Recommend me a delay pedal, please.

Rex_Rocker

Rex_Rocker

Well-known member
Ok, so now I'm looking for a cool delay pedal, so if you could shoot some suggestions my way, that'd be killer. :)

So far I'm looking into the MXR Carbon Copy (not bright), and the Boss DM-2w. I'm looking for a cool, gritty, warm, mid-focused analog taste. The dirtier, warmer, and more characterful, the better. I have tried the Memory Man, and it's cool too, but I feel it's a bit cleaner and clearer-sounding with less grit than the Boss and MXR (right?).

I used to have a TC Electronic Flashback that was killer, but I did not get to use anything but the Toneprint setting which I set up to sound analog-ish, dirty-ish, mid-focused, lo-fi-ish anyway, so I'm looking for something simpler that will get me similar results. It was killer to be able to set it up so in depth, and I'll be missing the input tempo function, but the FB seems like such a waste for such a simple chore. Simplicity is a must.

Also, I'm expecting it to work well both in the loop and sometimes in front of dirt for a Van Halen-y vibe. Do you think the Boss and the MXR will do this? Budget is around 150-ish, and I DEFINITELY DEFINITELY DEFINITELY know for sure that I don't want an oversized pedal format, so Boss is the absolute biggest I'd go. What other stuff is there to look in the price range that you guys recommend?

Thanks.
 
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Re: Recommend me a delay pedal, please.

Sounds like you want a murky analog delay. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how any of these will work at line level in the loop, I'll let others comment on that. But maybe a little more distortion from overdriving the input in the loop would be a positive for your use?

Carbon Copy and DM-2 are both pretty dark. Look into the three Malekko 616 analog delays as well. (616, 616 dark, 616 Lo-Fi), and maybe the Ibanez AD-9.
 
Re: Recommend me a delay pedal, please.

You'll want something bucket-brigade style, then. There's a Joyo Digital Delay that's actually remarkably analogish, but it's a larger format. You might want to try Our Fearless Leader's own Vapor Trail delay...
 
Re: Recommend me a delay pedal, please.

Pre-owned Catalinbread Echorec or Belle Epoch.


 
Re: Recommend me a delay pedal, please.

From what I see on alot of pedal boards, it looks like the Strymon El Capistan tape delay would be a good choice...That many guitarists dont run it just because....Plus i think it has a tap temp as well (correct me if im wrong, I dont have one of these, just something ive noticed on alot of boards).

EDIT: Again, I didnt real the WHOLE post before posting a reply....If you dont want to go larger than a BOSS, I would recommend the BOSS....I have the DD-3 and it is a good pedal IMO...
 
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Re: Recommend me a delay pedal, please.

I prefer the boss dm-2w over the carbon copy because the CC changes your initial tone quite a lot.
 
Re: Recommend me a delay pedal, please.

Thanks for the replies, dudes!

The Maleko stuff looks interesting, same as those Catalinbread ones.

So do analog delays have problems keeping up with FX loops?

Also, how does the CC change the initial tone? You mean only when engaged, right?

Thanks. :)
 
Re: Recommend me a delay pedal, please.

I use old school delay pedal it's a Ibanez DL10 (blue clored) I love this old Digital delay pedal.I believe these are from the 80's,but it sounds really nice.
 
Re: Recommend me a delay pedal, please.

Just use sth what is the protoplast of all brands analog delays nowadays - Mad Professor Deep Blue Delay. Original one cost a lot, but good clone are priced for circa 50 $. Pretty simple and I think will fit your expectations. I used to build them a lot for my individual clients as Custom Shop, never heard about any troubles and that they didn't fit. It's a simple machine, costs not much and is let's say "world class" and of course is not oversized, it can be put in standard MXR alike enclosure.
 
Re: Recommend me a delay pedal, please.

I love my Carbon Copy and for what you're describing I think you would too. The only thing I'm unsure about is how it would fare in a loop, but if your amp has a control for the send level, then I think you'd be set.
 
Re: Recommend me a delay pedal, please.

So glad you asked this question! I'm actually in the exact same situation (except not as constrained by size).

May I ask what about the Flashback made it overly complicated? Was it just the time in took to dial in the tone?

I ask because that was a frontrunner for me. It's come down to the FB and the CC. After consulting this guide on the Best Delay Pedals and watching
, but am leaning toward the MXR for cost, tone, and pedalboard space.

Echorec is a little out of my price range at the moment, but definitely a cool pedal also!
 
Re: Recommend me a delay pedal, please.

Thanks a lot for the replies, dudes! Keep the suggestions coming, please.

Have any of you guys any experience with the Digitech Obscura? The graphic looks damn cool, lol.

littlefish said:
May I ask what about the Flashback made it overly complicated? Was it just the time in took to dial in the tone?
Click to expand...
I did not feel it was overly complicated at all. It's got a bunch of stuff, and its got the in-depth Toneprint editor thingy, but it's pretty intuitive and easy to use. I traded it for a practice amp which I needed more at the time. Otherwise, I would've kept it. I just don't want to buy the same pedal again, and this time around, I want something simpler. I'd still recommend it in a heartbeat, but this time around, I just want something that has less options to fiddle around with that still sounds badass. :)

If I must be really really picky, though, the only gripe I had with mine was that the switch was a bit finicky to engage. It's a bit shorter than the usual MXR type of footswitch, so you kinda had to step on it very deliverately and at the right angle. Maybe it was just mine? I don't see people complain often about this on the TC pedals. It wasn't that big of a deal, though. My Ibanez TS808 is kinda finicky as well, and my old Maxon OD-9 was worse.
 
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Re: Recommend me a delay pedal, please.

i like my ibanez DE-7 in the effects loops. its digial dark. my maxon ad999 is good too. its analog dark
 
Re: Recommend me a delay pedal, please.

For what you're looking for, the T Rex Replica is my favorite. I use it in front of amps or in the loop of my Bogner Ecstasy. However, I know it falls outside of your price point. Look into it though. T Rex stuff isn't cheap, but it's good.
 
Re: Recommend me a delay pedal, please.

I too love my carbon copy, when I bought it I compared it in the store with the Malekko and it came out on top. In the normal mode they were pretty similar, but with the modulation on the CC won hands down. The thing about the CC being dark really depends on the delay time, the longer the time the darker it is, but even on longer repeats I don't think it gets too dark.
 
Re: Recommend me a delay pedal, please.

What?! No love for our own Vapor Trail Analog Delay?! You get repeats with the right amount of brightness/darkness, mod controls on the outside, an insert jack that lets you send the delays out to a separate amp or another effect (I like using phaser or another delay in the loop), and a cool blinky blue light? I tell ya, no respect...
 
Re: Recommend me a delay pedal, please.

Mincer said:
What?! No love for our own Vapor Trail Analog Delay?! You get repeats with the right amount of brightness/darkness, mod controls on the outside, an insert jack that lets you send the delays out to a separate amp or another effect (I like using phaser or another delay in the loop), and a cool blinky blue light? I tell ya, no respect...
Click to expand...

I was just coming here to wonder why nobody had mentioned it! I have seriously considered picking one up to use with my CC so I can have two delay settings of different flavors.
 
Re: Recommend me a delay pedal, please.

57483_l.jpg


Because you keep saying "gritty" I need to recommend the Maxon AD999.

It's pricey but it is EXACTLY what you are looking for. I returned mine for the red one (The AD999Pro) because I didn't like the grit of the 999.

The AD999's are absolutely gorgeous delays. If you want the grit...go with the 999 if you want the same delay only clear....go with the 999pro.

Both are sick. The purple one is the gritty one.

Enjoy and good luck,


~LD
 
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