Several years ago now, Red Panda released a bitcrusher pedal called the Red Panda Bitmap . It offered several cool features, like a three-way waveform switch, bit reduction, an internal noise gate, and several modulation modes with which players could build endless 8-bit-style electronic soundscapes. New for 2021, Red Panda is back with the V2 of this bitcrusher, the Bitmap 2.
This second version of the Bitmap retains the core qualities of the original pedal while also adding a handful of really exciting new features, which you can see right on the pedal's redesigned face. Fractional bit reduction from 24 bits down to one bit, sampling rate reduction from 48 kHz down to 110 Hz, and sample-rate modulation with triangle, square, and random waveforms are all functions that have carried over, while this year's model also adds adjustable waveshaping and wavefolding functions.
Control-wise, the Bitmap 2 splits the previously single knob for crush/rate into two independent controls and adds two knobs for filter and depth while retaining the OG's mix and frequency knobs. There's also a new envelope control that can be engaged for the sampling rate or mix and a new extra aux footswitch assignable to tap tempo or a preset (four presets can be set on the front and 127 via MIDI).
This new version also features a drive control, which can accommodate everything from single- or dual-coil pickups to synthesizers or any other line-level signal, with +8 dBu maximum signal level and plenty of gain. Lastly, it also features a 4-pole low-pass filter, TRS stereo in/out, and soft touch bypass.
You can click here to get your own Bitmap 2 right on Reverb, and head over to Red Panda's YouTube channel to see Nick Reinhart put the Bitmap 2 to creative use.