Trey Anastasio’s Legendary Funk Siren — Now in a Pedal
Trey Anastasio’s mind-bending Funk Siren is a hallmark of Phish’s most epic shows. Housing a 1,023-millisecond delay and a phrase looper with Hold and Mod, the Keeley RK2000 Funk Siren Delay allows you to achieve this spellbinding sound, which traditionally required the creative deployment of a vintage rackmount digital delay. Designed in tandem with Trey’s guitar tech, the RK2000 is a drop-in replacement for the rackmount unit, replicating not only its distinctive 12-bit personality but also its analog character. Additionally, the RK2000 reproduces the original unit’s multi-octave Modulation effect, shaped by a unique Filter knob, while the Input gain knob adds tape-esque saturation to your repeats. Moreover, the RK2000 expands your tonal palette with expression pedal mapping, remote Mod and Hold, comprehensive MIDI implementation, and onboard presets. You also get a Tap footswitch with subdivisions, selectable true and buffered bypass, and flexible stereo operation. Beyond that, the RK2000 reflects the remarkable versatility of its rackmount predecessor, delivering chorus, flanging, doubling, slapback delay, and saturated, tape-like echoes with equal aplomb. Want to get your “First Tube” on? With the RK2000 Funk Siren Delay, you’ll have access to a full-blown collection of dramatic, performance-ready effects — no rack required.
Loop a phrase, bend time, and improvise on top
Trey Anastasio’s Funk Siren effect, demonstrated flawlessly on “Gotta Jibboo” and “First Tube” from the band’s incredible 2000 release Farmhouse, is a sonic spectacle that punctuates some of Phish’s most monumental performances. So, what’s a Funk Siren? The many Phishheads here at Sweetwater already know the answer to that question. But for the uninitiated, some explanation may be in order. In a nutshell, the Funk Siren employs a layering technique in which a 1-second delay is used to loop a phrase, freeing Trey to improvise on top. To achieve this sound, Trey deploys an early-’80s made-in-Japan rackmount digital delay. The RK2000 Funk Siren Delay is a pedalboard-ready re-creation of this vintage unit. Like the original hardware, this stompbox captures delay-like loops with infinite repeat, allowing you to play whatever you want over them. Moreover, switching the pedal in and out of Hold mode creates intense layers of sound within your loops. Ultimately, the RK2000 can be used either as a delay pedal or a phrase looper. It’s a complete drop-in replacement for the rackmount unit, bolstered by stereo, tap tempo, MIDI, and other crucial modern updates.
12-bit perfection meets extreme modulation
Designed alongside Trey’s guitar tech, Justin Stabler, as well as a stable of other players familiar with the original rackmount delay and the Funk Siren technique, the Keeley RK2000 Funk Siren Delay is a spot-on re-creation of its predecessor, shrunk down into a full-featured stompbox. Like the old-school unit, the RK2000 boasts a 12-bit design — the perfect midpoint between lo-fi 8-bit and hi-fi 16-bit — delivering vintage delay grittiness in all its sonic glory. Moreover, the RK2000 reproduces the unique character of the rackmount unit’s analog circuitry, a crucial part of the original delay’s sound. On top of that, the RK2000 delivers Modulation spanning an incredible four octaves and nearly 44 seconds. You can also craft extremely dramatic modulation effects using the Input knob to achieve exquisite tape-like saturation. Rumor has it that Trey insisted that the RK2000’s tone — especially the Modulation feature — be 100% faithful to the original before he signed off on it. Does it deliver? We think so, and we invite you to try it for yourself!
Jam-packed with modern functionality
Despite its vintage pedigree, the RK2000 Funk Siren Delay is chock-full of modern features. For starters, expression pedal mapping allows you to assign specific parameters to an external real-time controller connected to the Exp/MIDI jack. A Remote jack gives you extended control over the pedal’s Hold and Mod features. It includes comprehensive MIDI implementation, which is critical for seamless integration into large-scale guitar rigs. You also get a Tap footswitch and a Sub button for achieving tempo-synched operation with specified rhythmic subdivisions. Moreover, this pedal includes selectable true and buffered bypass switching. Additionally, the RK2000 accepts both instrument- and line-level signals, and its dual outputs can be stereo, ping pong, all wet, or standard dry/wet. Finally, five onboard presets provide you with a straightforward way to explore the stompbox’s myriad personalities.
Keeley RK2000 Funk Siren Delay Features:
- Packs Trey Anastasio’s early-’80s MIJ rackmount digital delay into a pedalboard-ready stompbox
- Designed in tandem with Trey’s guitar tech, Justin Stabler
- Achieves Trey’s mind-bending Funk Siren using a 1,023ms delay and a phrase looper with Hold and Mod
- Replicates the original unit’s distinctive 12-bit personality and analog character
- Delivers chorus, flanging, doubling, slapback delay, and saturated tape-like echoes with equal aplomb
- Multi-octave Modulation FX with a unique Filter knob for extra tone shaping
- Input gain knob adds tape-esque saturation to the delay repeats
- Exp/MIDI jack and expression pedal mapping accommodate external real-time control
- Remote jack provides extended control over Hold and Mod features
- Comprehensive MIDI implementation for seamless integration into large-scale guitar rigs
- Tap footswitch and a Sub button facilitate tempo-synched operation with specified rhythmic subdivisions
- Selectable true and buffered bypass switching
- Accepts both instrument- and line-level signals; dual outputs can be stereo, ping pong, all wet, or standard dry/wet
- 5 onboard presets offer a straightforward way to explore the stompbox’s myriad personalities
