The Red Witch Vesperia is a volume swell into a delay pedal: three guitar effects in one box, a volume swell effect, a delay and a noise gate. Red Witch built it by hand with premium through-hole components as a limited run of 59 units, priced at 599 USD, and the pedal is now listed as Sold Out with no more to be built1.
What it does
Red Witch describes the Vesperia as ultimately three guitar effects in one box: a volume swell effect, a delay the maker calls gorgeous, and a noise gate. The three can be used separately or together, and the volume swell section can also be set to act as a gate1.
The idea came from players who use the guitar's volume control expressively. Red Witch names Jeff Beck and Bill Frisell, and points to the swelling of the volume control run into a delay, which the maker describes as that "cello-y" sort of sound. The Vesperia is built to put that combination in a pedal1.
Controls
The pedal carries five knobs across its two sections1:
| Control | Section | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Swell | Swell/gate | Sets the volume swell behavior1 |
| Gate | Swell/gate | Sets the gate, which the swell section can also act as1 |
| Delay time | Delay | Sets the delay time1 |
| Feedback | Delay | Sets the delay repeats1 |
| Mix | Delay | Sets the delay level in the mix1 |
Availability and warranty
The Vesperia was a limited build of 59 units. Red Witch stated that once they sold out there would be no more, and the product page now lists the pedal as Sold Out1.
Red Witch backs the Vesperia with a lifetime warranty. All pedals ship in 100 percent recycled packaging, and orders go out via DHL International express tracked service with duties and tariffs paid by the seller1.
Where it sits among Red Witch delays
The Vesperia is unusual in the maker's delay range because it combines swell and gating with the delay. Players looking at Red Witch's more conventional delay pedals can compare it with the Red Witch Violetta Delay, the Red Witch Cynosium Modulated Delay, the Red Witch Magesteria Handmade Delay and the Red Witch Titan Triple Delay, or browse the wider field on the Delay Pedals page. For the gate side of the pedal on its own, see Noise Gate Pedals1.
Questions
Is the Red Witch Vesperia still available?
No. Red Witch built the Vesperia as a limited run of 59 units, and the maker's product page lists it as Sold Out. Once those units sold, the maker stated there would be no more built, so the pedal is not available new from Red Witch.
Can I use the swell, delay and gate separately?
Yes. Red Witch states that the Vesperia's three effects, the volume swell, the delay and the noise gate, can be used separately or together, so the pedal can serve as a swell unit, a delay, or a gate on its own as well as a combined effect.
Can the Vesperia's swell section work as a noise gate?
Yes. According to Red Witch, the volume swell section can be set to act as a gate, which is why the pedal is described as three effects in one box rather than two.
Who inspired the Red Witch Vesperia?
Red Witch says the idea came from thinking about players known for expressive use of the guitar's volume control, naming Jeff Beck and Bill Frisell, and specifically the swelling of the volume control run into a delay.
Is the Red Witch Vesperia made by hand?
Yes. Red Witch states the Vesperia is built by hand with premium through-hole components, and every pedal ships with 100 percent recycled packaging.
What does a swell into a delay sound like?
Red Witch describes the sound of a swelled volume run into a delay as having a cello-like quality, referring to it as that cello-y sort of sound. The Vesperia is built to produce exactly that, a volume swell into a delay.
Sources (1)
- VESPERIA, Red Witch Pedals
