Opinion

Bill Moran · From: Virginia, USA

What is the BEST stomp box delay ? And why . Smile

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Bill

DG Whitley · Posted 3 Feb 2015 9:06 am

Bill I hate to say this, but the BEST stomp box delay is going to be a matter of opinion by many a player. I for one, like the TC Electronic Flashback, delay and looper (with TonePrint). Somebody else is going to have another favorite.

My point is the questions that ask "what's the best?" cannot be answered with one product. There are too many variables for there to ever be one answer that everyone will agree to. The next best thing is to go to a music store that will let you demo the ones you're interested in and let personal taste decide that for you.

There is never going to be a "BEST" that everybody will agree to.

Just my 2 cents, YMMV.

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

The best delay pedal is the one I own now until I sell it then the next one I own will be the best until I sell it and then ---------. Very Happy

Dave Bertoncini · From: Sun City West, Arizona USA

I have a Boss DD-3 and TC Electronics Flashback both are great units. What I prefer about the Flashback is the ability to select different types of delays.

Dustin Rhodes · From: Owasso OK

Do you want super clean digital delay, warm/dark analog delay, or tape delay with all that character? Do you need modulation? Reverse? Multiple settings? Tap Tempo? Rhythmic delay settings where you tap quarter notes and the delay spits out triplets or dotted 8ths?

Paul Sutherland · From: Placerville, California

Bill: I recently had the same question as you, but the more I looked into the matter the clearer it became that I needed to decide what I really wanted a delay pedal to do. Some are fairly simple, and some are full of bells and whistles. I don't need the bells and whistles.

If all you are going to do is put a touch of delay into the signal chain, then you can ignore the exotic options and focus on sound quality.

Having said that, I haven't used a delay pedal yet that has been totally satisfying. Of course I haven't come close to trying all the pedals on the market. I returned a TC Electronics Flashback pedal as it changed the tone of the steel too much. I have recently been using on occasions an MXR Carbon Copy, but it also changes the tone of the steel. I will be receiving a Strymon Brigadier tomorrow, and am hopeful that will end my journey. We'll see.
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It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing.

Karen Sarkisian · From: Boston, MA, USA

I love the Wampler Faux Analog Echo. It sounds closer to real analog echo than any other pedal I have tried, but without the drawbacks of a true analog delay. It does not have tap tempo however. I've heard good things about the Diamond Memory Lane Jr but have not tried one. The Strymon El Capistan is a pretty amazing and versatile delay pedal.
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Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

I'm sure Buddy Emmons used either the Boss DD-2 or the DD-3. At least that's what it looked like.

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

My opinion on what is the best delay unit is, the one that stays on the music store shelf.
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Dave Hopping · From: Aurora, Colorado

My favorite delay for six-string is a truly ancient Digitech PDS-1002.For steel,if I'm not using my nearly-as-ancient Alesis Quadraverb,I use a Boss DD-6.

Larry Dering · From: Missouri, USA

My favorite is always the one the other guy was using. When I get that same pedal, I always find another that sounds better. In conclusion, it's the one I don't have.

Brad Sarno · From: St. Louis, MO USA

Answer these 2 questions and that will help narrow down the recommendations:

1 - Do you want a warm, mellow, "analog" sounding echo or do you want a crystal clear, hi-fi echo? Most guitarists and many steel players prefer the mellower repeats so they don't muck up and clutter the actual played guitar sound.

2 - Do you need the "tap tempo" button so you can tap out the timing of the repeats to fit the pace of the song? Many people like the tap function because your echoes can be made to sync up with the 1/4 notes, 1/8 notes, or triplets. Then the echoes blend in with the rhythm and the effect isn't so obvious. Some people just find a setting and leave it and don't need the tap function.

Brad

Earnest Bovine · From: Los Angeles CA USA

Paul Sutherland · From: Placerville, California

First impressions of the Strymon Brigadier are very, very good. Huge improvement over everything I've tried before.
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It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing.

Tim Marcus · From: San Francisco, CA

Ibanez AD99

no competition!
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Cartwright Thompson · Posted 4 Feb 2015 4:47 pm

http://www.strymon.net/timeline/

Les Cargill · From: Oklahoma City, Ok, USA

I have a couple of DOD FX-90 blue analog delay pedals. The repeats are nicely muffl-ey and grainy.

They both sound completely different.

As Bob sez ( but not b0b ) , "nothing is better, nothing is best, take heed of this and get plenty of rest."

