What's Cooler?: Analog Delay, or Digital-simulation delay?

[Lolaviola]

I am trying to decide weather or not to replace my AD9 with something fresh and new... Please post comments about the latest and greatest new delay pedals out there vs. the good ole vintage analog bucket brigade.

There are all kinds nowadays, doing attenuated digital, analog simulation, tape simulation, modulated tape simulation.

If I had my way, I would get an echoplex, but I have to be reasonable. I like to have the delay "always on" in the background, and I don't really wish to discuss tap tempo, since I think my favorite sounds are faster than I can tap!

Anybody notice with analog that annoying hiss? I got rid of a rockman, an electro-harmonix because of this. I am starting to notice it in my AD9 and I think it will eventually drive me to replace it. How do the new analogs sound in regards to hiss?

How about digital tape simulation? anybody have a favorite?

[soybean]

I haven't played a lot of the new delays, but the Line 6 Echo Park has been great: tape sim, analog sim and no hiss. Also has tap tempo, which you will fall in love with. Don't get me wrong. This is the only digital pedal on my board, all the rest are analog. The Echo park was just too versatile to pass up, and it's got a small footprint.

If you get one, do a GP search on how to power these things. It's usually best to use an Line 6 power supply.

[cbpickin]

The Maxon AD900 is my favorite delay for ambient, always on sounds. It is very quiet in my rig and I don't hear ANY hiss at all. The new Mad Professor Deep Blue Delay is a very cool digital-made-to sound like tape delay. It is a little clearer than analog, but it is still nice and thick sounding, like a tape-based setup.

[GreenTea]

My old analog AD-9 is waarm.

My bucket brigade delay made by Visual Sound is really an excellent pedal, too. Don't use it much but when I do, I like it's sound because it sounds great to me... not as warm as my AD-9, but great functionality and sound.

My AD-9 is collecting dust. My go-to is the VS H20 (the delay side).

[granite]

EH Deluxe Memory Man is my delay of choice. I don't like any of the digital pedals I've tried, but I'd like to check out those new Eventide delay pedals (Timefactor).

[pappafox]

I use a Maxon AD-9 for ambient delay, on all the time, but also use a Dan-Echo for those big, spacey, distortion soaked leads.

[Taylor Daly]

Im going to semi on-topic hijack the thread (hope thats alright!)

How could a guy best spend say ~$150 on an analog delay for ambient delay? Keeley AD-9?

[Passenger84]

In the digital delay world, the T-Rex Replica is the best I've tried. But, there's just something about that organic warmth of analog. :)

[that_brianm_guy]

grab an Ibanez DE-7. It's got a switch for either "echo" or "delay", and when set to "echo", it does sound like a good analog delay, and self-oscillates.

I had a DM-2, and it did sound warmer when A/B'd directly with the DE-7, but that warmth just sounded muddy in the mix.

Plus, the DE-7 can do much longer delay times, and have that clearer high end on the "delay" side.

[Wilbo26]

The answer is both.

[English Jim]

Is that an Ibanez AD9(new or old) or Maxon AD9? I don't think you can do much better, at least in a small footprint, than the Maxon. The Ibanez, you can do a lot better, dig or analog. A lot of people like the Line-6. I thought it was OK, nothing special, though it does a lot of stuff, but it may just be I'm prejudiced against all things Line-6.

[Malekko]

The answer is both.

I'd agree here, i have lots of delays that i use differently. I really LOVE the ad900, it's nice and dark but not too dark...i love the ad9 that i have it is a reissue ibanez...for 120.00 you cant go wrong...and a dd20 for nice crisp perfect, syncable delays

[earache33]

Im going to semi on-topic hijack the thread (hope thats alright!)

How could a guy best spend say ~$150 on an analog delay for ambient delay? Keeley AD-9?


Analogman. Its killer. Good luck.

[johnnySRZ]

My AD-900 is always on. Like buttah...

[DonneR]

I think alot depends on 'what your used too' and what your ears are expecting.....

If you just want a delayed signal then time is your bigest consideration.....

if youve become accustomed to tape or analog or digilog or digital or oilcan or whatever .... alot has to do with what you are used to and where you want to go from there...



just take any two delays and compare them for relative differences .. which ones 'better' ? wellllllllll its all about context :)

[drbob1]

Donner's got a good point. Most of us want some "warmth" out of a delay-not a clinically harsh output like some digital delays tend towards. On that basis, there's nothing digital I'd like to own between the DD2 and the more recent delays that have started to include low pass filters to warm up the repeats a bit. Digital delays do have the hiss as well, some do a better job of gating it than others, but it's still there. If that really bothers you, the best delay available is the old MXR Stereo in green. It actually had the low pass filter set up to close down more as the delay got longer-so long repeats would be more muffled but less hiss, short, slap-back would be warmly analog but retain much of the high frequency stuff. I think your best bet would be both-analog for warmth (Diamond, Way Huge, your AD9, DM2, MXR, Maxon etc) and digital for flexibility (DD2, EchoPark, Akai Headrush etc). Throw in a rackmount or two for the studio (Alesis MPX, Ibanez AD202, Eventide, Yamaha E1010) and you're finally set ;)