The Red Witch Cynosium Modulated Delay is a delay pedal built to give the sound and feel of a tape echo. Red Witch describes it as analog voiced, with the same high frequency roll off on the repeats and warm, tape like saturation found on the iconic machines it draws from. It is part of the company's Apothecary series and carries a list price of 269 USD as of April 20251.
What it does to your sound
The Cynosium is a modulated delay with tape style character: repeats that darken as they go, and a warm saturation Red Witch compares to tape. The maker frames it around the players associated with tape echo, saying the pedal "evokes thoughts of Gilmour, Page, Van Halen, Fripp, Greenwood and the myriad of others who have crafted such beautiful sounds with tape echoes"1.
Ben Fulton told MusicRadar the design came from "a long-held love of tape echos and they're wobbliness and the players, of course, who have used them"2. Guitar World reports that tape echos are the core inspiration and that the circuit is based on Red Witch's earlier Violetta and Magesteria delays3.
Controls and delay modes
The pedal's Time switch sets which of its two delay ranges you are in1:
| Setting | Position | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Short delay | Time switch up | Slapback to call and response repeats1 |
| Long delay | Time switch down | Up to over 2000m/s of delay time1 |
Toggling the Time switch into the down setting engages the long delay setting, so the pedal covers everything from tight rockabilly slapback to long, dark, self darkening repeats in one enclosure1.
Power, bypass and build
The Cynosium runs on 9 volt regulated DC through a 2.1mm barrel plug, tip negative, and draws 85 milliamps1. It has no battery clip mentioned by the maker, so plan a supply output that can deliver the full 85 milliamps.
At 85 milliamps, the Cynosium draws more than many analog delays. A low current output on a daisy chain or an isolated supply port rated well below that figure may not run it properly1.
Switching is a true bypass footswitch rated for 100,000 cycles1. The pedal is housed in a diecast enclosure with machined aluminum knobs unique to the Apothecary series, and an LED color matched to the pedal's color scheme. It measures 124mm x 55mm x 67mm (4.88in x 2.16in x 2.63in) and weighs 333.5 grams (11.74oz)1.
Red Witch guarantees the electronics and mechanisms for a lifetime of use for the registered owner1.
Where it came from
The Cynosium is the end point of a design journey Red Witch traces from the Violetta delay, through the limited edition Magesteria, to this pedal1. It sits in the Apothecary series alongside the company's other current designs1.
Videos
Red Witch Pedals
Red Witch Pedals
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Questions
Is the Red Witch Cynosium true bypass?
Yes. Red Witch specifies a 100,000 cycle true bypass footswitch, so when the pedal is off, your guitar's signal passes through without the delay circuit loading it. That switching rating is unusually high for a mechanical footswitch, and the maker quotes it as part of the Apothecary series build standard.
What power supply does the Red Witch Cynosium need?
The Cynosium runs on 9 volt regulated DC through a 2.1mm barrel plug with tip negative polarity, the same connector standard as most pedalboard supplies. It draws 85 milliamps, so check that your supply's output can deliver that current before sharing it with other pedals.
Where is the Red Witch Cynosium made?
Red Witch builds the Cynosium in New Zealand. The company says the pedal is made there with, in its own words, enormous love, and it is part of the Apothecary series, which uses a diecast enclosure with machined aluminum knobs unique to that range.
How long can the Cynosium's delay time go?
With the Time switch in the down position, the long delay setting is engaged, offering up to over 2000m/s of delay time. In the up position, the short setting covers slapback through to call and response style repeats.
Who designed the Red Witch Cynosium?
The Cynosium was designed by Ben Fulton of Red Witch Pedals. He says it was inspired by a long held love of tape echos and their wobbliness, and by the players who have used them. The design continues a line that began with the Violetta delay and the limited edition Magesteria.
Sources (3)
- Cynosium Modulated Delay, Red Witch Pedals, 2025-04
- “I wanted to design a pedal range that'll last 10, 20, 30, 40 years... It could be something you could bequeath to those you love”: Exquisite stompboxes, built to last a lifetime, meet Red Witch's Apothecary Series, MusicRadar, 2025-04-25
- Red Witch's Apothecary pedals could become family heirlooms, Guitar World, 2025-04-29
