly warped pitch hiccups haunting your riffs in the background to schizophrenic rants parroting bastardized versions of your licks in rambling 10-second loops"2. In plain terms: at one end it adds small pitch-warped echoes behind your normal playing, and at the other it grabs a phrase and loops it back altered and rambling.
The Pitch Mode knob sets how the captured material moves. Premier Guitar listed the modes as "stutter, up, down, up-and-down, or random"2.
The controls and expression input
The pedal has six knobs. according to RockBoard's PedalPedia's product information, "The six knobs control the size of the buffer, duration of repeats, pitch mode, threshold, mix, and preamp level"1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Size | Controls the size of the buffer1 |
| Duration | Duration of the repeats1 |
| Pitch Mode | Selects the pitch mode1 |
| Threshold | Sets the trigger threshold for capture1 |
| Mix | Blend of effect and dry signal1 |
| Preamp | Preamp level1 |
The two capture modes work differently. With autocapture, the pedal grabs the input signal on its own, with the Threshold knob setting when it triggers. Manual capture puts the timing in your hands, so you decide exactly what goes into the buffer1.
The expression input covers a lot of ground: RockBoard's PedalPedia states that "Any combination of Size, Duration, Pitch Mode, and Trigger Threshold settings, both positive and negative sweep can be controlled with an expression pedal or through CV input"1. Only the Preamp and Mix knobs sit outside expression control, per Premier Guitar's review2. If you plan to use this, a dedicated expression pedal is the usual tool.
What reviewers said
Premier Guitar's reviewer, in a July 2023 review, summed up the pedal's strengths as "Refreshingly unique, warped-yet-organic-sounding possibilities. Versatile expression-pedal capabilities."2
The same review printed example settings for a clip, giving a starting point for the knobs: Size at noon, Duration at 2-00, Mode Up & Down, Preamp at 1-30, Mix at noon, Threshold at 9-002.
Videos
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Malekko HeavyIndustry
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Questions
What does the Malekko Charlie Foxtrot do?
It is a digital buffer/granular pedal that captures snippets of your input signal, either automatically or when you trigger it by hand, and replays them as loops with pitch manipulation. Premier Guitar described it as something of a cross between a sampler/looper, a delay, and a pitch shifter, producing textures from subtly warped pitch hiccups behind your riffs to rambling ten-second loops of altered licks.
Is the Charlie Foxtrot a delay or a pitch shifter?
It sits between categories. Malekko calls it a digital buffer/granular pedal, and Premier Guitar's reviewer called it a cross between a sampler/looper, a delay, and a pitch shifter. It captures audio into a buffer, repeats it like a delay, and manipulates the pitch of the material, so players looking for a conventional delay or a dedicated pitch shifter should expect something different.
What is the difference between autocapture and manual capture?
The Charlie Foxtrot offers both autocapture and manual capture of the input signal. With autocapture the pedal grabs the incoming signal on its own, with the Threshold knob setting when it triggers; with manual capture you decide when the buffer records your playing. The Threshold knob governs the trigger point for the capture.
Which Charlie Foxtrot parameters can an expression pedal control?
Malekko states that any combination of Size, Duration, Pitch Mode, and Trigger Threshold settings can be controlled with an expression pedal or through CV input, with both positive and negative sweep. Premier Guitar's reviewer put it the same way: all parameters except preamp and mix can be controlled via expression pedal, in any combination.
What power does the Malekko Charlie Foxtrot need?
The pedal runs on 9V DC, center negative, and draws 50mA, according to the maker's specifications. That is more than some simple pedals draw, so it is worth checking what your power supply can deliver on the outlet you plan to use.
Sources (2)
- Charlie Foxtrot by Malekko, RockBoard (www.rockboard.de), 2026
- Quick Hit: Malekko Charlie Foxtrot Review, Premier Guitar, 2016-05-01
Peter Holmström