The Pigtronix Constellator is a mini analog delay pedal with modulation, built around MN3005 bucket brigade device chips, the classic BBD technology behind vintage analog echoes. Pigtronix released it at the virtual NAMM show in January 2021 as one of three new mini-pedals from the New York City-based company.1
The pedal produces up to 600ms of echo with adjustable modulation, running from percussive slapback and doubler sounds at short settings to chorused-out long delays with endless repeats.21 A pair of MN3005 BBD chips drives the delay line, and Pigtronix says those chips "provide superior overall headroom and tape-like saturation when pushed to the limit."23
An all-analog delay with MN3005 bucket brigade chips
Bucket brigade chips store your signal as charge that is handed off step by step, which is what gives analog delays their character: each repeat loses a little brightness and gains a little grit compared with a digital delay's identical copies. The Constellator uses a pair of reproductions of the Panasonic MN3005, the same chip family used in the classic analog delays players chase today.36
GuitarPlayer's Dave Hunter noted that those reproduced chips are what let "the wee Constellator" achieve its performance in a small box.6 Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio described the results as running "from percussive slapback and doubler sounds to chorused-out, long delays with endless repeats."1
Controls and the Feel switch
Four knobs sit on top of the pedal, plus a toggle and a footswitch.4
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Time | Sets the delay time, up to 600ms47 |
| Mix | Sets the balance of dry and delayed signal3 |
| Mod | Sets the depth of the modulation on the repeats3 |
| Repeats | Sets the feedback, reaching self-oscillation when maxed7 |
| Feel toggle | Adjusts several modulation parameters simultaneously for a second LFO flavor2 |
| Bypass footswitch | Engages and bypasses the pedal3 |
The Feel switch is the control that sets the Constellator apart from a plain analog echo. RockBoard's PedalPedia describes it as adjusting "several parameters simultaneously for an additional coloring of LFO modulation."2 Guitar World's Trevor Curwen characterized the two settings as "basically chorus or vibrato," with the switch reshaping the modulation character in one move.5 Premier Guitar's reviewer heard the feel function as "essentially a chorus that accents the colors and degradation in the repeat trails," adding that it sounds "at times, like analog tape that has been stretched."4
Self-oscillation and the repeats
Like the analog delays it descends from, the Constellator will run away when you push the feedback. With the Repeats control maxed, the pedal is capable of self-oscillation, and the pitch of that oscillation can be raised or lowered by turning the Time knob.1 Pedal of the Day called out the Repeats knob specifically as the route into "awesome self-oscillation when maxed out."7
Guitar World's Curwen found the repeats behave the way analog delay players expect, "melting off and degrading into the distance and going into self-oscillation if desired."5
Power and connections
The Constellator runs on a standard 9V DC supply with a center negative plug, drawing 100mA.2 MusicRadar noted that the adaptor is not supplied with the pedal.3 Connections are a standard input and a standard output.3
At 100mA the Constellator draws more current than many analog mini-pedals, so check your power supply's capacity per output before daisy-chaining it with the rest of your board.2
What reviewers said
Published reviews were positive about what the pedal packs into its enclosure. MusicRadar highlighted its "affordable" price among its reasons to like it, and Guitar World listed the "up to 600ms of analog delay" as a reason to buy.35
Delicious Audio concluded that "for its miniature size," the Constellator "can deliver a very wide range of effects, from bread and butter slapback delay to spacey and detuned echos," and added it to the site's Best Tape Delay Pedals and Best Mini Delay Pedals lists.1
"From percussive slapback and doubler sounds to chorused-out, long delays with endless repeats, the Constellator's MN3005 bucket brigade chips provide superior overall headroom and tape-like saturation when pushed to the limit."
Where it sits in the Pigtronix line
The Constellator is Pigtronix's compact analog delay, one of three analog mini-pedals the NYC-based company released at the virtual NAMM 2021 show alongside the Space Rip and the Moon Pool.1 The company's larger delay offerings include the Echolution 3, a multi-tap stereo modulation delay, and the earlier Echolution 2 family.
Videos
Reverb
Pedal of the Day
Song Production Pros
Questions
Is the Pigtronix Constellator Mini analog or digital?
It is an all-analog delay pedal. The circuit is built around MN3005 bucket brigade device chips, the same BBD family used in classic analog delays, with a pair of them driving the repeats. The modulation is also analog, an LFO applied to the delay line.
How long can the delay time go on the Constellator Mini?
Up to 600ms. That covers slapback and doubling territory at the short end and longer, chorused repeats at the maximum, which is generous for a bucket brigade design in a mini enclosure.
What does the Feel switch do on the Constellator Mini?
The Feel toggle adjusts several modulation parameters simultaneously, giving a second flavor of LFO coloring. Reviewers describe the two settings as roughly chorus versus vibrato, with one sounding at times like analog tape that has been stretched.
What voltage does the Constellator Mini run on?
It runs on a standard 9V DC supply with a center negative plug, drawing about 100mA. The adaptor is not supplied with the pedal, so you need to provide your own.
Can the Constellator Mini self-oscillate?
Yes. With the Repeats control maxed out the pedal goes into self-oscillation, and the pitch of that runaway feedback can be raised or lowered by turning the Time knob, a classic analog delay trick.
Sources (7)
- Pigtronix Constellator Mini Analog Delay, Delicious Audio, 2023-02-16
- Constellator by Pigtronix, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Pigtronix Constellator Modulated Analog Delay review, MusicRadar, 2022-04-16
- Pigtronix Constellator Review, Premier Guitar, 2021-09-10
- Pigtronix Constellator Modulated Analog Delay review, Guitar World, 2022-01-21
- Pigtronix Constellator and Space Rip Review, GuitarPlayer, 2021-07-22
- Pigtronix Constellator Modulated Analog Delay, Pedal of the Day, 2021-12-20
