The Panda Audio Future Impact V4 is a bass guitar synthesizer and MIDI expander, a pedal that turns a bass signal into synth-style sounds and can also drive external MIDI and analog gear. Panda Audio describes it as conceived of not as a reissue of Akai's Deep Impact, but as an entirely new and vastly-improved pedal1. Bass Magazine announced its release in July 2024, calling it a very powerful signal processor able to replicate the various oscillator, filter, amplifier and envelope generator stages of a synth2.
Where it came from
The Future Impact line began after a Talkbass forum member tracked down designer Andras Szalay to ask if he would reissue the discontinued pedal1. Panda Audio's account of the line's history explains why V4 exists as new hardware: with the v3.60 update of June 2021, the maker says it had to admit that it had finally squeezed every last drop of juice out of the pedal. The V3.60 update exhausted the available code space, requiring a move to new hardware and a new firmware structure1.
That new structure is one-way compatible. The FI4 can load patches from all the previous versions of the Future Impact, including the Future Impact I, but v3 users cannot run the V4 firmware or V4 patches on their device1.
If you own a V3 Future Impact, V4 firmware and V4 patches will not run on it. Patch loading works from older versions into V4, not the other way around1.
What it does
Panda Audio's product page and Premier Guitar's coverage describe a wide-ranging engine. In addition to producing synthesizer sounds such as basses, leads and pads, the Future Impact can also function as an octaver, chorus, flanger, phaser, distortion, envelope filter, traditional wah-wah, tremolo, reverb and more, according to Premier Guitar3. For players, that places it closer to a multi-effects platform built around a synth engine than a single-effect pedal, with the filter, octave and pitch and chorus territory all covered in one box.
Among the V4 features Panda Audio lists:
- CV/Gate output, to simultaneously play a 1V/octave analog synth using the pedal1
- Detented Parameter dial with extended range, giving more variations on each sound1
- A fresh Editor look, with an updated color scheme and a clearer, more logical layout1
Firmware and patch compatibility
The latest firmware update, V4.5, brings major new capabilities to the Future Impact V4 and the Future Impact VIP, according to Panda Audio1. Panda Audio's downloads page lists firmware from V1 through V3.61, plus V4.00 and V4.51, so owners of earlier hardware can still find their versions1.
Panda Audio lists V4.5 as the latest firmware update, saying it "brings major new capabilities to Future Impact V4 and Future Impact VIP"1. Its firmware download page also lists V4.51, V4.00 and the earlier V1 to V3.61 versions1. The Future Impact V4 itself is released, and the circuit traces back to designer Andras Szalay31.
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Questions
Who designed the Panda Audio Future Impact?
The Future Impact traces back to Andras Szalay. According to Panda Audio, an enthusiastic member of the Talkbass forum tracked down Szalay to ask whether he would be able to reissue the discontinued pedal, and the project grew from there into the Future Impact series rather than a straight reissue.
Can V4 patches run on V3 hardware?
No. Panda Audio states that while the FI4 can load patches from all the previous versions of the Future Impact, v3 users cannot run the V4 firmware or V4 patches on their device. The V4 was built on new hardware and a new firmware structure, so compatibility runs one way, from older patches into V4.
Does the Future Impact V4 have a CV/Gate output?
Yes. The V4 has a CV/Gate output that lets you simultaneously play a 1V/octave analog synth using the pedal, according to Panda Audio's product page. That means the pedal's synth engine can drive external analog gear alongside the bass signal it processes.
Can the Future Impact V4 load patches from older versions?
Yes. Panda Audio says the FI4 can load patches from all the previous versions of the Future Impact. The reverse is not true: V3 hardware cannot run V4 firmware or V4 patches. New V4 devices ship with firmware v4.5 pre-installed, and owners of any V4 or V4 VIP model can install v4.5 free of charge.
Is the Future Impact V4 based on the Akai Deep Impact?
It descends from it. Panda Audio describes the Future Impact as conceived not as a reissue of the Akai Deep Impact but as an entirely new and vastly improved pedal. Premier Guitar notes that beyond synthesizer sounds such as basses, leads and pads, the Future Impact can also function as an octaver, chorus, flanger, phaser, distortion, envelope filter, wah-wah, tremolo and reverb.
Why did the Future Impact move to new hardware for V4?
Panda Audio says that with the v3.60 update of June 2021 it had to admit it had finally squeezed every last drop of juice out of the pedal. The V3.60 update exhausted the available code space, which required a move to new hardware and a new firmware structure for V4.
Sources (3)
- Panda Audio, Panda Audio, 2021-06
- Future Impact V4 Bass Synth is Released, Bass Magazine, 2024-07-09
- Panda Audio Unveils Future Impact V4.5 Upgrade To Bass Synth Pedals, Premier Guitar, 2026-05-09
