The Old Blood Noise Bathing Liminal Delay is a stereo delay pedal that does much more than repeat notes. At its heart is a central delay line processed through multiple all-pass filter stages, adjustable from 2 to 12, and those stages are what let one circuit cover delay, phaser and reverb territory in a single box1. Old Blood Noise Endeavors released it in late July 2025 as the third pedal in its Square Series, after the Dark Star Stereo Reverb and the Black Foundation Stereo Delay, and it is largely based on the company's Dweller Phase Repeater, expanded into a stereo unit2.
The press coverage has framed it as a pedal that resists easy description. Gearnews' Julian Schmauch wrote that "it can sound like a granular, like a phase-y room reverb, and even like the most spaced-out, analog delay"3, while Delicious Audio describes it as "creating dreamlike, ambiguous, and evolving textures"1.
Delay, phaser and reverb textures from one delay line
The Bathing's architecture is the story here. A delay line on its own just repeats; running those repeats through a cascade of all-pass filters reshapes them, because all-pass stages shift phase across the frequency range without cutting level. With the Stages control set low the repeats stay close to plain delay; pushed up to twelve stages, the filters smear and morph the repeated signal into something closer to a phaser, a flanger, or a diffused reverb wash13.
That single idea produces the pedal's three modes1:
| Mode | What it does |
|---|---|
| Delay | Standard repeats from the central delay line |
| Phaser/Flanger | Phase and flange-style modulation of the repeats |
| Multi-tap reverb | Diffused, scattered echoes, reverb-like ambience |
Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson called it "a complex confection of effects for sure," noting it is very different from OBNE's recently released Stereo Oil Can Delay and "a much more evolved expansion that will need to find its own audience"2. Gearnews took a similar view of its uniqueness: "It also offers sounds and effect possibilities you get nowhere else"3.
The controls
The control set is built around that delay line plus filter cascade, with a modulation engine layered on top. Gearnews describes "a deep modulation engine with Rate, Depth, and Shape controls," with multiple LFO waveforms or envelope modes that react to playing dynamics3.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Time | Sets the central delay tempo1 |
| Stages | Adjusts the number of all-pass filters, intensifying modulation or diffusion1 |
| Feedback | Controls echo resonance and decay1 |
| Filter | Shapes tone from dark to bright1 |
| Modulation (Rate/Depth/Shape) | An LFO adds movement, with stereo offset for wide, swirling effects1 |
| Dimension | A subtle stereo chorus for added depth1 |
| Dry/Wet Mix | Blends in the amount of effect1 |
The Dimension control is worth a note for anyone running the pedal in mono: Gearnews reports it "adds a shimmering stereo chorus or mono vibrato to the wet signal," so it behaves differently depending on your routing3. Two footswitches handle the rest: a Tap/Aux footswitch and an On/Off footswitch2.
Stereo, MIDI and expression
The Bathing is a fully stereo pedal. It offers both mono-to-stereo and a fully stereo signal path, with stereo input and output on TRS jacks and the option of mono or mono-in-stereo-out routing23. Guitar Pedal X highlights its "low noise floor and an expansive stereo field" as part of what makes the pedal work2.
For players who want to integrate it into a larger rig, the connectivity is deep:
- Three presets onboard, saved and recalled via footswitch or MIDI12
- Full MIDI control over every parameter, including sync to external clock3
- MIDI In and MIDI Out, with MIDI clock I/O for external tempo syncing2
- Expression and MIDI control over all parameters2
- Expression pedal support for real-time tweaking1
The USB-C port on the rear panel sits alongside the MIDI, expression and 9V DC connections2. Power comes from a 9V DC supply drawing 350mA2, which rules out a standard battery and is worth checking against a small isolated power supply's per-output budget.
The 350mA current draw at 9V DC2 is higher than many compact analog pedals. Check your power supply's output ratings before adding it to an existing pedalboard.
Where it came from and who it suits
The Bathing is the third installment of OBNE's Square Series, which started with the Dark Star Stereo Reverb and continued with the Black Foundation Stereo Delay, and it takes its core idea from the Dweller Phase Repeater, whose "phase repetition" concept Guitar Pedal X describes as difficult to put into words23. It is available in three colorways: Algae (the standard finish), Orchid and Ink2.
On who the pedal is for, Delicious Audio's writeup is direct: "This pedal is ideal for ambient musicians, experimental guitarists, and synth producers who crave textural, evolving sounds," calling it "a sonic exploration tool that defies traditional categorization"1. Players comparing it against OBNE's other stereo offerings can also look at the Setback reverse effect pedal, released later with a similar preset, MIDI and expression feature set.
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Questions
What modes does the Bathing Liminal Delay have?
It has three modes: Delay, Phaser/Flanger, and Multi-tap reverb, which produces diffused, scattered echoes. All three grow out of the same architecture, a central delay line running through an adjustable cascade of all-pass filter stages, so the modes feel like variations on one idea rather than three separate effects.
Is the Bathing stereo?
Yes. It has stereo input and output on TRS jacks, and it works both mono-to-stereo and as a fully stereo signal path. A Dimension control adds a subtle stereo chorus across the wet signal for extra width, or a mono vibrato when you run it in mono.
Does the Bathing have presets?
Yes. Three presets are stored onboard and can be saved and recalled from a footswitch, and MIDI adds further control. Every parameter is reachable over MIDI, including sync to an external clock, and an expression pedal can sweep parameters in real time.
Does the Bathing have an analog dry-through?
Yes, it keeps an analog dry-through, so your uneffected signal stays in the analog domain while the wet path is processed. A Dry/Wet mix control lets you blend in as much or as little of the processed signal as you want.
What colors does the Bathing come in?
It comes in three colorways: Algae, which is the standard finish, plus Orchid and Ink. All three are the same circuit, hand-made in Oklahoma, USA.
How much is the Bathing Liminal Delay?
It carries an MSRP of $299 in the US, with a UK price of £299. It launched in late July 2025 on the Old Blood Noise webstore, with international dealers following.
Sources (3)
- Old Blood Noise Bathing Liminal Delay, Delicious Audio, 2025-10-31
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-07-29
- OBNE Releases Bathing Liminal Delay: Phaser Meets Reverb Meets Delay, gearnews.com, 2025-07-29
