ToadWorks Redux

I will keep this pretty brief. Plenty of details in the earlier postings.

It takes a little (but not a lot) of time/effort to learn the 4 knobs' functions and interactions. The manual is useful.

I really like it! very sweet-sounding delay. The second out-of-phase delay chip makes for a terrific modulation effect. The second chip does add a little noise, but not enough to matter to me. I play loud, high-gain rock, so my standards may be different than yours. My recent addition of an ISP Decimater noise gate makes it pretty irrelevant!

The reason the Redux has beat out a T-Rex Replica, Keeley AD-9, and an HBE Mimic is because it just sounds better. It is true bypass (unplug the power while it is switched off - duh), cuts through, and versatile enough for my limited needs. Modulation is key. Low delay times can give a nice reverb effect, too.

Solid, so far. Toadworks is known for quality.

No experience.

As above, I am very impressed with this delay. It doesn't loop or do anything extra fancy - it simply sounds great when playing live.

the redux delay pedal contains one input, one output, 9v adapter input, 4 knobs (delay, repeat, offset and mix) and an on/off footswitch.

first things first, there is not just one version of this pedal. when i bought my one, it was the earlier original version, which suffers from more hiss/noise than the upgraded version, as well as less flexibility due to the fact that the newer version has a whole new way of using the mix knob (see the online manual on the toadworks website for the new way in which the mix knob is used).

i imagine a lot of people who give this pedal bad reviews have the original version of the pedal which definately is not as good as the later version! toadworks actually offer a free upgrade if you have the older version which i highly recommend. you just need to pay the shipping costs. to find out if you have the older version, just take the back cover off the pedal and take a picture of the back of the circuit board, and send it to toadworks and they will tell you which version you have. i sent my redux pedal back to toadworks in usa from england uk where i live, and the turn-around time for the upgrade was about 3-4 weeks. they didn't overcharge on postage and let me pay the return shipping cost using paypal which helped matters also.

ok, so this review is for the LATEST version of this pedal.

i wouldn't say the pedal is super easy to use, and to be honest at first i didn't like the pedal much at all. i took me a while to get it going right. i thought about giving up and getting rid of it on ebay more than once during my time trying to get it set up right.

oh, by the way, only use a high quality regulated/filtered/smoothed 9v adapter, such as a BOSS PSA adapter. apparantly using anything else (including batteries) is a BAD idea.

my setup is a gibson sg guitar, a marshall jcm900 50w valve amp combo, and an early eighties mxr dyna comp pedal (which i use more as a booster rather than a compressor).

i have the dyna comp going through the front of my amp, and the redux delay is used on its own through the effects loop at the rear of my amp using both the send and return sockets.

the redux pedal is nice and quiet using my very good quality 9v adapter. it was way too noisy and hissy before i got the pedal upgraded though. toadworks put up a rant somewhere about how you should just ignore noise/hiss and just play, but i didn't agree with them at all on that one. i would have definately sold the pedal if i didn't have the option of upgrading it and getting rid of that damn annoying hiss!

i have noticed the pedal is quiter through the effects loop rather than putting it through the front of my amplifer, so that's where it stays.

i like to use my amplifier for both clean and distorted sounds via channel switching. the kind of sound i wanted out of a delay pedal was something which sounds like old vintage tape echo units (like the wem copicat). i don't think toadworks actually market the redux delay as sounding like an old tape echo unit, but in my opinion this is how it sounds once you get it set up right. eg. i quite like the rich and moody echo that hank marvin of the shadows would get using tape echo units, and i've totally nailed that sound using the redux delay. and the good thing is regardless of if i use clean or distortion channels on my amplifier, the delay sounds great either way (once again i have to say this is only possible through the effects loop. the delay pedal did not work very well at all through the front of my amp, especially when distortion was engaged! things got really noisy!!)

i find that on clean i get a real tape echo sound going on, and on distortion the delay becomes a bit less obvious, with a kind of fatter fuller 3d reverby echoey vibe going on. great! it's really good to be able to leave the redux pedal on all the time, without having to mess with the knobs regardless of if im on clean or distorted channels. that's all thanks to using the effects loop.

