Is this the "golden age" of delay?

[ratherdashing]

Not the best article, but I think the main point is interesting: http://proguitarshop.com/andyscorner/the-golden-age-of-delay

There are a lot of really, really awesome delay pedals out there right now, or coming out in the next little while. All are super high quality, all come from "small" companies, and all are either analog-based, or are built to simulate tape or bucket brigade.

Currently available:

- Strymon Timeline, El Capistan, Brigadier
- Empress Superdelay
- Diamond Memory Lane, Memory Lane Jr, Quantum Leap
- TC Electronic Flashback
- Way Huge Aqua Puss, Echo Puss
- probably others I'm forgetting

Available in the next few weeks:

- TC Electronic Flashback X4
- Way Huge Supa Puss

It definitely seems like we are being spoiled with all these high quality delay pedals available right now.

What do you guys think? Is this the golden age of delay?

 

[Chris of Arabia]

Re: Is this the "golden age" of delay?

Add in the Malekko Ekko 616 Analog Delay, and you might be right. It's a shame the Lofi version of that is gone though.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Is this the "golden age" of delay?

Yeah, it does seem like a lot of attention is being paid to delay pedals nowadays.
I think a lot of the inspiration came from Electroharmonix, since they've always specialized in analog and digital delays.

Don't forget the Duncan Deja Vu. It should always be mentioned when talking about full featured delay pedals. Also, the Boss DD-7, which is my newest one. Roland and Boss have been making nice digital delays for decades.

I'm really surprised that Fulltone hasn't jumped on the delay pedal bandwagon. They have a big hole in their product line. Their Tube Tape Echo doesn't really count as a pedal, plus it's expensive and bulky.

 

[schecterplayer]

Re: Is this the "golden age" of delay?

Don't forget the Pigtronix Echolution, that is one crazy delay pedal.

 

[MojoMonster]

Re: Is this the "golden age" of delay?

This is the Golden Age of Musical Equipment, period.
Pedals.
Amps.
Guitars.
Everything.

And before anyone goes on about 50's/60's classic instruments/amps, you can get custom luthier made pieces that equal or surpass those guitars/amps for a fraction of their current perceived value.

 

[dominus]

Re: Is this the "golden age" of delay?

This is the Golden Age of Musical Equipment, period.
Pedals.
Amps.
Guitars.
Everything.

Beat me to it. There's just awesome awesome stuff out there right now, and most of it quite affordable.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Is this the "golden age" of delay?

I'm sure you guys will hate me for saying it but, IMHO...no.

There are a ton of delay pedals out there but all I see are analog pedals using new BBD and trying desperately to make them sound "as good" as pedals that used old BBD and digital delays that claim to sound like analog, or tape or whatever else and IMHO falling VERY short...

Lots of choices...sure.

Golden age...not by a long shot.

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: Is this the "golden age" of delay?

As the owner of an El Capistan and a Memory Lane Jr... yeah, there are great choices abound.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Is this the "golden age" of delay?

I'm sure you guys will hate me for saying it but, IMHO...no.

There are a ton of delay pedals out there but all I see are analog pedals using new BBD and trying desperately to make them sound "as good" as pedals that used old BBD and digital delays that claim to sound like analog, or tape or whatever else and IMHO falling VERY short...

Lots of choices...sure.

Golden age...not by a long shot.

Fair enough. There are no wrong answers to this question, only different opinions. So, when do you think the real golden age of delay was, or is there even such a thing?

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Is this the "golden age" of delay?

Fair enough. There are no wrong answers to this question, only different opinions. So, when do you think the real golden age of delay was, or is there even such a thing?

I dunno...the 80's were a pretty solid time in delays IMHO.

I mean think about it like this...in the 80s you could still get NEW EP-3 and EP-4 tape echo units, you could still buy NEW Copicat echo units under both the Wem/Watkins name as well as the Guild brand and Space Echos were still being made.

In addition to no less than 4 different tape echo units by 3 different makers you could also get some of the best (IMHO) analog pedal echo units ever...Boss DM-2, Boss DM-3, Electro Harmonix Memory Man and Deluxe Memory Man, Ibanez AD-80 and AD-9 not to mention many more.

Also you had some of the early (and still the best...again, IMHO) digital delay units out there...Boss DD-2 and DD-3, Roland SDE-1000, Ibanez had 1 or 2 rack units as well, there was also the Electro Harmonix 16 Second Delay, Chandler came out with their SDE Digital Echo units...

I mean the 80's HAD to be the golden era of delay units IMO...

In fact there is nothing new in delay today except modeling or newer digital and both of those are attempting (poorly I might add) to copy delay sounds that were all real 30 years ago...

 

[hermetico]

Re: Is this the "golden age" of delay?

Adding Mad Professor Deep Blue Delay and Wampler Faux Tape Echo. None is a full-featured delay, not a bunch of modes, no tap but, both work awesome.

 

[some_dude]

Re: Is this the "golden age" of delay?

