Best Analog Delay on the Market?

  • Thread starter Thread starter gcapel
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gcapel

gcapel

boom box recordings
I am no longer pleased with my boss DD-5. My Price range is 200-300 bucks. Any advice? Im looking for a new box not used. I been looking at the carl martin delayla II, or the Maxon classic four chip model. I've also been looking at the SIB Echo Drive. Any experiences with any of these? Or maybe another?

thanks, Garrett
 
Try a tape delay? They kick ass! Have a look around, although steer clear of the Danelectro One!
 
Keep saving a buy a Moog 104SD and 3 expression pedals. You won't regret it.

www.bigbriar.com

With an expression pedal on the delay time you can do pitch shifting effects. The CV inputs can be controlled by oscillators or sequencers too. :)
 
If you're willing to pay big bucks and suffer with maintenance, just get a real Echoplex or Space Echo.

For day-to-day pedal stuff, the Rocktron Short Timer is WAY cheaper than your other options ($55!) and sounds about as good. It's not analog, but it sounds analog - and not in that fakey rolled-off sense, either.

I'm also fond of the EH Deluxe Memory Man, which lets you blend delay and modulation in really interesting ways. But egad, ditch that Boss! They sound SO cold and lifeless. I don't see how people can stand them.
 
I recently bought 2 delays - an old Ibanez ADL from eBay and a new Maxon AD999.

The ADL was $80 and is basically the same pedal as its predecessor, the AD-9. It uses the same Panasonic chip as the AD-9, the Boss DM-2, etc. (I think it's the same chip in both of those.)

I bought the AD-999 new, ordering it through Ihsibashi in Japan. With shipping, the pedal cost me $224, which is about $125 less than they usually run in the US. It also arrived quicker than ordering through some US companies.

I'll be using the ADL for slapback, fattening delay (my amp doesn't have reverb), and the AD-999 for longer delays. They're both very nice sounding delays. They ADL is a bit warmer and more natural sounding, and the AD-999 has it's own sound, which is still very good, and of course it gets 900ms of delay.

I heard good things about the Short Timer, but I just couldn't find a digital delay that sounded like I wanted it to.

For $425 you can step up to the Diamond Memory Lane, but that was more than I wanted to spend, though it's supposed to be great. At some point I may send in my AD-999 to Analogman to see if he can do the expression pedal mods they do on the AD-900s. He thought they probably could, but hadn't tried one yet.

If you can live with the 300ms of delay that the classic analog delays have, then that's your best bet - look for an ADL or AD-9 or Delay Champ. If you need more, the AD-999 is a very nice choice, and ordering through Ishibashi is much cheaper than purchasing in the US.
 
Nothing like tape delay. I recently sold an Echoplex for 350.00. It was from the seventies and needed nothing. I sold it after I bought a Fulltone Tube Tape echo. The echoplex was solid state. Both had a cool sound but I cashed out of the echoplex. I played through it before I shipped it and wished I had kept it as it was different than the tube job......but the deal was made. By the way I used it all the time live and at home. Not really much upkeep .......but you can't really be rough with them either. I had a space echo too.I sold it awhile back. I could not find a stock type tape and did not have luck winding my own though it could have been done. They all have little differences in sound. I am happy with my TTE but it was $$$$$$$ more than you want to pay. No box really gets it for me for echo or slapback like tape. I also sold a DD-5 and I have a Danecho in a drawer somewhere. It sounds pretty good and it has a roll off knob to drop the highs like tape does.
They are cheap. You might look into one.....
Rico
 
what about a WEM Watkins CopyCat? they're not so expensive, and will defo give you that "analog" sound you're looking for!

there's quite a few of them about if you look around, especially on e-bay. and they sound absolutely priceless!! in my opinion there is nothing better than tape delay...yay!!
 
If you're strapped for cash, the Yamaha E1005 is actually pretty cool, and sounds nice on guitar. It's a rack piece though, so I don't know how that would work for you.
 
ahh, just saw that you had 200-300. I'd do a space echo then, as other have said. Not only will you have a super cool delay for your guitar, but you'll have a great delay for recording/mixing as well. Those things sound superb on guitar, and as well on vocals during a mix.
 
Thanks for everyones input. I know the tape delay sounds supreme, but I don't want to lug that thing around. I've narrowed it down to the maxon ad999. Though I wish i could test drive one. I owned an old ad9 ibanez before. I liked the effect but it was lacking the longer delay's. I use both slapback and the spacy long delay's as well. I know the moog sounds great and probably the best circuit without using tape, but the cost factor is a little out of reach plus it takes up realistate.
 
I think the AD-999 is a good choice. It's a solid unit, and I am pretty impressed with how it sounds.

It's a little bit of a hassle to do, but ordering through Ishibashi will save you $100, which is pretty significant - 33% savings over buying through a US dealer.

You have to go to their website, then click on the English page, then email a representative with what you are looking for. They'll get back to you with a price - should be about $225 depending on the exchange rate.
 
KaBudokan said:
I think the AD-999 is a good choice. It's a solid unit, and I am pretty impressed with how it sounds.

It's a little bit of a hassle to do, but ordering through Ishibashi will save you $100, which is pretty significant - 33% savings over buying through a US dealer.

You have to go to their website, then click on the English page, then email a representative with what you are looking for. They'll get back to you with a price - should be about $225 depending on the exchange rate.
Click to expand...
Hey thanks man. Did you pay with a credit card? over the phone?
 
Nah - I emailed, then the rep emailed me back and answered any questions I had. You have to submit the order via email (with what you are ordering and your address, etc.), and then submit the credit card # through a secure link the rep will send - you don't order/check out directly through the website.

It seems a little weird, but it's not shady at all. :p They're a major Japanese retailer, and the service I got was actually excellent, considering the language barrier. They do apparently have some English speaking reps, but I just did it via the web and email.

I can send you the links to the English page, or the email address in a bit if you're having trouble finding anything out; I'm at work now.
 
Memory man

I use the Electro Harmonix memory man, as my style sometimes tends to lean towards Pink floyd/U2 kind of stuff, and I love it to death.
 
ishibashi is pretty cool. i ordered my 52 RI sonic blue strat over the phone (for only $520!.) i just ordered it over the phone during their business hours. it arrived in 2 1/2 days to the east coast over a weekend! what was weird is it was delievered by some guy in a station wagon. lol

great guitar especially after i upgraded the wiring harness.
 
I have two pedals I use, Maxon AD-80 reissue and Danelectro DanEcho. Both are nice, but the AD-80 has the edge. Very nice. I imagine the AD999 and it's predecessor the AD900 are both fine units.
 
Rickson Gracie said:
ishibashi is pretty cool. i ordered my 52 RI sonic blue strat over the phone (for only $520!.) i just ordered it over the phone during their business hours. it arrived in 2 1/2 days to the east coast over a weekend! what was weird is it was delievered by some guy in a station wagon. lol

great guitar especially after i upgraded the wiring harness.
Click to expand...

How did you pay for the import duty? Did they send you a bill? Pay it on arival?
 
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