The Prodigal Sound Atropos is a modulated delay, a delay pedal whose repeats can be moved and colored by a built-in modulation LFO. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio described it as "a modulated delay offering up to a second of delay time," which puts its range from short, tight repeats to long, spacious echoes. Its distinguishing feature is a self-oscillation function on the footswitch: hold the right switch and the repeats build on themselves, with a knob on the back of the case setting how fast that build-up happens1.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Speed | Sets the speed of the modulation LFO1 |
| Depth | Sets the depth of the modulation LFO1 |
| Trails | One of the two repeat-related knobs, alongside Feedback1 |
| Feedback | One of the two repeat-related knobs, alongside Trails1 |
| Rear knob | Placed on the back of the case, controls the speed of the self-oscillation build-up1 |
The Speed and Depth pair shape the LFO that moves the delay time, while Trails and Feedback govern the repeats themselves. The rear knob is the odd one out: rather than sitting on the top panel, it is placed on the back of the case, and it controls how quickly the self-oscillation swells once engaged1.
Self-oscillation
Self-oscillation is the point where a delay's feedback is high enough that repeats regenerate and build instead of dying away. On the Atropos it is a performance feature rather than a setting to hunt for: "The right footswitch, when held, sends the pedal into self-oscillation," according to Delicious Audio1. Because the build-up speed is on its own rear knob, a player can preset how gradually the effect develops and then bring it in from the footswitch mid-song.
Modulation
The modulation section offers "a choice of three LFO waves (Square, Triangle and Random)"1. Square steps the modulation, Triangle sweeps it smoothly, and Random moves it unpredictably, so the repeats can wobble in a regular cycle or drift in a less predictable way depending on the wave chosen.
Demo
Delicious Audio's write-up points to a demo video by EWric Merrow showing the pedal in action1.
Videos
Hondo Felder Music
Eric Merrow
John Bomboy
Questions
How long can the Prodigal Sound Atropos delay go?
Delicious Audio describes the Atropos as a modulated delay offering up to a second of delay time, which covers everything from short slapback-style repeats to longer, more spacious echoes within a single pedal.
What LFO waveforms does the Atropos offer?
The modulation section gives a choice of three LFO waves: Square, Triangle and Random. Square moves the delay time in stepped jumps, Triangle sweeps it smoothly up and down, and Random shifts it unpredictably for less regular, more organic movement in the repeats.
How do you trigger self-oscillation on the Atropos?
Hold the right footswitch. When held, it sends the pedal into self-oscillation, the point where repeats build on themselves instead of fading. How quickly that build-up happens is set by an extra knob placed on the back of the case, which controls the speed of the effect's build-up.
What does the rear knob on the Atropos do?
The extra knob on the back of the case controls the speed of the self-oscillation build-up, meaning how fast the runaway repeats swell once you hold the right footswitch to engage the effect.
Sources (1)
- Prodigal Sound Atropos Modulated Delay, Delicious Audio, 2020-10-19