Chris Benson extracts maximum flavour from the PT2399 Chip for his smart Analog Voiced LFO Wow and Flutter Tap Tempo Benson Delay

I’m not typically a fan of simple mono delays, while Chris Benson has indisputably created something really great with his fairly minimalist Benson Delay Pedal.

This originally Karaoke Machine PT2399 chip has been repurposed for myriad delay pedals over the years, but no one’s quite managed to eke as much flavour out of it as Chris does here - combining the core delay sound with an analog LFO - which introduces tape-like Wow & Flutter, and Warble into the proceedings.

Controls - LFO Speed, LFO Depth, Feedback / Repeats, Time (30ms - 1250 ms) Mix / Intensity, Bypass Footswitchs (Hold to enter Menu / Modes function - and then use either Bypass or Tap for options listed in visual), Tap / Hold Footswitch - doubles down on Feedback / Oscillation and sets Tap Division Mode (red in above visual).

You press-hold the left Bypass Footswitch for a couple of seconds - and you can then scroll through LFO Wafeforms with the Left Bypass Footswitch, and Tap Divisions with the Right Tap Tempo / Hold Footswitch. And if you press-hold the Tap Tempo Footswitch you max out the Feedback into self-oscillation territory. Really neat features and relatively easily accessed too!

Considering how straight-forward this pedal is - it produces a fantastic variety of delay tones - and sounds about the most Analog that the PT2399 has ever sounded. It can also get pretty janky and wonky too - so tonnes of fun to be had by everyone!

In terms of Conjoint Pricing Analysis I would have thought the sweet spot for this device would have been $249, while the  $279 price tag is still pretty decent. I would also really have preferred it in a slightly more pedal-board friendly vertical BB enclosure - but this is Benson’s style - all of Chris’s BB-size pedals are oriented in landscape format.

Its lack of stereo output means that I’m unlikely to add it to the reference collection - but I do really love how it sounds and functions. The non-optimal footprint and mono limitation does slightly limit the appeal here - and placement within my own signal chain - while I think a lot of people are going to really love this!

Not that many new delay pedals push the envelope this significantly - certainly not with such a simple topology - Chris Benson is quite evidently a genius engineer!

Available direct from the Benson Amps Webstore of course, and imminently and selected international dealers.