Looking for an analog delay

[Sage]

Can anyone recommend a good analog delay? I've got a few requirements:

1. It must be analog, not digital.
2. It must have at least 420ms of delay time.
3. It must be able to work in an amp's effects loop.

Ideally, because of the effects loop requirement, I'd like it to run at 18v (or higher) for maximum headroom. But if it works and sounds clean, then this isn't a dealbreaker.

Any suggestions?

 

[László]

The Minifooger analog delay has 700 ms of delay time, is all-analog, and should work like any other pedal in an amp's effects loop. It's inexpensive, in the range of any decent boutique pedal.

If you want an analog delay that is much more flexible and has slightly more delay time, the Moogerfooger delay is seen in an awful lot of studios, and can handle both instrument and professional levels up to +28 db of gain, which is quite a lot of headroom. It's also more expensive. But for your purpose, it should be a very solid solution.

One great thing about a good analog delay is that as you increase the gain coming into the amp, you don't get the hiss a lot of very good digital pedals exhibit.

 

[iahawk36]

I HIGHLY recommend the Way Huge Supa-Puss. It's analog, has tap tempo, 4 types of subdivision and sounds FANTASTIC!!

 

[John Beef]

Why analog? Not to derail the thread too much.

I've been running a DD-20 since 2005 or 2006 in my FX loop and haven't ever felt the need to have anything else.

 

[Sage]

Why analog? Not to derail the thread too much.

I've been running a DD-20 since 2005 or 2006 in my FX loop and haven't ever felt the need to have anything else.

Just because I want to keep my signal path all analog. I haven't entirely ruled digital out; TC Electronic's Flashback is a contender, because it keeps the dry signal entirely analog. And I'm no stranger to digital; been using Line 6 stuff for over a decade, and I use Amplitube for recording. But I picked up a real tube amp for the first time a month and a half ago, and figured I'd stick to analog on that.

The Minifooger analog delay has 700 ms of delay time, is all-analog, and should work like any other pedal in an amp's effects loop. It's inexpensive, in the range of any decent boutique pedal.

If you want an analog delay that is much more flexible and has slightly more delay time, the Moogerfooger delay is seen in an awful lot of studios, and can handle both instrument and professional levels up to +28 db of gain, which is quite a lot of headroom. It's also more expensive. But for your purpose, it should be a very solid solution.

One great thing about a good analog delay is that as you increase the gain coming into the amp, you don't get the hiss a lot of very good digital pedals exhibit.

Thanks, Les! You have great taste as always. I've listened to some demos of the Moogerfooger and was very impressed with the sound, but it's a bit over-featured and expensive for my needs. Excellent delay for sure, but I don't need a lot of filtering, just a nice delay. The Minifooger is more along the lines of what I'm looking for, but its tone seems rather dark compared to its bigger brother.

I HIGHLY recommend the Way Huge Supa-Puss. It's analog, has tap tempo, 4 types of subdivision and sounds FANTASTIC!!

I had dismissed this one, thinking the repeats wouldn't be clean enough, based on the Aqua-Puss and Echo-Puss having low headroom, but apparently the Supa-Puss has different bbd chips in it. I'll give this one another look, thanks!

I probably should have mentioned that I love the sound of a Memory Man on clean tones. It's got very clean, very faithful-to-the-original-tone repeats, which is what I'm looking for. But I hear folks say it's noisy and doesn't have a lot of headroom, which is why I was looking for alternatives.

Anybody have any experience with the Maxon AD-9 Pro? It's got 450ms of delay and I think (but am not sure) it has a voltage doubler inside so that it runs at 18v internally.

 

[Sage]

Looks like the Seymour Duncan Vapor Trail can be run at 18v, that might be worth a look as well.

 

[László]

Why analog?

There are a few reasons to consider going analog.

First, the bucket brigade delay chips used in an analog delay have a distinct sound; it isn't quite hi-fi, and it's different from digital in a way that's hard to put into words, but it's definitely worth investigating. In most cases, the high end is rolled off a little, so the delay sounds very non-spiky and clean. There are players who just love that sound.

