With all of the awesome Boss delay pedals out there, finding the right one can be a bit tricky…but what if it was a delay PLUS something else? That’s where the PS-2 Digital Pitch Shifter / Delay pedal comes in. Made between October 1987 and March 1994, this little blue beast has stood the test of time, and remains a popular pick of old school digital delays. Mine is nice and beat up, the 9V power section doesn’t work (running a battery-compatible cable to my Pedal Power 2 Plus), it’s missing a knob and still shines in all it’s vintage glory – let’s check it out, shall we?
First off, the PS-2 features a full 2 SECONDS of delay time. Bam! Right off the bat, I’m hooked. Delays that max out at 1 second are useful for what they do, but sometimes you just want more, and 2 full seconds is the perfect amount. With the 3 Delay modes, you can select the maximum delay time for each (125ms, 500ms, 2s), and then adjust that accordingly to your taste with the Manual control knob. The 3 Pitch Shifting mode options are +1 Octave, -1 Octave and Manual, where you adjust with the Manual knob as well. Turning that knob while in Manual pitch shift mode produces some fun and far out, space-age sounds, as well as weird, dissonant notes and gloomy, sludge-driven tones. The Balance knob affects the Wet/Dry signal mix, and Feedback rounds out the control knobs, adjusting the amount of repeats in the Delay modes, and makes lots of other-worldly noises in the pitch shifting modes.
This is a great little vintage delay in and of itself, but the ability to change to a nice pitch shifter with a turn of a knob is an excellent option, especially for live settings, where odd noise and feedback rule, and nothing is off limits. Boss has created many great pedals, and this one is no slouch. If you can find one, they won’t break the bank, but will give you hours and hours of experimenting and honing your tone.
Specs:
Controls: Balance (between effect in direct signal), Feedback (for amount of repeats, and very unique pitch shifting effects), Fine-Manual (for adjusting delay times and pitch) and Mode (for selecting any of the 6 modes).
Connectors: Input, Output, Tuner Out (for plugging into a tuner), AC Adaptor
Current Draw: 60 mA (DC 9V)
Weight: 460g/1.01 lbs.
Input Impedance: 1Mohm
Residual Noise Level: -90dBm (IHF-A)
Recommended Load Impedance: 10kOhm or greater
Delay Time: 30ms to 2000ms
Frequency Response: 10Hz to 30kHz, +1/-3dB (Direct)
Recommended AC Adaptor: PSA Series
Submitted by Mike B, Website
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