The Red Panda Particle 2 is a granular delay and pitch shifting pedal from Red Panda. Instead of treating your signal as one continuous stream, it chops it into small slices called grains, which are then shifted, randomized, and mangled using the techniques of granular synthesis1. The results range from radical pitch and delay modulation to shimmering repeats, time stretching, stutter, and glitch sounds2.
It is a fully digital pedal, built around a processor Red Panda describes as much more powerful than the original Particle's, making it a full-fledged granular processor1. It won Premier Guitar's Premier Gear award2.
What the Particle 2 does
Granular synthesis works by slicing audio into very short grains and then playing those grains back at different pitches, speeds, or orders. On the Particle 2, that means your delayed signal can be reversed, detuned, scrambled, or stretched rather than simply repeated. The delay time and feedback controls do what you would expect, and there is an all-important wet/dry control, the BLEND knob, which adjusts the mix from 100% dry to 100% wet31.
The role of the parameter control next to it varies from mode to mode, so the same knob reshapes a different aspect of the effect depending on where the mode switch sits3. Pitch shifting covers plus or minus one octave, with multiple pitch modes including free, semitones, octaves, octaves and fifths, intervals and inversions2. Seven pitch quantization settings allow shifting, detuning, and random jumps in octaves, octave and fifths, semitones, and other ratios2.
Feedback comes in four types as well: reprocessed, post-delay, ping-pong, and grain repeat2. Tap tempo can be used for the delay time, grain size, density, and LFO rate, with different note divisions for each1.
The modes
The crucial control is the 8-position mode switch, which selects between eight modes: five delay-based and three pitch-based31. Premier Guitar's reviewer described what several of them do:
| Mode | What it does |
|---|---|
| Reverse | Randomly reverses some slices3 |
| LFO | Expands and contracts the speed of the delayed signal3 |
| Pitch | Randomly detunes echoes3 |
| Random | Scrambles the delay times3 |
On the pitch side, the pitch modes cover free, semitones, octaves, octaves and fifths, intervals and inversions2.
Controls, footswitches and connections
The pedal keeps its control set compact. The BLEND knob sets the wet/dry mix from fully dry to fully wet1. The left footswitch handles tap tempo and, when held, freeze; the right footswitch is bypass and tap division1. Premier Guitar's reviewer noted the tap-tempo switch doubles as a freeze control when held3.
Connections on the back panel:
- IN: 1/4" TRS mono or stereo input1
- OUT: 1/4" TRS mono or stereo output1
- CTRL: 1/4" TRS jack for an expression pedal, remote, or MIDI1
- USB: mini B connector for MIDI, the web editor, and firmware updates1
Bypass offers several modes: Auto (the default, which uses analog or DSP bypass depending on configuration), DSP, Analog, Analog + FX Level, and Kill Dry1.
Power and specifications
The Particle 2 requires a 9V 250 mA center negative power supply, which is not included, and it cannot run on a battery23. The plug should have a 2.1mm inside diameter and 5.5mm outside diameter1. At 250 mA it is a relatively hungry pedal, so plan a dedicated output on your power supply rather than a daisy chain.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Delay range | 0 to 2.5 seconds2 |
| Pitch shift | +/- 1 octave2 |
| Input impedance | 1 MΩ2 |
| Output impedance | < 1 kΩ2 |
| Maximum input level | +8 dBu2 |
| Size | 3.05" x 4.75" x 2.5"2 |
| Firmware | 2.2.0+1 |
With firmware 2.2 or later, the stereo TRS input/output accepts mono or stereo input, with an auto-detect input/output mode Red Panda describes as a beta feature added in firmware 2.2.01.
Presets and MIDI
Four presets are accessible from the pedal itself, and 127 saved sounds can be reached via external MIDI program change commands23. MIDI arrives either through the USB mini B connector or the CTRL jack's TRS MIDI input1.
What reviewers said
Premier Guitar's reviewer found the pedal held up across its whole mode set:
"In all modes, the Particle 2's sound quality is stellar for its price range."
The reviewer also singled out density mode, writing that its shimmering, blurry textures can be downright beautiful, like a pretty landscape viewed through a window on a rainy day3. The pedal won Premier Guitar's Premier Gear award2.
Videos
Red Panda Lab
Red Panda Lab
Do Noise
Questions
Is the Red Panda Particle 2 stereo?
Yes. It has stereo TRS input and output jacks, and with firmware 2.2 or later it accepts either mono or stereo input. The pedal auto-detects the input configuration, though Red Panda describes that detection as a beta feature.
Can the Particle 2 run on a battery?
No. It requires a 9V DC center negative power supply drawing 250 mA, and the supply is not included with the pedal. Premier Guitar's reviewer also noted there is no battery option.
How many presets does the Particle 2 hold?
Four presets are accessible from the pedal itself, and 127 saved sounds can be reached via external MIDI program change commands. A USB mini B connector handles MIDI, a web editor, and firmware updates.
Does the Particle 2 have a freeze function?
Yes. The left footswitch is a tap tempo switch that doubles as a freeze control when held. Tap tempo works for delay time, grain size, density, and LFO rate, with different note divisions for each.
What is the maximum delay time on the Particle 2?
The delay range runs from 0 to 2.5 seconds. Pitch shifting spans plus or minus one octave, and the pedal offers multiple pitch modes including free, semitones, octaves, octaves and fifths, intervals and inversions.
Sources (3)
- Particle 2 Owners Manual.pdf, Red Panda LLC, 2023-07
- Red Panda Particle, Red Panda Lab
- Red Panda Particle 2 Review, Premier Guitar, 2019-09-17