I'm going to have to both agree and disagree with TGWIF.

I agree that if you're doing straight up comparisons many of the modern units aren't fully living up to the hype. I've owned a number of vintage units and many of the modern units fall short... particularly the digital modellers. Rolling off the frequency response doesn't make things analog and adding modulation doesn't make them tape.

That said, many of the vintage delays suck. They sucked back in the 80s and they still suck today. Low headroom, tone loss, poor bandwidth, short delay times, inability to function in an FX loop. Some of these qualities are obviously desirable since so many manufacturers are trying to simulate them, but it's nice that we can finally choose to turn those effects on and off as we wish.

Oddly, after having owned a bunch of vintage and higher end modern delays I use a Boss DD-5. There's absolutely nothing special or really all that interesting about it... which is probably why I like it. It does what it does and it doesn't muddy up my dry signal.

So... is this the "golden age" of delay? I guess it depends upon your perspective.

 

[xxxplorer]

Re: Is this the "golden age" of delay?

Having all these choices and all this stuff available is both awesome and hindering at the same time. Lots of great sounds can be had easily, but so much is easy to get and do these days that it can get in the way of real creativity imho.

Limitations at times bring out some of the best in creativity... Sure great artists find crazy ways to use the available technology and push limits, but a lot of that can sound dated and cliche.

Back to the original topic (kind of): It kind of just feels like companies are just marketing features that are not super special and some that have even been there for a long time and are now just brought up... back in the day people didn't show off the guts of their stuff like we do now... they showed off the sound!

My Roland SDE-2500 is awesome... best digital delay I've heard. I just never use it!

 

[DankStar]

Re: Is this the "golden age" of delay?

It's the golden age for me to buy stuff people forgot about or think is dated and throw away like an old boot.

 

[formula73]

Re: Is this the "golden age" of delay?

Delay is for *****es. The Golden Age of Delay is for *****es continues.

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: Is this the "golden age" of delay?

... but all I see are analog pedals using new BBD and trying desperately to make them sound "as good" as pedals that used old BBD and digital delays ...

So I take it you think the new production BBD chips and IC clock chips don't/ can't sound as good as the old now Out of production MN3205 BBD and MMN 3101 IC chips?

I actually sold my Maxon Ad-9 reissue with some of the last of the old BBD chips I mentioned above ( as used on Boss, Ibanez, Maxon, EHx from the 70's on) because I want to grab the new AD-9 Pro model with the Maxon propietary MC4107D BBD chip, cause the new AD-9 Pro pedal features look so attractive on paper.

Now after what you said, I am not so sure I should of sold it.

 

[Powdered Toast Man]

Re: Is this the "golden age" of delay?

I think this is an amazing era for delay simply because there are so many very high quality options available for cheaper than they've ever been. I recall my friend buying a brand new Boss DD-3 sometime in the mid-90's (when it was still pretty new) and he paid something close to $300 for it. Boss still makes the DD-3 and the DD-7 and they retail new for about $150. I have a DD-6 and I've been trying to sell it locally for weeks now and no one will even give me 90 bucks for it (and it's in like new condition). I just picked up and MXR Carbon Copy for $119. That same friend I mentioned now has a Boss DD-20 and that thing is like, every delay option you can imagine.

So yes, this is the golden era simply because so many quality pedals have never been so accessible to so many players before.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Is this the "golden age" of delay?

I still say an AD-9 (any issue) and a DD-3, good to go....

 

[Aceman]

Re: Is this the "golden age" of delay?

I'm going to have to both agree and disagree with TGWIF.

I agree that if you're doing straight up comparisons many of the modern units aren't fully living up to the hype. I've owned a number of vintage units and many of the modern units fall short... particularly the digital modellers. Rolling off the frequency response doesn't make things analog and adding modulation doesn't make them tape.

That said, many of the vintage delays suck. They sucked back in the 80s and they still suck today. Low headroom, tone loss, poor bandwidth, short delay times, inability to function in an FX loop. Some of these qualities are obviously desirable since so many manufacturers are trying to simulate them, but it's nice that we can finally choose to turn those effects on and off as we wish.

Oddly, after having owned a bunch of vintage and higher end modern delays I use a Boss DD-5. There's absolutely nothing special or really all that interesting about it... which is probably why I like it. It does what it does and it doesn't muddy up my dry signal.

So... is this the "golden age" of delay? I guess it depends upon your perspective.

My name is Aceman, and I approve of this post.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Is this the "golden age" of delay?

Let me say this...sort of an addition to my last post.

I am not saying that all delay units from the 80's were good and I am not saying that all new delay pedals suck...not at all.

The Maestro EP-4 Echoplex should have never been IMHO...just a terrible sounding unit when compared to an EP-3

The reissue Way Huge Aqua Puss is an amazing unit.

MANY of the early digital units had LOADS of issues and MANY of todays true analog units are quite good.

My only thought on it right now is that the thread is about the Golden Age of delay...to me that HAS to be the 80's.