the overall sound is very analog sounding. it doesnt sound digital at all in my opinion (it's a damn clever design). someone else here on a different review wrote about it sounding just like a real tape echo unit without the hassle and bulk of those original machines. i totally agree with him 100 percent on that!!

the pedal seems well built and sturdy. i can't complain. has rubber feet on the base. pedal is true bybass.

high marks here as toadworks have been very good to me regarding getting my pedal upgraded to the latest version. emails are always answered, usually very quickly or sometimes a day or two later.

i totally adore the pedal. it is not the first delay/echo pedal i have owned, but it is definately the last one and i have NO reason to look for another delay/echo pedal again. in the past i have used a zoom G2 multi fx pedal for delay/echo (not too bad believe it or not, but a bit digital sounding). i also tried a belcat/nevada analog delay which again was 'ok' especially for the VERY cheap price, but it didnt do anything 'special' so to speak. i also owned a DOD FX96 analog echo pedal. this was the best out of the bunch before the redux delay. again though it wasn't quite what i was looking for (but fairly close). the redux delay is in a whole different league though, but that said you DO pay the price, it's not cheap. luckily i got mine for half price on eBay at around 70 pounds (or 140 dollars).

So overall, i am very happy. i'd be devastated if the pedal was lost or stolen as i know that if i bought another one it would probably be the older version and i would have to go through the pain of getting it upgraded again. overall marks, this pedal deserves 9.5 out of 10 for the upgraded version.. or about 7 out of 10 if you have the older version!

It's easy to get good sounds from this pedal. The manual's "Quick Start Settings" are excellent. From the Toadworks homepage, click on (the image of) the Redux Asynchronous Delay Pedal, then "Operation," and then, "Click here for the product manual: page 2."

Keeping the "Offset" knob at 9 o'clock and "Mix" knob at 3 o'clock is a good way to start your experimenting.

Ease of Use: 10.

I use Fender CS guitars, Fulltone effects and cable, a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus power supply, and a Traynor amplifier re-tubed with Eurotubes.

Digital, true bypass. Not noisy, even at high gain settings.

It has all the great analog sounds from the 50's to today.

Sound Quality: 10.

Reasonably solid, the switch seems alright. I'm not going to use it with a battery. I'll see how strong it is.

Reliability: No Opinion.

I've never spoken to Toadworks Customer Support.

Customer Support: No Opinion.

I've been playing 30 years. My specialty is R & B, but I play other styles.

If I lost it I'd replace it.

What I like about this pedal is its sound: clear and warm.

I bought it after reviewing and listening to everything else.

Practical, sounds great, and is versatile.

Overall Rating: 9.

Leepin' lemurs! I'm glad that I ignored the 2 bad reviews here. The instructions say that you need the right voltage adapter. It should also be emphasized that you should not try one of these if you have inadequate brain voltage.

Any way - when I first messed with it I thought it was time to crank up the old ebay sales account. There is a HUGE volume increase if the mix is below 3:00 After a while I found the right settings. What I came up with is not in the instructions and the cool sound is NOT on the web site:

mix: 3:00 ( this is where effect volume equals bypass volume )- below 3:00 there is a big volume increase. - I've
never touched this knob again


offset: Just clicked in the on position ( about 9:00 ) - I also
leave this knob alone


repeat: THIS is the knob to use to select the amount of effect
( yes - really !! ) - usually about 2:00


delay: I do change this knob - slap back: 10:00 ambient: 1:00
sleepwalk tone: 5:00


this offset setting ( 9:00 ) is the grail. Like I said - not for the mentally challenged ( see earlier reviews ) - but once you find it - yippee !

set up - tele >> carl martin compressor ( slight amount ) >> Keeley mod blues driver >>> delay >> tweed bassman

This pedal gives me a delay that does not overpower my lines but trails off nicely - No other device has ever done this for me - including my tape echo. this actually gives the tape echo sound everybody looks for when they buy tape echos

6 months - maybe 8 gigs - much noodling

have played 35 yrs - last 10 - cover music for parties, bars. ( all the goofy dance stuff people really want to hear.)- R+B, pop-rock, rockabilly, etc..

