I find these pedals very charming.
The line currently includes the Bitmap 2, Tensor, Context 2, Particle 2, and the newest addition - Raster 2.
Does anybody use these pedals? What are your opinions on them?
I am particularly drawn to the Bitmap 2 and the Tensor, and can’t wait to hear some demos of the Raster 2 with synthesizers
Ive never used them myself, coming from the guitar pedal world though, their general reputation seems to be; mid level quality and designs, fairly reliable workhorses.
The synth world, however, seems to gives pedals MUCH more leeway, so in that sense Red Panda might sit much higher in general opinion/approval.
I’d say they are a safe be, unless you are collector, in which case, you would likely already have pedals of similar use in a higher tier of make and model.
If they seem cool, go for it
I just picked up a Raster 2 to use on my guitar pedalboard. Super impressive pedal with tons of features. The only downside is that since it is very deep function wise, it takes some effort to get familiar with all that it does.
I started using them with bass, but imo they are much better in a synth setup, and eveb better with the elektron sequencer cause every parameter can be controlled with cc messages.
Also all the newer version accept stereo in and out with trs cables.
I have V1 Raster and Context. Both are decent. They added a lot of features in V2.
Hi,
here’s a demo video of the Red Panda Raster V2 together with Korg’s opsix and patches for ambient and Dub / Melodic Techno. Maybe you find it useful
Particle v2 is presently on vox but was on synth duty before. Works great, probably even better with a recent firmware update I haven’t yet got around to.
They are more than great. To me, speaking of digital effects, updates, innovation, inspiration, sound quality and price overall, they are the best company in the world. If you want higher “sound quality”, generic design and better “reliability” I think that CBA, Strymon, Empress and Eventide effects are better options.
I bought a Tensor one year ago and sold it a few months later. It’s a great pedal, but there were a few things I didn’t like:
Build quality: not great, but I am really picky about build. For that price, I expect better.
Quite complex. Too much for me (but I suck, so could be absolutely alright for others).
Midi on TRS (EDIT: got it wrong, my bad)
For a dawless setup the Red Panda pedals look great. I just happen to be going the other way.
I also had a Tensor and sold it after finding it limited compared to what I thought I wanted.
Tensor does excel at controlled Pitch shifting. I found iPad control was the easiest.
You don’t need a Strymon Conduit. Midi to TRS A or B cables are cheap and if by chance you have a 3.5mm one already just add the 1/4” adapter and that’s it.
Tensor also accepts Midi via USB so it increases the options for interacting with the pedal.
I found nothing wrong with the build quality. I only didn’t like the pedal switches because I sometimes only had socks on, and those switches are not sock friendly. I ended up buying cap covers for the switches to make them more feet friendly.
Back when I started buying pedals , the raster v1 has been a lot of fun, and can do a lot of weird stuffs. I still have it and use it too.
In comparison I bought a few earthquakes devices, ( afterneath, arpanoid ) before I realized that they are designed to be one trick ponies, with a lot of limitations. Got rid of it very fast.
I also had the context v1 which sounded awesome, but had not a lot of use for my music as it’s easier to apply reverb on a daw.
Overall great company.
Usually when I hear a cool effect or watch a demo vid of new or interesting pedals I start wondering if that could be achieved by combining effects and using neighbor tracks on the OT.
Maybe I’m a bit optimistic but it seems to me that most of the things these pedals as well as other cool digital pedals like the Microcosm would be semi-doable.
I would like to hear how wrong you possible think I am with this estimation and also which pedals do you think offer something that is way out of reach with the OT.
What would that be and why?
Can’t speak specifically about the OT as I don’t own one, but after trying various pedals (incl. Red Pandas) I’m with you on this one.
I tried immitating some effects sacrificing a track on Digitone and while that’s a big compromise on available tracks, I felt I had better control on the desired effect.
Got a Red Panda Particle that I like. It’s a bit like a Clouds in pedal format. It runs in stereo. I use it on pianos and synths.
Got a Tensor that I like a little bit less. It does some gliches and delay time effects but once left untouched it’s mostly an harmonizer-stutter which is the kind of fx I end up preferring in the DAW where I have more control on the automation.
The OT has a wide spectrum of FX but of course it has a limited amount of encoders.
I can definitely see the benefit of having a pedal for better playability but this question still arises every time I see interesting pedals or plug-ins discussed or reviewed.
One quite essential thing the OT is lacking however is a super fast delay for Karpluss type stuff.
Other than that it has endless possibilities for creating your own effects or imitating the stuff these more specialized but expensive and often times mono pedals do.
not relating specifically to Red Panda pedals, but if I want to hear manipulations of source audio, I can and will do this inside the OT with resampling (and optional neighbour tracks) and absolutely get where I need to musically. Either when I can’t be bothered, don’t feel like I have the time, or my pedals (Chase Bliss MOOD/Habit, Microcosm) are in another setup. So yes, I think the OT can conjure sonics that achieve similar results. The approach, hands-on control/interactions possible and sonic qualities laid can be very different though.
Via resampling, maybe placing record trigs on an odd step, setting a ‘weird’ record length, offsetting playback too, pitching the results, filtering, delay/reverb/panning/lofi, benefit from LFOs on the resample track (and any neighbours!) you can really design your ‘glitch’ or whatever intention.
That said, there are definitely pros for assigning this sort of task to an external unit. Be it their unique features, relative ease of use, even to ‘save’ OT tracks. Sometimes I want the ‘melodic safety net’ that MOOD provides via the quantised clock (always shifts in perfect fifths and octaves) or the near-instant tempo-synced complementary sonics of the Microcosm. But if left to OT only, I’d dig in and get to a similar destination.
Derail/ramble over 
I just ordered a Tensor. That’s it. That’s my post.
