Red Panda: Tensor

Pedals and Effects has nothing but love for Red Panda, we've featured just about every pedal they've put out! Kurt and the crew in Detroit are on the cutting edge and we always make a point to stop by when we're passing through on tour. So when we caught wind of something new brewing in the lab, we were super curious and we knew that whatever it was, it would be great. That time is now, and the next great Red Panda effects pedal is the sampling and time warping, Tensor. 

Photo credit: Perfect Circuit Audio

About two years ago Bobb Bruno hit me up when he was passing through Detroit about a dope new pedal Red Panda was working on. We had seen prototypes in the years following, but the folks over at Red Panda are such perfectionists. It wasn't until a NAMM or two ago, that Nick was thrown in feet first where he did a live demo of a Tensor prototype, and despite being unfamiliar with it he instantly fell in love with it. We asked them about a release date, but they had hit us back about wanting to perfect it, to get rid of some "pops" and to "dot the i's and cross the t's." Red Panda are so meticulous about their pedals but the end result raises the bar. The wait is over and we now have the Red Panda Tensor time warp pedal. 

The Red Panda Tensor can best be described as a modifiable sampler pedal. You can play something, sample/loop it and then manipulate it like you were working on a tape deck. Warping, speed changes, pitch shifting, reverse, sampling, overdubs, and more. If you're familiar with what I do with the Digitech PDS 20/20, the Tensor has taken it place! Rather than gambling on whether or not I catch the tail end of a warp as it begins to speed back up, I have full control with the Tensor in speed, rise, and decay of the sample. It needs to be seen and heard to be believed.

It's a lot to take in, and we do our best to walk you through it. The user interface and very handy manual make it such an adventure to explore the ins and outs of this pedal. There is no other pedal that does this sort of tape stopping. Nick and I run through the pedal, and we're joined by Bobb Bruno where he shows what the Tensor is capable of using a drum pad! Red Panda is always changing things up, and the Tensor is a fantastic new entry in an already great lineup of effects. It might be intimidating at first, but don't sleep on this pedal! It's a game changer.

-Juan