The SONICAKE Sonic Ambience is a compact dual-effect pedal from Sonicake that combines a delay and a reverb in one small enclosure, each side with four modes. Sonicake describes it as delivering "a true and organic vibe, adding dimension and spaciousness to your tone" through a digital integrated circuit1. It sits in the maker's mini stompbox line and is part of the broader family of delay pedals and reverb pedals that players often pair on a board.
Controls and modes
The pedal splits its work between a delay section and a reverb section. The delay offers a maximum delay time of 2000ms with a tap tempo function for real-time rate control, and Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio notes it offers "repeats up to 2 seconds"21. On the reverb side, the four modes are Room, Hall, Cathedral and Plate2.
| Section | What it gives you |
|---|---|
| Delay | Four modes, maximum delay time of 2000ms, tap tempo for real-time rate control1 |
| Reverb | Four modes: Room, Hall, Cathedral, Plate2 |
| Reverb controls | Mix knob only, no size knob to change the reverb length2 |
One limitation worth knowing before buying: the reverb section has only a Mix knob. As De Gregorio put it, "there's no size knob to change the length, only a Mix knob"2, so the reverb length is fixed per mode rather than adjustable.
Power and bypass
The Sonic Ambience runs on a regular 9V center negative pedal power supply with a 5.5 x 2.1mm connector and draws 100mA. The power supply is not included, and there is no battery option mentioned by the maker1.
The pedal is not true bypass. Sonicake specifies a "Special Design Buffer Bypass Circuit Keeps the Sound Pristine"1, meaning the signal passes through a buffer when the pedal is off. At 100mA it also needs its own power outlet on most daisy-chain supplies rather than a shared low-current one.
For a quick check before it goes on a board:
- 9V DC center negative supply, 5.5 x 2.1mm connector1
- 100mA current draw1
- Power supply not included1
- Buffer bypass, not true bypass1
Where it sits among the alternatives
What reviewers said
Videos
SONICAKE
Pedal Experiments
Perry Frank
Questions
Does the Sonicake Sonic Ambience have tap tempo?
Yes. Sonicake lists a tap tempo function for real-time rate control of the delay, and the pedal's maximum delay time is 2000ms, or about two seconds of repeats.
Is the Sonicake Sonic Ambience true bypass?
No. Sonicake describes it as using a special design buffer bypass circuit rather than true bypass, which the maker says keeps the sound pristine. Players who prefer a fully mechanical signal path when the pedal is off should keep this in mind.
Does the Sonicake Sonic Ambience come with a power supply?
No. The pedal runs on a regular 9V center negative pedal power supply with a 5.5 x 2.1mm connector and draws 100mA, but the power supply is not included.
What reverb types does the Sonicake Sonic Ambience have?
The reverb side has four modes: Room, Hall, Cathedral and Plate, as listed by Delicious Audio in its coverage of the pedal.
Can you change the reverb length on the Sonicake Sonic Ambience?
Not directly. According to Delicious Audio, the reverb section has only a Mix knob, with no size knob to change the length of the reverb.
How long can the delay time go on the Sonicake Sonic Ambience?
The maximum delay time is 2000ms, and Delicious Audio notes the pedal offers repeats up to 2 seconds.
Sources (2)
- Sonic Ambience Delay and Reverb Guitar Bass Effects Pedal, SONICAKE
- Sonicake Sonic Ambience Delay + Reverb, Delicious Audio, 2022-08-29