I am crazy and have owned the following: Guyatone RTE3000 tape echo
(sold ) ; TTE ( sold ) guyatone flip tube echo ( yuch ) ; guyatone MD3 ( not too bad - little blue box - but sterile tone ;- headrush, 9( sent back - dreadful sound ) ); AD 900 ( $400 !! - yiiikes - sold too much money - not as good as my AD99); dan-echo ( yuch );, Ibanez AD 99 ( 15 yrs old - my second favorite )

This does tape echo better than tape echoes - and cost $880 less and doesn't break or need tapes or roadies to carry it around ( it's a little box on the floor - you step on the button ) words cannot describe what that magic little offset knob does to the sound of the repeats - the offset gives it a tape " warble, flutter, wobble, whatever" - very lush - very warm - very organic - very not boring and not sterile- it surrounds the direct notes. I don't know about the ping-pong settings ( ping pong is a game you play with little paddles and a ball )

PLEASE TRY THE OFFSET KNOB SETTING LIKE I DESCRIBED !!!

the quest is over.

I find it very easy to use- 4 knobs, footswitch. Instruction sheet is helpful and to the point. The only *potentially* tricky aspect of it is the second delay offset knob- turning it all the way CCW clicks it off- the manual explains a few tricks with it. The knobs tend to not have a huge usable range- "mix" only really sounds good above about 2 o'clock, but that being said there is a huge range of sounds you can get out of this thing.

I've been playing since 1993, and while I have always appreciated echo and delay on recordings, I've never actually purchased a delay device because they always sounded so poor to me when I tried them out- (granted I've only come across mass produced digital pedals- never tape echos, etc) Boss DD pedals, etc, just sounded sterile and "fake" to me. I REALLY like the sound of this pedal in contrast. As others have stated, it is an analog- voiced digital delay with two distinct delay paths that can be offset from eachother. I believe that the delays are out of phase with the dry signal (and perhaps with eachother too), which creates all kinds of cool phase cancelations, etc. Practically what this seems to add up to is that at intermediate mix settings your dry signal is surrounded and enveloped by warm delays but never really overwhelmed- I think it is a lovely effect. If you sustain a single note you can hear the delays running out behind it, but if you play a faster passage your notes aren't swamped. The second delay can be offset from the first delay with its own control knob, or it can be turned off completely for a conventional single delay sound. Setting the offset knob around 12 o'clock gives a cool flanged sound to the delay, other positions give you a ping pong sort of delay. Practically for me, the offset creates more of a natural echo sound, with complex interplaying repeats around your notes, as opposed to just a trail of copycat repeats that you get with a traditional Digital delay. Nothing else I know of can do this...

Others comment that the repeats are "weak" and I think that they are noticing the phase cancelations that you get- its a bit harder to get the U2-style collages where you can't tell which is your signal and which are your delays- but you can get those sounds if you are patient and tweak the repeats and the mix. Running it into a dirt box, etc, really increases the level of the delay signal. It is true that the device can get noisy- especially if you crank up the repeats AND have the 2nd delay engaged AND have the mix cranked all the way up, but on most settings that I would want to actually play through the noise is negligible. If you have all the knobs cranked you'll be getting huge ambient washes of sound anyway, so pristine sound quality might not be your first concern...

As noted before, twisting the delay time or the offset knob while playing pitch shifts the delayed signal across a huge range- from squeals to subsonic rumble- lots of fun!!

The pedal is true bypass- yeah!! One strange feature is that if you turn the mix down you can get a signal boost- kind of annoying, but this really only occurs at mix levels that you can't hear the delay anyway.

Seems great so far- owned it for a few months- no problems. Feels really solid, nice construction.

Toadworks rocks!! They respond to questions quickly with detailed responses, and even went to far as to plug some pedals in a mess around with settings to answer some oddball questions for me before responding. Very nice guys, I'd buy another pedal from them in a second. 2 year warrantee isn't bad either...

I play a 1984 gibson LP studio standard into a BF fender deluxe reverb, with various combinations of effects in between, including the redux, fulltone OCD, an old japanese boss CE-2 chorus, and various flangers and phase shifters, sometimes a wah, sometimes an EH microsynth. I play mostly original stuff- I like tones from all across the board- classic rock, indie, americana, etc. I've been playing 14 years.

