The Radius is the first Red Panda pedal that I did not name. Coming up with a name is always the hardest part of the process for me. A good name should be short, unique, abstract, but effectively convey the function, feel, and sound of the pedal.
In October 2022, we were in L.A. getting feedback on an early prototype of our ring modulator/frequency shifter pedal, then known by its catalog number RPL-109. We met with a lot of our close collaborators, describing the concept behind the pedal, getting their feedback, and talking about ring modulators. By that time I had a list of two dozen possible names, none of which felt right, so I also asked everyone if they had any suggestions on names. That led to some good ideas and great discussions about band names and how to name artwork in general.
Describing the concept behind the Radius devolved into - due to my Asperger's - a long, drawn-out monologue about breaking down ring modulation and frequency shifting into their fundamental mathematical concepts and then building a single algorithm that allowed you to navigate between them. Dan Elkan (Them Hills, Zavalaz, Hella) was one of the first musicians to understand the Particle and someone whose feedback and perspective I can always trust. (He was also the first touring musician to ever stop by our workshop, when Broken Bells played Detroit in 2014!) Dan emailed me a few days after we got back from L.A. and said he didn't really follow all of my math rambling, but it made him think of the word "radius."
Dan distilled the concept of the pedal down to the perfect name.