The Rorschach Devices Apophenia is a delay pedal and the debut, hand-built product by a new St. Louis-based company. The maker describes it as "a rather unique digital circuit with a particular emphasis on the interaction between echo and filters." The pedal is built on an FV-1 based circuit, which the maker says "packs tons of digital power in a standard-sized footprint," and it aims for what the maker calls analog-like warmth and natural musicality while giving the player detailed control over tone and delay characteristics1.
What it does
The Apophenia covers a wide delay range. The maker describes it as going "from a tight, slap-back response to seemingly never-ending swirl of repeats," with the Time knob reaching a maximum of 1 second and a minimum that is very short1. The filter side of the design is central to the pedal's character: a three-position Filter switch shapes the tone of the repeats, and the interaction between echo and filters is what the maker says sets the circuit apart1.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Time | Controls delay time; maximum is 1 second, minimum is very short1 |
| Tails (dual-concentric knob) | Stacked control detailed in the maker's description of the pedal1 |
| Filter switch, center | "Normal" position: the TONE knob works like a typical pedal or guitar tone knob; turn it down to cut the highs out of the delay signal1 |
The Filter switch's center position is the conventional one: the TONE knob behaves like a standard tone control applied to the delay signal. The switch's other positions alter how the filter interacts with the repeats, which is where the pedal's emphasis on echo-and-filter interaction comes in1.
On the board
Two practical details matter for pedalboard use. The Apophenia uses buffered bypass, which the maker says "doesn't load down your signal," and its top-mount jacks "take up less space on your pedalboard"1.
Videos
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Harp Lady
Pedalboards of Doom
Sources (1)
- Rorschach Devices Apophenia Delay, Delicious Audio, 2023-07-12