This is the only digital delay pedal that I have come across that I would consider buying- its warm, natural sounding, and seems to enhance, rather than overwhelm, the kind of music I play. I can use it to cop many classic sounds that we all know and love, but it also provides a very unique, musical effect that is its own thing. At more moderate settings it just makes my playing sound better without really being that noticeable until it is turned off- to me that is the mark of a great musical tool.

It???s not SUPER straightforward, as it???s not immediately obvious what???s happening with the Offset control, but once you realize what it does- vary the delay time of the second delay- it???s easy to use. The other controls are obvious, and when the Offset control???s clicked off, it functions like a typical delay.

Probably the most unique digital delay I???ve heard. The repeats are not exact carbon copies of the initial signal- there is some muting of the high end, giving it that analog/tape type of sound. You can get a cool flanger effect by setting the offset near the middle of its range- never heard another delay pedal do that (and it would be impossible unless you bought another pedal) . Another unique trick I haven???t heard another delay pedal do is a hard, small room reverb- set the Delay (time) control down and crank the repeats high. Having the offset delay present smooths out the repeats; all those other single delays simply can???t do this. And as far as the bypass switch goes- if you take the bottom off, you can see the bypass wire, right there on the switch. To the idiot a couple of reviews down- yeah, it???s true bypass. Clear as day.

So far, so good. Pots feel nice and solid as you turn them.

Never needed to contact them.

It???s certainly one of the most unique delay pedals out there. For whatever reason, it seems most other small pedal builders shy away from delay pedals. Maybe it???s because it???s out of their league and too difficult to design, as so many build only fuzzes & boosts (and more Tube Screamer clones- like we need more of those). Maybe they figure there???s nothing new that you can do with an echo device, but ToadWorks has proven them wrong.

Once you understand how it works, it's pretty darned easy to use, but you have to read the manual (duh). I just assumed that noon would be the center position for all the controls, and it's not quite like that. According to the manual, the "center" position for the Mix control is 3 o'clock. I didn't know that, and I couldn't figure out why the delay was so soft. After I read the manual, I set it to 3 oclock and it worked perfectly.

It's definitely unique... more like a real tape delay than anything else, not exactly low-fi, but definitely warm sounding, not sterile like a regular digital delay. Fortunately that's exactly what I wanted, since I can't afford one of the new TTEs, and I can't rely on my old Echoplex.

It's built like a tank, I think it might survive a nuclear blast.

haven't had to call them.

I almost didn't buy this unit after reading the last review, but the cost was reasonable and I knew I could send it back to Musictoyz for a refund if I didn't like it, but I love it, it's exactly what I needed. And I don't know what that last reveiwer was talking about, it most certainly IS true bypass, maybe his was defective, but mine is dead quiet when it's off, and when it's on there is a very small amount of added noise, but that amount is insignificant. I play mostly classic rock, a little country. Redux does a pretty good slap-back echo sound, and it almost like a plate reverb at certain settings. This is my first HC review, never really been impressed enough to actually write one, but I think this pedal deserves it.

I reviewed this before and have had another go with it. Sorry, I still think it's crap. It's not true bypass!!!! There is an audible hiss even when it's turned off and the further you turn any of the knobs up the more unpleasant hiss you get. Awful!
Easy to use yes. Easy to ignore or get rid of hiss? NO!

Too damn noisy! The effect is weak anyway. It's too expensive for what it does. This is NOT down to inexperience or my set up!
I've been playing twenty years and use good quality gear throughout including cables.

Only good thing I can say. Built strong. All metal chassis and knobs.

Hmm... probably ok.

It's rare I get this annoyed over a pedal but this really doesn't cut it. It's way over-priced.

This is not your normal delay/echo pedal and doesn't behave as such. The controls interact in unexpected and unusual ways compared to a normal delay pedal. For example: turn down the Repeat knob on a "normal" delay pedal and what happens? You get no repeats - just a single delayed note following the original, of course. But on the Redux, turning the Repeats all the way off gives you *only* the dry signal. I don't pretend to understand why it works this way, but it does. Just be aware that the Redux is not yet another take on a conventional delay pedal. Meet it on its own terms, and you'll get along fine.

