Keeley Electronics RK2000 Funk Siren Delay Effect Pedal

Sound the alarms the Phishheads are in the chat with the Keeley Electronics RK2000 Funk Siren Delay! This Keeley creation, a love letter to one certain band but also to vintage digital effect fans at large, summons an incredibly unique delay effect tone inspired by the DM2000 rackmount delay unit. For the first time ever, the DM2000 receives a proper iteration in pedalboard form in the Keeley RK2000 Funk Siren Delay. An expansive, atmospheric sonic palette and a delay trail that flirts with the interminable makes this a delay to stick around. “You going for all the nights, or just one?”

The RK2000 is designed in collaboration with one master of the DM2000 delay, Trey Anastasio. With key design pointers from Anastasio’s guitar tech, Justin Stabler, the RK2000 comes to form. The DM2000 has been a key element of the Phish guitar tone for decades. Today’s RK2000 sets out to specifically and authentically capture this piece of vintage delay for modern players because if there’s one thing that Phish fans are, it’s specific.

Centrally, the RK2000’s delay tone emulates the sound of the DM2000, no surprise there. Reminiscent of the experimental, wild, and expansive delay capabilities of early digital rackmount effect units, the RK2000 recreates the “Funk Siren” delay sound with up to about one second of delay time. Now, maybe that doesn’t sound like a lot to those unfamiliar with the DM2000, but rest assured, the magic doesn’t stop there. In authentic Funk Siren phashion, the RK2000 opens up exponentially with the introduction of its four-octave modulation engine that extends well past forty seconds. This, combined with the RK2000’s dedicated Hold function, creates delay trails that reach into an endless horizon, sometimes sounding more like a looper than a delay. The pedal’s intentional 12-bit digital design tops the tonal experience off for a sound we’ll call “Goldilocks-Fi”: Not too “hi,” not too “lo” just right.

This Keeley creation loads up with plenty of other modern bells and whistles to make for a seamlessly playable effect. First, full stereo connectivity brings the RK2000 to your amps on both sides of the stage. Second, expression mapping and remote control connections break out the RK2000 to further, more intricate control schemes. Thirdly, tap tempo functionality and subdivision control get as regimented and rhythmic or as devil-may-care as you can phathom. Selectable bypass switching and standard nine-volt center negative power operation (with optional eighteen volt power) bring the Funk Siren far and wide.

Rejoice Funk Siren fans everywhere: The times of pausing and studying Trey’s rig rundown video are over. Time to stop junking and start phunking.

• DM2000 rackmount delay effect recreation
• Digital DM2000 delay effect with four-octave, forty-second modulation section
• Delay effect blend, filtering, and subdivision control sections
• Hold and tap delay footswitch control
• Authentic 12-bit digital signal effect processing
• Full stereo input and output connectivity with two 1/4″ connections
• Five local onboard preset effect slots with up to 127 total via MIDI
• Selectable true or buffered bypass switching
• 1/4″ expression, MIDI, and remote control connections
• Standard nine-volt power operation at 150mA with optional eighteen-volt power