The Tone City Heavenly Lake is a delay and reverb pedal that packs two of the maker's best-selling circuits into one enclosure. Tone City built it by taking the circuitry of its Tape Machine delay and Tiny Spring reverb, upgrading both, and adding controls the originals did not have, so a player gets a full delay and reverb setup on one patch of pedalboard1.
What it does and how it is controlled
The Heavenly Lake runs its two effects together or separately, so a player can use the Echo delay alone, the reverb alone, or both stacked2. Where the original Tape Machine and Tiny Spring were mini pedals with fixed voicing, the Heavenly Lake adds adjustable controls on both sides.
| Section | Controls | What they do |
|---|---|---|
| Echo (delay) | Time, feedback and level functions of the upgraded Tape Machine circuitry | Up to 1200 ms of delay with Tape Machine and classic analog delay timbre12 |
| Echo modulation | Rate and Depth | Adjust modulation for the Echo circuit, with changes shown by the LED light2 |
| Reverb | Decay and Tone | Precisely shape the reverb sound, from short and tight to long and spacious12 |
The modulation section is worth a note for players chasing ambient sounds. Pedal of the Day found that the Echo's Rate and Depth controls, which Tone City says bring "some ethereal & psychedelic features for the guitar sound, produce some real stellar psychedelic soundscapes"2, open up sounds beyond straight delay repeats.
"This design can bring some ethereal & psychedelic features for the guitar sound, produce some real stellar psychedelic soundscapes"
Where the circuits came from
Tone City says the Heavenly Lake grew out of its two best sellers. The Tape Machine and Tiny Spring each worked well within their small enclosures, so the company's work on the Heavenly Lake was an attempt to find more possibilities in those timbres once size was no longer the constraint1. The result is housed in a larger two-in-one unit rather than the mini format Tone City is known for4.
The delay side is upgraded Tape Machine circuitry with Decay and Tone adjustable controls added, and the Echo itself is a brand new design that combines the Tape Machine direction with classic analog delay timbre12. The reverb side in the v2025 version has upgraded circuit and components, with the reverb path upgraded to be closer to a real spring reverb2.
Versions
| Version | What changed |
|---|---|
| Original Heavenly Lake | Two-in-one pedal combining upgraded Tape Machine and Tiny Spring circuits in an aqua enclosure4 |
| Heavenly Lake v2025 | Upgraded circuit and components, reverb path closer to a real spring reverb, reduced noise in wet signals in specific situations12 |
Pedal of the Day reviewed the original in March 2024 and found it impressive for ambient and shoegaze players, writing that it "will quench even the most snobbish shoegazer's thirst for the ultimate ambient effect"4. The same site revisited the pedal as the v2025 in November 2025, calling it one of its favorites from a couple years earlier, now updated and upgraded, and the highest quality dual pedal in Tone City's arsenal overall2.
"One of our favorites from a couple years ago, the Heavenly Lake v2025 Delay Reverb has been updated and upgraded"
Power and setup
The Heavenly Lake runs on a DC 9V adapter and draws 90mA with both effects turned on1. Tone City recommends a DC 9V power supply such as its TPS series independent pedal power supply1. There is no battery option, so it needs a spot on a power supply from the start.
The 90mA draw applies with both devices on, so plan headroom on a shared supply accordingly. Tone City recommends an independent pedal power supply rather than a daisy chain1.
With 1MΩ input impedance and 10KΩ output impedance, the pedal presents a standard high-impedance input that won't load a guitar's pickups, though the 10KΩ output is low enough that players running long cables after it may want a buffer later in the chain1.
Videos
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Pedal of the Day
Questions
Can the Heavenly Lake delay and reverb be used separately?
Yes. The delay and reverb sides can be used together or separately, so you can run just the Echo delay, just the spring-style reverb, or both at once. Each side has its own controls, including Decay and Tone knobs for shaping the reverb independently of the delay.
Is the Tone City Heavenly Lake true bypass?
Yes. Tone City lists the Heavenly Lake as true bypass, so with both effects switched off the guitar signal passes through without buffering or coloration. The pedal runs on a 9V DC adapter rather than a battery.
How long is the Heavenly Lake delay time?
The Echo circuit offers 1200 ms of delay time, which Tone City says it achieves while keeping noise extremely low. The Echo is a new design that combines the Tape Machine's character with a classic analog delay timbre.
Is the Heavenly Lake based on the Tape Machine and Tiny Spring?
Yes. Tone City built the Heavenly Lake by upgrading the circuitry of its Tape Machine delay and Tiny Spring reverb, two of its best sellers, and combining them in one larger enclosure. The delay side adds Decay and Tone controls the originals did not have.
Sources (4)
- Heavenly Lake-Reverb&Delay-TONE CITY ▏Analog Pedals & Power supplies, TONE CITY, 2026
- Tone City Heavenly Lake v2025 Delay Reverb, Pedal of the Day, 2025-11-11
- Tone City Tape Machine v2025 Analogue/Digital Delay, Pedal of the Day, 2025-09-04
- Tone City Heavenly Lake Delay Reverb, Pedal of the Day (pedal-of-the-day.com), 2024-03-28