Second, when you run even a very high quality a digital delay pedal into, say, the front end of an amp (this isn't what Sage is planning, but it's worth talking about anyway), if the amp has a gain control at the preamp, as one raises the gain on the amp, the noise floor of the digital pedal is also raised, and it comes off as added hiss or background grunge. Analog pedals suffer less from this in front of an amp (again, this will depend on the quality of the pedal).

Finally, when going into an effects loop, the signal is greater than what one expects from an instrument. Some pedals do well at this, some don't, but a really good analog delay often is designed for this application in mind with greater headroom (though that depends on the maker of the pedal and the design). There are some really great digital pedals that are also designed with a dual purpose in mind as well.

On a personal level, I like the sound of an analog delay, but when push comes to shove, I use a digital delay on my board because I can do so many things with it. I do go into the front of my PRS amps, and it does get a little hissy, so I set the pedal to true bypass so when it's off, only the analog signal is running into the amp.

 

[prsrocker1988]

Way Huge Echo or Supa Puss depending on your needs. Not a fan of the MXR Carbon Copy as some people.

I'm personally an Aqua Puss and DM-2 fan but that's not enough time for you.

Analog delay is definitely the way to go for slapback. Can't stand digital delays for slapback. For long delays - tape echo or soundalikes.

 

[jfb]

Carbon Copy sounds good and is cheap. If you need more I'd suggest Diamond Pedals or JHS. I've been impressed with both of their analog delay units.

 

[stevan5150]

I have the Carbon Copy (MXR) on my "B" rig and it works great.

 

[Woollymonster]

You might consider a Deluxe Memory Man. All analog and made in USA. I love mine.

Deluxe Memory Man

 

[jfb]

You might consider a Deluxe Memory Man. All analog and made in USA. I love mine.

Deluxe Memory Man

Another good one. Proof there's plenty of options.

 

[garrettb]

There are a few reasons to consider going analog.

First, the bucket brigade delay chips used in an analog delay have a distinct sound; it isn't quite hi-fi, and it's different from digital in a way that's hard to put into words, but it's definitely worth investigating. In most cases, the high end is rolled off a little, so the delay sounds very non-spiky and clean. There are players who just love that sound.

Second, when you run even a very high quality a digital delay pedal into, say, the front end of an amp (this isn't what Sage is planning, but it's worth talking about anyway), if the amp has a gain control at the preamp, as one raises the gain on the amp, the noise floor of the digital pedal is also raised, and it comes off as added hiss or background grunge. Analog pedals suffer less from this in front of an amp (again, this will depend on the quality of the pedal).

Finally, when going into an effects loop, the signal is greater than what one expects from an instrument. Some pedals do well at this, some don't, but a really good analog delay often is designed for this application in mind with greater headroom (though that depends on the maker of the pedal and the design). There are some really great digital pedals that are also designed with a dual purpose in mind as well.

On a personal level, I like the sound of an analog delay, but when push comes to shove, I use a digital delay on my board because I can do so many things with it. I do go into the front of my PRS amps, and it does get a little hissy, so I set the pedal to true bypass so when it's off, only the analog signal is running into the amp.

Count me in as a member of the Bucket Brigade (see what I did there?). But I too, use digital on the board.

The Flashback does sound great; I have the single and X4 versions. They do a good job of capturing the vibe of an analog delay, but they don't quite get the warmth of the old bucket brigade chips. That's the way I'd go if you want versatility, though. I love the modulation delay setting on the Flashbacks. It's easier to run a single line from guitar > board > amp, so the true bypass is excellent. Running delay into the front of the amp precludes you from running too much amp gain, however. (Trade-offs!) Good thing I like a clean amp.

That said, I love the tone of my Ibanez AD99 in the effects loop. Those old chips are really magical, especially on the shorter delay times.

 

[Sage]

Carbon Copy sounds good and is cheap.

I have the Carbon Copy (MXR) on my "B" rig and it works great.

I tried the carbon copy, but it just wasn't doing it for me. The repeats are very dark.