Small changes in the controls can cause big changes in the sound. This is especially true of the interaction between the delay and offset controls.

I use the Redux with my main rig, which is a Koll Custom DL Thinline into a Vibro-King.

If you want pristine, sterile digital delay you should forget about the Redux. Ditto that if you want multi-second delays or even a simple slapback delay with no repeats.

So, what *is* the Redux good for? For starters, it excels at producing warm, murky echoes reminiscent of what you'd get from a good tape echo unit. I've searched for a long time for this sound, trying out a *lot* of different analog delays, digital emulators and even a few real tape echo units both modern and vintage. The Redux fills the space around your own notes without competing rhythmically. It's subtle yet very effective; it's the kind of effect that you don't notice until you turn it *off*.

The really brilliant thing about the (defeatable) offset delay is that it's out-of-phase. This is not your usual "two-head" delay; the out-of-phase connection gives you everything from subtle phasing effects to oddly-spaced repeats.

Another cool thing about the Redux is that twisting the delay and offset knobs gives you a pitch-shifting effect instead of the ugly zipper effect that you get from so many digital delays.

Make no mistake: the Redux *is* noisy. But the noise is not a showstopper. Sure, it'll drive you batty if you listen to it in a quiet room through a cranked amp while you're not playing your guitar. But is that really the point of having a cool-sounding effect? And the Redux does add some distortion. So does a real tape echo if you hit it with a hot signal. To me, the distortion is part of the charm of this effect. There are plenty of choices if you're looking for pristine clean signals, but there's only one delay pedal that can do what the Redux does.

I've had this for almost six months and haven't had any problems. Then again, I haven't abused it.

I've had a couple of email conversations with Ryan in which he has answered my questions promptly and thoroughly.

I play a variety of music that borrows from rock, folk, classical and jazz. I play mostly fingerstyle and pay a lot of attention to dynamics, voice leading and chord voicing.

I've been playing for almost fourty years - seriously for the past seven.

My main rig is a Koll Custom DL Thinline into a Vibro-King. For effects, I'm particulary hot on the Toadworks Redux and the Blackstone MOSFET Overdrive. I have a few other effects that get hooked up on an as-needed basis.

Because the behavior of the Redux is *so* different from any other delay pedal, I wish that there was more written about how and why the Redux works the way it does. There's definitely a learning curve to be climbed to understand this pedal, and some printed material might be helpful.

The Redux isn't intended to operate from a battery. Mine came with a sticker on the bottom that said so. My purchase price includes an AC adapter, since I didn't already have one.

I've tried a lot of different delay pedals - far too many to list here - and have owned quite a few. The Redux gets me closest the kind of echo sound I've been seeking for the past five or six years.

Very compact easy to use pedal. 4 metal knobs unlikely break. 3rd knob activtes second out of phase delay.

Ok. I play an SG thru a Marshall TSL602 2x12 valve combo. My pedal board consists of an SKB board with SD booster, EVH Phase, Decimator noise reduction and a tuner pedal. All quality gear. I bought the Toadworks to replace my EH memoryman. What a mistake. Can't fault the construction but... well this pedal just doesn't cut it. There is hiss in the background ( have to turn the noisegate rightup! )and I've found I have to turn the mix level up full for it even to cut thru. Sorry Toadworks. I'm going back to my memoryman. Trust me analogue is better when it comes to delay.I wanted to make space on my board but not to the point of sacrificing the sound quality. The Redux is just too pricey for what it does! ( #155 in Blighty! )

Build quality is excellent. solid cast metal case, metal knobs and compact design. Can't see this breaking. Shame it doesn't sound great.

Not had to.

I play light rock to metal orignals. Been playing near on twenty years. If it was stolen I wouldn't replace it. In fact I'm going to try returning it.
Love the quirky, strong, compact design. Hate the sound. It has no "sparkle" and no life.
I choose this off the net because of the size and I fell for the blurb. I'll think twice before I buy Toadworks again. I personally think this is overpriced for what you get.

