Modulation can be applied using standard Depth and Rate parameters, but you also get to choose whether the RFPM (Random Fluctuating Phase Modulation) is on or off. Those parameters can be adjusted and stored for each preset, but on top of that there’s also three-band EQ, which can be globally applied to the delay. However, each successive EQ’d and/or distorted repeat will still sound the same as its predecessor, so you can’t quite recreate the progressive degradation of a tape or BBD delay. This way you can get away from the unit’s pleasantly pristine-sounding repeats and move towards the sounds of a vintage unit and beyond. To start with, the repeats have a Tone control that applies a low- or high-pass filter, and soft clipping can be applied for distortion.

There’s plenty of opportunity for shaping the sound of your delay. These can be set to run in series (A feeding B) or in parallel.

Getting to the nuts and bolts of it, though, what we have here is a pedal that provides two independent digital delay lines (A and B) with various options to combine them - and both with optional modulation.A delay time range that runs from one millisecond lets you dial in everything from chorus, vibrato and flanging through all lengths of delay up to 10 seconds, so it’s possible to have composite effects such as chorus combined with a quarter-note delay, or a delay with two different delay times, for example. Subtitled ‘RF Phase Modulation Delay’, the Future Factory claims to sport something unique in modulation, whereby instead of the LFO phase changing regularly at a preset cycle, it changes at random when the signal crosses a certain attenuation level, delivering more of a sense of the sound ‘floating in the air’.

If that’s you, then you’ll no doubt be happy to know that the Flight Time has now been joined in the company’s roster by a new unit that this time offers stereo besides mono operation.

Free the tone future factory delay