You might consider a Deluxe Memory Man. All analog and made in USA. I love mine.

The DMM is the gold standard of analog delay as far as I'm concerned. Fantastic clean repeats and just enough delay time for me. Every demo video I've seen sounds great. The only reason I hadn't already settled on it was because I had heard that despite the fact it runs at 24v, it apparently doesn't have a lot of headroom, so I was concerned about using it in my effects loop. People also say it introduces a lot of background noise. It's also a little on the expensive side. So I was looking for alternatives, but this one is still at the top of my list.

The Flashback does sound great; I have the single and X4 versions. They do a good job of capturing the vibe of an analog delay, but they don't quite get the warmth of the old bucket brigade chips. That's the way I'd go if you want versatility, though. I love the modulation delay setting on the Flashbacks. It's easier to run a single line from guitar > board > amp, so the true bypass is excellent. Running delay into the front of the amp precludes you from running too much amp gain, however. (Trade-offs!) Good thing I like a clean amp.

I bit the bullet and ordered a Flashback X4. GC had a factory restock and I had a 15% coupon. What finally sold me on it was the EP-3 toneprint from ProGuitarShop.com, as well as the insane amount of tweakability in the toneprint editor -- the idea that I could have a dynamic tape delay is exciting. It's analog dry-through, so the main signal never gets converted to digital and back. You can also run it at 12v, and TC claims it has plenty of headroom.

I'll keep looking at analog delays -- DMM and Supa-Puss are at the top of my list right now -- and if I pick one up I can just use the Flashback as a looper.

 

[vchizzle]

A little late, but I really wanna pick up one of these... http://www.lovepedal.com/echophonic/

While it's not truly analog, it has many on those characteristics. This demo is of the precursor "JR" version:

 

[BrianC]

The DD-20 was mentioned earlier - It can be set to Analog or Tape as well as a number of other settings.

I find it hard to beat as it has 5 different presets!!!! It also has the ability to be set to MS OR BBM! You can also add tap to it.

 

[garrettb]

I tried the carbon copy, but it just wasn't doing it for me. The repeats are very dark.



The DMM is the gold standard of analog delay as far as I'm concerned. Fantastic clean repeats and just enough delay time for me. Every demo video I've seen sounds great. The only reason I hadn't already settled on it was because I had heard that despite the fact it runs at 24v, it apparently doesn't have a lot of headroom, so I was concerned about using it in my effects loop. People also say it introduces a lot of background noise. It's also a little on the expensive side. So I was looking for alternatives, but this one is still at the top of my list.



I bit the bullet and ordered a Flashback X4. GC had a factory restock and I had a 15% coupon. What finally sold me on it was the EP-3 toneprint from ProGuitarShop.com, as well as the insane amount of tweakability in the toneprint editor -- the idea that I could have a dynamic tape delay is exciting. It's analog dry-through, so the main signal never gets converted to digital and back. You can also run it at 12v, and TC claims it has plenty of headroom.

I'll keep looking at analog delays -- DMM and Supa-Puss are at the top of my list right now -- and if I pick one up I can just use the Flashback as a looper.

Cool man. The Flashback's analog simulation gets you like 95% of the way there. The advantages outweighed the trade-offs for me. Still keeping the AD99 around though, for when the pure analog mood strikes me.

 

[jfb]

There's bound to be something out there for you.

 

[Jimis Hair]

I too am looking for a delay that will allow me to switch between presets easily. We do some songs that require 2 or more different modes of delay in the same song. I currently have T.C Electronics Nova Repeater that I've liked for at least 3 years and it looks like they may have something that does what I'm looking for, the ND-1 Nova Delay. Have you had any experience with it, or anyone you know? Thanks.

 

[Bill SAS 513]

Just to throw another name in the hat, I have a Malekko I picked up used and it does a pretty good job. (The model 616) Not crazy expensive, more then enough delay time, and additional micro- adjustments along the top. I haven't found much use for the small knobs, but some like to tweak. Again, pretty nice delay, for the $$$ .