Imposible, buzzed like a beehive. Backplate was imposible to get off to use a battery. Manual was good but the pedal was horrible

Lousy. Not much delay, buzzed, turning up mix control made it buzz more.

I wouldnt hammer nails with it.

Forget it its going back to the store

Dlays should be dead quiet. Any idiot who says its not possible should listen to my nearly 30 year old MIJ BOSS DM3&2. Also had a great Dan Echo that was ripped off.


I'll give Toadworks a break..Maybe it was a clunker. It sure was dead in the road.

Well It's easy once you understand it's more than your everyday DD-3 or AD9. I could not get the sound I was going for at first but Ryan at Toad Works stayed on the phone with me until I got what I was going for. Just a lush type of "reverb" or lets say "echo". Very much like tape with a sweetness which you won't get with a DD-3 or DD anything.

Here's some of my normal gear. I make my own 18 and 25watt heads. I'm big into the eminence Red Fang speakers which yes are the same as the Celestion Blues. Both of those speakers are made from the same parts from the same place. I dig my Maxon CP101 compressor as a boost and if I feel like blowing my cookies I plug into a Carl martin Plexi Tone Distortion,Soldano Super Charger or a Mr. Ed by Toad Works. I also love the Frantone Hep Cat. Other wise Just the Maxon Compressor and the Redux Delay. As for guitars I love my '52 Tele reissue and my old Ventura hollow body. Take note if you want too get the best sound out of this pedal you must use an adapter. This thing will eat a battery before you strum your first chord. At the highest settings this pedal has some noise but any good tape delay would have 3x the noise and is 3 times the price and ten times bigger in size.This is the best sounding delay for my use I've come across aside from the Maxon AD 900 which did not get me that tape type of sweetness. This is also True Bypass which is a plus. I'm into Jazz/Rock and Blues and dig people like Tommy Bolin,Wes Montgomery,Hendrix,Robbin Ford ect.

Seems very well made. Took a look inside at the hand wired jacks,pots and switch. Very nice too see hand done pedals like this. I would bring a backup walwart but the pedal should have no problems.

Well from the start everything was smooth. I bought this thing at Rudys Music in New York and Dean Who is a great guy shipped it out the day I paid. Ryan at Toad Works got on the phone with me when I thought there was a problem which turned out to be the battery was going dead. So on both ends customer service was the tits.

You could spend $130.00 on a new DD3 or $140.00 on an AD9 reissue or $200.00 on a used piece of shit vintage Ibanez AD9 and get I guess okay delay. Why not spend the extra lets say $45.00 and get great complex warm true bypass delay? Or if your realy a bone head shell out $500.00 on the Trex Replica now that's a joke.

Very easy to use right out of the box. Delay knob controls the amount of delay, the repeat knob controls the speed with which the delayed signal decays, offset knob controls the difference in delay time between the primary and secondary signals, and the mix knob controls the delayed signal to clean ratio. Very easy to dial in sounds. True bypass switching.

I play a 2002 Gibson SG Standard > Fulltone OCD > ToadWorks Redux > Ampeg Reverberocket. True bypass makes this pedal virtually noiseless when engaged or disengaged. Very warm analog repeats. The offset feature is worth the price alone. You can get a slight phase effect all the way to a random ping pong delay with a turn of the offset knob.

The Redux is very well built. I've only had it for a few days so I cant really comment on reliability. Looks like it will last a lifetime. I would definately gig without a backup.

This is my first ToadWorks pedal. From what I've heard Ryan is a pleasure to do business with. My Redux is serial number 005 and is handsigned on the inside of the pedal.

I have been playing for 15 years. I play Zep, Sabbath, Floyd and other classic rock. If this pedal was lost or stolen I would buy another one in a heartbeat. I tested a bunch of Boss delays before I bought the Redux. They sounded like mass produced junk. Take your time before you waste money on Boss and other mass produced pedals. I bought the Redux after hearing the sound samples on the ToadWorks website. They are very accurate. The Redux is a very musical pedal. Best of all is the true bypass switch - no signal loss or tone coloration when the pedal is off! Awesome pedal!