The Red Witch Magesteria is a limited edition delay pedal from Red Witch Pedals, built to emulate the sound of vintage tape echo units rather than to be one. Designer Ben Fulton's tastes in tape machines converge on the Maestro Echoplex EP3, the Roland Space Echo and the Watkins Copicat, and the Magesteria's circuit was designed to cast the illusion of those mechanical echoes: high frequency roll off on the repeats and warm tape like saturation1. MusicRadar described it at launch as a handmade high-end delay pedal2.
Only 89 were made. Each one was hand built, numbered and signed by Fulton using full sized, through hole components, and the maker's page now lists the pedal as sold out1. MusicRadar reported a launch price of $349 in July 20242; Red Witch's product page lists it at 599 USD as of October 20261.
What it does to your sound
The Magesteria is built around the character of three tape echoes: the Maestro Echoplex EP3, the Roland Space Echo and the Watkins Copicat. Fulton says the pedal offers the same high frequency roll off on the repeats and warm tape like saturation as those units, and he describes it as "the embodiment of tape delay glory"1. MusicRadar's Jonathan Horsley noted that while the pedal presents itself in tape echo terms, that is the illusion the circuit was designed to cast2.
The delay range runs from 55ms, which MusicRadar likened to a Scotty Moore slapback, all the way up to what the same review called an ethereal, spaced-out 1100ms2. Red Witch's own page gives the range as 55 m/sec to 1100 m/sec maximum delay time1.
The controls
The control set is small and focused on the tape echo experience.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Repeat | Sets a single repeat or pushes into self-oscillation, with sound upon sound upon sound1 |
| Wow/Flutter dial | Determines the amount of wow and flutter, the asymmetrical pitch shift found in tape echoes, on the repeats1 |
| Mode slide switch | Selects between two wow and flutter modes: Echoplex mode and Watkins Copicat Mode1 |
| Internal trimpot | Dials in the pedal's gain to match your pickups1 |
The two modes give the pedal two mechanical personalities. Echoplex Mode is asymmetrical with a slower speed, while Copicat Mode has faster wow and flutter and is more shimmery at shorter delay times1. MusicRadar called the wow/flutter knob a go-to for dialling in some of the mechanical wonkiness that makes the original tape repeats so musical2.
The repeat control is where the tape echo behavior gets extreme. As Red Witch puts it1:
"Magesteria allows you to invoke the magic of self-oscillation via the repeat control1."
Ben Fulton, Red Witch Pedals product page1
That means the pedal can be pushed past a single repeat into runaway feedback, the way a tape echo does when its feedback is run too high.
Build and bypass
Fulton built each pedal by hand with full sized, through hole components, and each is numbered and signed1. The jacks are high spec Neutrik sockets that are hand wired in1. The bypass is true bypass, and the foot-switch is mounted independently from the main PCB, which Red Witch says offers much more durability and resilience than a board-mounted switch1.
The Magesteria is sold out and was a strict limited edition. Fulton stated that only 89 would be built and that once they sold out there would be no more1. Buyers now looking for one are looking at the secondhand market.
Where it came from
The Magesteria is the handiwork of Red Witch's Ben Fulton, and it sits within the maker's broader delay line, which includes the Red Witch Violetta Delay, the Red Witch Cynosium Modulated Delay, the Red Witch Titan and the Red Witch Titan Triple Delay. MusicRadar later grouped it among Red Witch's limited edition pedals in coverage of the maker's Apothecary series3.
Videos
Red Witch Pedals
Questions
Is the Red Witch Magesteria true bypass?
Yes. Red Witch specifies a super high quality true bypass foot-switch that is independent from the main PCB, which the maker says offers more durability and resilience than a switch mounted on the board.
What is the maximum delay time of the Magesteria?
The maximum delay time is 1100ms. The range runs from 55ms, enough for a Scotty Moore style slapback, up to what MusicRadar called an ethereal, spaced-out 1100ms.
Which tape echoes is the Magesteria based on?
It draws on three tape echo units: the Maestro Echoplex EP3, the Roland Space Echo and the Watkins Copicat. Designer Ben Fulton said he decided to create a pedal that encapsulates the beauty of all three.
Who designed the Red Witch Magesteria?
Ben Fulton of Red Witch Pedals. Each of the 89 pedals was hand built, numbered and signed by Fulton using full sized, through hole components.
Can the Magesteria self-oscillate?
Yes. The repeat control can be pushed from a single repeat into self-oscillation, with sound upon sound upon sound, in the manner of a tape echo run past its feedback limits.
Is the Red Witch Magesteria still available?
No. It was a limited edition of 89 pedals, and Red Witch's product page now lists it as sold out. Fulton stated that once they sold out there would be no more.
Sources (3)
- MAGESTERIA Handmade Delay, Red Witch Pedals
- “The same exquisite high-frequency roll off on repeats and warm tape-like saturation as those iconic mechanical boxes”: Red Witch's Magesteria is a high-end delay inspired by vintage Maestro, Roland and Watkins tape echo units, MusicRadar, 2024-07-30
- “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