David Mason · From: Cambridge, MD, USA

The first time I ran across the "ducking" feature was on a Digitech Genesis III multi-unit, and I have to have it on at least one channel of my contraption. What it does is attenuate the delayed signal while you're currently playing something, meaning that as long as you're picking, the delays are inaudible, and they only swell in as the picked signal is fadinginging. You can adjust the amount of signal needed to start ducking and the amount of attenuation. All the rack units can do it but it's surprisingly scarce among floor units, even pricy ones. It kind of obviates the need for the repeats to be mushier and vague (analog) sounding, because you don't need to drown them out, you can dial them out (and in) precisely. If you can combine it with a "swell" function (what BOSS calls "Slow Gear") and compression with attack & release parameters, you have... well I have yet to want anything it won't do. Like, you can arrang it so that if you pick softly, you've got delays, and if you pick harder there's not delay, but all at the same volume.

In my current setup I've got a Digitech RP250 that does it there, as would the delay function on my Fender (FUSE) Mustang/G-Dec computer-access head. I'm not sure if analog units even can do it, but I like delays to be clean and tight anyway, so digital is fine with me. Analog units that intentionally add tonal changes and "wow and flutter" and warble and such don't interest me - I don't need to buy things to make me warble & wow. Very Happy

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

quack quack.

Stephen Rethmeier · From: Nashville TN

Wampler Faux Tape Echo with the tap tempo. I have a Strymon Time Line and Brigadier delay but the Wampler is all I use now.
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Brian McGaughey · From: Orcas Island, WA USA

The T. C. Electronic Flashback Delay has a "duck" setting and I never move from that setting. You can crank up the effect relative to the dry signal and it doesn't get in your way.

I didn't care for the MXR Carbon Copy. Added a "gritty" distortion I couldn't get rid of so got rid of the stomp box and went to the Fla-a-a-a-sh-sh-sh-sh B-a-a-a-a-ck-ck-ck...

Mark Fowler · From: Minnesota, USA

The best stomp boxes are those your friend gives you for free. The next best are those on Craig's list, ebay, or Reverb.com for cheap.

Subjective as to the best.

Mark

Rob Fenton · From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Well, since it's all under the umbrella of opinion, and there can be no wrong answers, here I go...

Here are the ones I own now:

Maxon AD9-Pro:
Does everything I need, nothing I don't. Analog without artifacts, warm repeats without darkening tone. Short delay time (450 ms) allows for quick tweaks on stage without overdoing it. Pricey, but I traded something I was having trouble moving. Worked out nicely for me.

Wampler Faux Analog:
Analog-voiced digital. I like the shade (tone) knob. Mine does introduce some hiss, but I can't hear it on stage.

Mad Professor Deep Blue Delay (circuit-board):
Analog-voiced digital. The repeats decay and blend together warmly without getting muddy. Don't know if it has a specific "ducking" mode, but it never seems to get in the way.

Moog Minifooger Delay:
Analog. Very dark. I use this one with overdriven lap steel. This one changes how I play, and I like to take it in and out of oscillation with an expression pedal controlling the repeats. Fun, but very much an affected sound. Would not use it with pedal steel.

Others I've owned in the past:

Carbon Copy: A bit too dark and grainy for my liking, had trouble with octave-down artifacts.

Vintage Boss DM2: Same thing with the octave-below ghosting.

Malekko Ekko 616: Could hear some clock noise with mine.

Diamond Memory Lane Jr.: Didn't like the modulation sound, didn't use the subdivision switch or tap tempo. Repeats were clean. Sometimes it sounded great, other times too sterile. Oddly enough, it seemed to work best with my Clinesmith, but I rarely use delay with that guitar.

T-Rex Reptile: Really nice sounding delay, but I didn't use the modulation at all, and that seemed to be half of the pedal. Would have liked to try the Replica, but some of these things are just really expensive.

Empress Tape Delay: Digital Tape Delay simulator. Too bright. I only used it on the darkest setting available. Saving and recalling presets I found awkward.

And I've also tried:

Strymon El Capistan: Awesome tape delay simulator. Does a lot. Would be nice to have one, but I would only scrape the surface of what it can do. Just a learning curve I guess. Another expensive one. I have been on stage for a multi-artist benefit show, and seen 4 of these on stage at the same time on all of the other various guitarists' boards. I suppose that speaks to the quality.

Tap tempo is handy, and even necessary for some peoples' delay styles, but I've never really used it, and I don't like the flashing lights at all!

Nathan Guilford · From: Oklahoma City

I've played around with delays and I really like my old Ibanez soundtank series DL-5. It is the simplest delay. Just 3 knobs and a limited delay time allows for easily dialing in tempo over the range of the knob. (Does that make sense?) Just a simple digital delay, but it does what it says.
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