The rear panel also hosts the power-supply inlet, which is 12V, centre-negative and requires 400mA (the provided power supply is rated at 2A). On the side of the pedal, there’s a switch that allows operation at line level, and on the back there’s a Kill Dry switch that outputs only the effected sound, to allow it to be used as a send effect.
The Flight Time is housed in a road-ready metal chassis and is relatively compact given its feature set - it measures 146 (W) x 120.5 (D) x 57 mm (H) - which will be a blessing to those with limited space on their pedalboards. Adorned with five seven-segment displays, numerous tiny switches and LEDs, as well as two foot switches, each with their own indicator LED, it inspired confidence that I immediately understood the pedal and that there were no confusing knobs with words like ‘parameter’ or ‘menu’.
The Flight Time FT-2Y radiates retro nostalgia and has a familiarity to it it’s like looking at the control panel of a spaceship from an ’80s sci-fi film. Given Jeff’s recommendation, and my curious-skeptic nature, I had to try it.
Recently, Free The Tone released the second-generation Flight Time, the FT-2Y, which implemented ideas and requests from their devoted following. Free The Tone are a Japanese company who are not yet so widely known in the West, but some who are in the know have made the Flight Time a staple in their live rig. One thing I asked him was: “What are your favourite guitar pedals?” And in a very short list of favourites, he included Free The Tone’s Flight Time digital delay. But I’m also a guitarist, and several months back I was talking shop with Jeff Schroeder, long-time guitarist of the Smashing Pumpkins.
I work primarily as a producer and audio engineer, and I’ve been fortunate enough to have worked with some artists of note (some readers may know me from an article that I wrote in the January 2016 issue of SOS about my work with David Bottrill, recording and mixing Rush’s R40 Live). This retro-looking stompbox keeps things simple and unfussy, while boasting unique and clever features.
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