Delay Pedal?

[53Crëw]

I've used a very minimal setup, in terms of effects, for years. I'm pretty much a Guitar-->Tube Screamer-->Amp type of player. However, recently I thought it might be nice to add a Phase 90 and a delay to my signal chain to thicken up the leads a bit.

Currently, I'm trying out a DD3 and an MXR Carbon Copy delay. The DD3 is a tried and true delay pedal with good clear, defined repeats. The Carbon Copy, being analog, is a pretty sweet delay, but I'm thinking it sounds better suited to other genre's of music. The delays are not as crisp and clear, but warmer. I'm thinking that this might cause the sound to get lost in the distortion.

Anyone have any thoughts on these two pedals, or perhaps another one they recommend I look at?

Cheers.

 

[Noumenon]

Not really related, but do you use it before the amp or in the loop?
adding distortion to delays sounds like shite imho.

 

[TeamOmega]

The line 6 dl4 is definitely good, and is used by a lot of high-end artists that could afford to spend much more on a pedal.

Eventide has a fairly new delay pedal called the TimeFactor that is supposed to be amazing. Haven't tried it but I was thinking about getting it.

I just got this delay pedal by Pigtronix called the Echolution. It's supposed to be an analog delay with a digital brain, but it also has some modulation effects and a loop function. The company is real small and so it would take a couple months for you to get one, and they're a little pricey. It's definitely fucking awesome but i can't say i would recommend it unless you're looking for something really unique and bizzare (which i was).

 

[53Crëw]

Not really related, but do you use it before the amp or in the loop?
adding distortion to delays sounds like shite imho.

ATM, I'm using it on the front end...

Tube Screamer -> Phase 90 -> Delay -> Amp input

 

[gorath23]

ATM, I'm using it on the front end...

Tube Screamer -> Phase 90 -> Delay -> Amp input

Yeah, throw it in the loop, delays aren't made for out front. I have the DD-3 and having owned quite a few delays in the past its my favourite so far. Sounds great with Distortion just because it is so clear and defined and not too vintage and warm.

 

[Aaron Smith]

I just bought an MXR Carbon Copy within the last week actually, but not for leads...mostly for adding big swelling textural stuff, which it is fantastic for. Very cool sounding pedal! For leads I don't have any specific recommendations, but I think you are thinking correctly that something cleaner sounding would be a better choice...so probably a digital delay of some form would be your best bet. I have a TC Electronic M300 in my rack for lead guitar delay purposes, which sounds great...and you can actually save different patches away and call them up if you need specific delay types or speeds for different songs. Very handy!

 

[Kazrog]

Get the Line 6 Echo Park. Really amazing and flexible, can do just about any type of delay sound you would want, and has tap tempo (always nice live.)

 

[Manicompression]

electro harmonix memory man with hazarai, it does everything well (clean digital repeats to warm analog tapering repeats ) except it doesnt self occilate, you can program presets, you can loop which is handy for working out leads and harmonys at home, and it does some weird modulation stuff that sounds kind of practical, it also has a smart reverse feature that actually sounds good, it also does basic reverb...... I own it and chose it over all the other stuff in the price range that they had at guitar center, including the dl4 and the echo park. Ive owned it for a year and Im still enamored by its awesome-ness.

 

[gorath23]

Get the Line 6 Echo Park. Really amazing and flexible, can do just about any type of delay sound you would want, and has tap tempo (always nice live.)

That was my last delay pedal and whilst it was really good, it didn't sound nearly as good with Distortion. It just wasn't as clear as the DD-3 imo. I'd rather have one good delay sound than a jack-of-all-trades.

 

[Kazrog]

That was my last delay pedal and whilst it was really good, it didn't sound nearly as good with Distortion. It just wasn't as clear as the DD-3 imo. I'd rather have one good delay sound than a jack-of-all-trades.

Didn't have that problem with it myself, depends on how you run it though. It sounds best through the FX loop of a high gain amp in my experience.

These days I don't use tube amps live, so I just use the built-in delay in my Line 6 HD147 amp, which is essentially the same stuff as the Echo Park pedal.

 

[Wolfeman]

I have the MXR Carbon Copy waiting for me at home, can't wait to try it out! I never liked the digital delay sound so it should suit me well. As for position, you should be running it in the loop. Not to say you can't run it out front, but delays/flangers/phasers are generally designed to be in the loop or post processed after the mic.

 

[TravisW]

The best delay I ever had for leads was the Ibanez ADL (analog delay). You wouldn't get any extreme delay times, but it did a fantastic job of adding delay without making it sound like there was a delay going (if that makes any sense). I have always run delay on my leads, but just wanted to make them a bit fatter and more 3-dimensional rather than making them sound like a Pink Floyd-type thing (unless I was going for a special effect).

 

[Metaltastic]

Thought I'd give this thread a bump, rather than making a new one - I'm looking for a delay to stick in the loop of my JSX (I'd leave it on all the time on top of the amp, and just turn the loop on/off to engage/disengage it via the amp footswitch), only to be used for leads and clean. $120 is the most I wanna spend, and the Guyatone MD-3 sounds like exactly what I'm looking for - no frills, leading me to believe that the price goes to quality rather than quantity of features. There's the venerable Boss DD-3 as well, but I feel like the Guyatone would sound better because it's the same price with nowhere near as many features. I really love a soaring openness to my solos, so I feel a clean digital delay sound would probably be best for me; any thoughts?

Oh, and what about the Electro Harmonix #1 Delay Pedal?

 

[beyond dead]

get a boss, boss!

 

[Metaltastic]

Eh, not sure about the DD-3, the only one in my price range, seems like the converters might be a bit outdated...

 

[VH100R]

make sure you try the boss DD3... its just awesome for leads in a loop.

 

[Metaltastic]

Alright, I guess I'll have my local store order in a DD-3 as well as an EH #1 (the Guyatone seems a little iffy judging by reviews on musicians friend), and I'll do a shootout between the two - thanks guys!

 

[if6was9]

I've got a dd-3, got it for 40 euro off a guy who had more money than sense. Its really great sounding my only problems with it being there's a really fine line between too quiet and too loud for me on the knob, it seems to be very non linear with a sweet spot that has to be found. Also I find the delay time just a little too short for that savage long delay on epic wailing solo's- think john petrucci!
I've been thinking of adding it back to my rig lately as when I recorded I loved adding delays to the leads and i'd like to add it live. The pedal sounds great and works very well, ive never had a problem withit in the 3-4 years ive had it, the 2 outputs are handy out aswell, I've used it laods of times when watching vids on the net where the audio goes out of sync and changes as the film goes on- works a treat between the comp and the hi fi amp!