which delay?

[big_paul]

some of you guys know me and know im comming off a 15 year or so layoff. anyway guitar is almost done being buit and have the Blackstar HT 20 combo amp. well im needing a delay pedal and there are a ton to choose from. who likes what and why?

 

[peterd79]

depending on your budget there's a ton of great delays out there... and what you're looking for.

Tap tempo? Analog? Digital? Mass Produced? Boutique?

Some of the first delays that come to mind are the standard Line 6 DL4 or the TC Nova Delay- i've used both and they're pretty good and standard for what a lot of guys out there are using.

My favorite analogs are MXR Carbon Copy and on my board right now i have a Lovepedal Gen5 Echo custom shop... it's a great pedal.

 

[aleclee]

Nova delay is my delay of choice. I like the fact that it has presets, tap tempo, and doesn't take up a ton of space on my pedal board. Oh, and it sounds good, too.

 

[big_paul]

depending on your budget there's a ton of great delays out there... and what you're looking for.

Tap tempo? Analog? Digital? Mass Produced? Boutique?

Some of the first delays that come to mind are the standard Line 6 DL4 or the TC Nova Delay- i've used both and they're pretty good and standard for what a lot of guys out there are using.

My favorite analogs are MXR Carbon Copy and on my board right now i have a Lovepedal Gen5 Echo custom shop... it's a great pedal.

thanks and to tell you the truth i dont know what im looking for? i have looked into the MXR Carbon Copy and the boss DD3. the music i play is VH, satriani, via and alot of other 80s rock. i have also been getting interested in John Petrucci's solo stuff.

 

[big_paul]

Nova delay is my delay of choice. I like the fact that it has presets, tap tempo, and doesn't take up a ton of space on my pedal board. Oh, and it sounds good, too.

i and looking into this now. thanks oh how easy is it to use?

 

[peterd79]

the Nova is super easy to use...

another one to look at is the Tone Print by TC Electronics... great pedal but no presets totally forgot about that one...

 

[wolfbone07]

Malekko Delay 616. Simple, sounds great, can add modulation to the delay if you like.

 

[Gio_Force_One]

I have tried a bunch of different ones over the years and always go back to using jsut my 2 boss DD3s , they have always sounded the best to me. And they are simple to use which i like no programing just knobs to turn.

 

[kimonostereo]

I like both the TC Nova Repeater and the HardWire DL8. Both are full featured and sound really awesome.

TC Nova Repeater is almost the same as the Nova Delay but without presets. The repeater also has a few features the delay doesn't have but they were minor. I don't need presets since I don't gig, so the repeater was fine. I use it in the FX loop since it's pretty clean.

HardWire DL8 I saw on Luke's pedal board (he had 3!) So I figured it must sound pretty good... and they do!

Check out some of the demos on YouTube.

 

[straycat113]

Count me in as another BOSS DD3 user, for the same reasons Gio stated. Delay is one of the three effects I could not live without and to be honest I am sure they have some wild models these days but I am quite happy with the DD3 from the day I bought it and still find it on the boards of some big players.

 

[Tung]

Eventide TimeFactor- great sounds, very flexible with programming.
TC G-Major- all the delay based effects you ever need
I using both and it's working out really well for me.

 

[ScoobySteve]

What kind do you want? Digital Delay? Tape Delay? Analog Delay?

Well true tape delay will be totally impractical to get a hand of, and expensive. But there are a lot of models out there for tape delay.

For digital delay, I like simplicity. If you need just ONE setting for delay, the BOSS DD-3 can't get you wrong. The Nova Delay has more options, ESPECIALLY if you need tap tempo. TC Electronics makes outstanding modulation and delay effects, you can't go wrong in that department. There's the wonderful Nova Delay and also the new stombox artists series that Morse and JP are into (cant remember the name) Or you can be like Joe B and use a TC 2290 in the rack. Which is a bit ludicrous, but if you got the $$$ why not.

When I had my bigger set up before I moved overseas, I used a digital delay (DD-3) for my distorted tones, and used an Analog delay for my clean tones. There's the MXR Carbon Copy which is a solid workhorse analog delay at a cheap price. The AD9 which is decent for slapback but has limited delay range. You can find an old Memory Man (not the reissue garbage) and if you're really willing to drop the cash you can get a Toneczar Echoczar. The most beautiful analog delay I've ever heard, bar none.

Being more specific about your needs and your budget will help.

 

[peterd79]

budget and needs are key...

i used to buy cheap-o pedals and try to make them work and now i'm ok with buying boutique pedals if they will do what i need from the get go...

for my delay i needed at the time analog delay but thinking i might add a digital delay in at some point... and i really like the Nova Delay... that's what has my eye right now

 

[joe web]

i checked the toneprint delay at musik-messe and was very pleased with it. a great sounding pedal with all options you need from a delay.
if you need many different delay-settings, go for the timefactor. it´s not only a delay pedal, it´s an eventide!
the timefactor can be controlled via midi - if you are using some other midi-units, go for this one.
if you need only one to three different settings and want to have it right in front of you on a pedalboard, go for the toneprint dealy of TC.

 

[littlephil]

The Nova Delay/Repeater gets my vote, the dynamic mode is great. It ducks the delays while you're playing, so your signal doesn't get muddy, then when you pause, the delays are brought up again. I think the Repeater has the dynamic mode, but it might just be the Nova Delay.

 

[Danserrano]

i say nova delay. Flashback is awesome as well if u need something a bit less complicated but u have strum tempo not tap. Thats a negative for some. Ive owned a few boss delays and i think to my ears the tc stuff just does it.

Sucks too, i just sold a nova delay on ebay yesterday for $160

 

[smd24fan]

I switched to the TC Electronics Flashback from the Nova. Both are truly amazing delays, but I like the single space footprint on my board. Can't go wrong with either. Good luck!

 

[mikeller]

I use a Boss DD-20 which is loaded with features and has 4 memory presets (plus a 5th non-memory setting) which is a must for me when I play live.

As others have said also, the TC Flashback has been getting tons of rave reviews too...

 

[Tollywood]

thanks and to tell you the truth i dont know what im looking for? i have looked into the MXR Carbon Copy and the boss DD3. the music i play is VH, satriani, via and alot of other 80s rock. i have also been getting interested in John Petrucci's solo stuff.

Hi Big Paul,

I agree with Gio, the Boss DD3 is essential. I also play 80's rock, exactly the same bands that you mentioned, and I played it back then with a DD3. I lent it out years ago, and never got it back. I just bought a new one on Friday and I made the right choice for that genre of music. No need to get the DD7.

It was a tough choice between the DD3 and the MXR carbon copy for me, too. I'm happy with the DD3.

Good luck...

 

[ScoobySteve]

I'll just put my foot down:

If you want a simple, SINGLE delay, go BOSS DD-3. It's a standard digital delay. Good enough for Joe Bonamassa.

If you want features, go Nova Delay or Eventide TimeFactor (if you're willing to drop 400 bucks on a pedal)