Swell Noise Lost Tapes Lo-Fi Delay

I love when a pedal company comes just roaring out of the gates with their first release, and that’s exactly the case with today’s monstrous gem of an effect. The Lost Tapes Lo-Fi Delay is the flagship unit from the crew at Swell Noise, based in San Geronimo, CA – they design unique-sounding tools that help musicians find inspiration fast, without digging through menus or presets. This delay is one fun machine, kiddos, so come along as we dive in and see what she’s got to offer…

Lost Tapes is a delay pedal built to sound like an old cassette machine breaking down in just the right way. The repeats drift, blur like a fading memory. Swell Noise believes that a good delay shouldn’t be perfect – it should drift, flutter and break apart a little, like an old cassette that’s been left in the sun. Lost Tapes celebrates noise, unpredictability, and the beauty of decaying sound. It’s a living, breathing delay pedal that hisses, wobbles and distorts.

Yes, the noise is intentional.

With four different modes to choose from, Lost Tapes captures the magic of machines that never play back the same way twice. Forward gives you a classic tape echo with soft filtering and hiss, while Rewind provides a reverse delay, where notes bloom backward and dissolve into noise. Flutter 1 adds random wow-and-flutter for gentle detune and motion, while FLutter 2 gives you more intense modulation and instability, where the tape begins to fall apart.

Every Swell Noise circuit is designed in-house and carefully tuned by ear – each pedal is fully tested before it ships out, and built in small batches, using quality components. If this flagship pedal is an indication of what’s to come from these guys, then I absolutely cannot wait to see what they produce next. Be sure to head to the Swell Noise website for ordering and all the info on the Lost Tapes Lo-Fi Delay, and don’t skip our demo video on YouTube – cheers!!