There’s been a streak recently here at Pedal of the Day where we’ve been able to test and review some awesome old analog delay pedals, and today we bring you yet another gem in this prestigious list of warm and warbly delays of old. This 680 Analog Delay from DOD dates to late 1980, and has had a bunch of updates, upgrades and improvements done to it recently, making it sound like it did right off the shelf more than 35 years ago…maybe even better.
The first thing I noticed and utilized on the 680 Delay was the fact that there are TWO outputs – nothing super-special usually, except on this big blue bad boy, there are two SEPARATE level controls for each output. This is not something you find on most stereo pedals, new or vintage, and to have this amount of control on a box this old is a real treat. Aside from those two knobs, Repeat and Delay Time are the only other controls present, so there’s not a lot to this larger-than-average and heavy-as-can-be old school delay, which there really shouldn’t be.
Simple and to the point, the 680 Analog Delay features some of the warmest and most organic delay sounds you’re likely to come across in your lifetime, thanks in good part to the classic and sought-after original Reticon SAD4096 chip inside. The TI RC4558 opamps in the preamp and recovery circuits have been upgraded to new manufacture NJM JRC4580DD low-noise ICs as well, for a substantial improvement in signal-to-noise ratio. The power cord has even been replaced with a soft, flexible Apple (yes, as in Computer) cord, for much improvement in conductivity and safety, and a fuse added to hot side of power supply to protect against surges and circuit damage. One of the finest examples of this pedal ever, the 680 Analog Delay is one of DOD’s past genius inventions, and just keeps getting better with age. Check out the video below to see how it sounds, and pick one up if you happen to come across it – you’ll be in tasty analog delay heaven in minutes.
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December 16, 2016
Not sure if it was the 680 but I certainly had a large blue DOD delay in the 1980s’. One of the tricks I used to do was set the repat as high as it would go to make the dalay self ocsilate. Then I’d progress the the time up to a squeal then back down again creating an explosion type effect. Sadly I traded it in on a Digitech delay because it had new features and a whole new vibe. The new pedal would NOT self oscilate and and I’ve been looking for this older pedal or similar every since. I’ve acquired an MXR Carbon Copy. Nice delay and does what I want but still not the DOD nor the old time large green MXR analog delay of days gone by.