Today’s pedal is a fantastic example of everything a 2-in-1 pedal should be, especially when it combines two great genres of effects together. The Vader (as we assume is its proper name) is a one-off custom pedal built by VFE Pedals, and it joins together their Blueprint Delay and Choral Reef Chorus effects. While these have both been discontinued, having them together in one pedal is a real marvel, and the rarity of it and the...
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Discovering new and exciting pedal builders has always been a great thrill for us here at Pedal of the Day, and the effects we’re checking out today embodies that to a big, fat “T”. Mattoverse Electronics was an unknown company to us not too long ago, and after checking out the Swell Delay, we’re glad that we can witness what they are capable of. A delay/echo/reverb pedal and beyond, this thing is going to put...
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There are pedalboard-friendly pedals, and then there are pedals from Henretta Engineering. These guys take it to a whole new level, throwing all the controls (via trimpots) into enclosures that only measure 2-1/8″ x 2-5/16″, making them the ultimate small sized pedal. Today’s feature pedal of theirs is no different from others we’ve reviewed in the past, except that its a bad-ass delay, and it’s bright...
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Today’s featured pedal is one we’ve had our eye on for some time, and were super-stoked when the opportunity to review it came along (we even managed to get the Vintage King Special Edition). The Kilobyte™ is a Lo-Fi Delay pedal, one with a bunch of options, and some of the smoothest and craziest echoes you’ll find on a pedal, anywhere. Deep, dark, analog delay tones are easy to come by, as well as crystal-clear...
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If you’ve ever had the opportunity to play one, you know that the Boss DM-2 is one of the finest analog delay pedals ever created. While there have been many attempts to recreate the vintage tones of this sought-after piece of equipment, most have fallen short in some way or another…until now. Not sure how they did it, but the folks at Retro-Sonic have managed to create a pedal that has everything we love about the DM-2,...
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We had a great time when we reviewed the original version of the Clockwork Delay from GFI System last year, so we were more than stoked to check out the newest model, v2. Building on the incredible first go-round, this next generation pedal takes us into the delay stratosphere, with a ton of presets, tap tempo, stereo input and output, and a whole lot more. Here we go… The Clockwork v2 offers one standard digital delay mode, as...
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What’s better than a killer delay pedal? Well, not much, but they’re even better when there are TWO of them in one box! The Multi Tap 2 Delay sees a collaboration between Hermida Audio and Lovepedal, two excellent pedal builders in their own rights, and proof that sometimes two heads can be better than one. This golden creation was inspired by both the wavering tape delay sounds of the 70’s and the crisp, digital,...
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Sometimes, we come across a pedal that, at first glance, looks like it might be a bit complicated, and we’re gonna have to spend a good deal of time figuring out how it works. Today’s featured pedal, the Chrono Delay DLY-4 is one of these pedals, but it’s a real trickster, as its ease of use and ability to conjure up killer sounds quickly is one of its strengths as an effect, and one we were more than happy to...
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One of our favorite things here at Pedal of the Day is when someone sends us a custom pedal with our logo on it – since we have no clue how to actually BUILD these pedals, seeing our design embossed on an effect is a pretty rare and cool thing that we appreciate a lot. The guys over at PuzzleSounds not only didn’t make us build the Deep Blue Delay they sent us, but they emblazoned it with our signature circle as well,...
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Happy Labor Day to all our followers in the United States! Hope you’ll be kicking back with a cold one and some tasty grilled food later on this afternoon, and enjoying the day off (for those of you who have it). In other news…It’s pretty hard not to be impressed by the sheer volume of pedals that come pouring out of the Edmond, OK offices of Keeley Electronics – what’s even more incredible is how...
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Complex delay pedals can be confusing, sometimes hard to figure out and even extremely frustrating, but the payoff for hard work and actually reading the manual will ALWAYS pay off. That said, the Echolution 2 Deluxe Delay from our friends at Pigtronix features a more-than-slight learning curve, but it also packed with options and delay sounds not heard very often, in any pedal or context. This delay is set up sort of like other delay...
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Today’s guest review comes to us from Coe S. – find him on Instagram (@coeschneider) and say Hi! Hey! Those Seymour Duncan guys make pickups! But this, my friends, is a pedal. I picked this bad boy up used at a screaming deal. I was looking to get a delay with tap abilities, but outside of that I didn’t have any preference other than cost. The feature set on this delay is great, not only does it have tap functions...
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One of the most anticipated effects of 2016 has got to be today’s featured piece of gear, and rightly so on all accounts. The Nemesis Delay from Source Audio combines vintage analog and tape sounds with pitch-shifting abilities, modulation, MIDI, tap tempo and more. All crammed into a super pedalboard-friendly enclosure, this delay was three years in the making, and the final results are nothing short of astounding. Let’s...
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After a quick day off yesterday to move the shop, we’re back with a bang! From the insanely talented and innovative brain of our pal Joel Korte over at Chase Bliss Audio comes one of the most talked-about and anticipated effects pedals of 2016. The Tonal Recall Analog Delay not only manages to squish a TON of options into a regular-sized, pedalboard-friendly pedal, but takes the entire genre, dumps it on its head and reinvents...
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The folks at Death By Audio somehow continue to amaze, surprise and delight us lovers of crazy effects, and our featured pedal today is one of their best yet. Combining three separate delay circuits into one incredible echo machine, the Ghost Delay takes every expectation or thought about delay you may have previously held and tosses it right into the river, tied to a cement block for good measure. Think we’re joking? Well, hop...
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In today’s crazy world of delay pedals, with all the tricks and secrets and incredible things they can now do, it’s sometimes nice to have a simple, laid-back delay pedal, capable of subtle tones and monstrous adventure at the same time. Today’s featured pedal is just that, as are most of the pedals from Mantic Effects. The Isaiah Delay is a three-knob echo beast, producing an over-the-top amount of noise and fun,...
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The RV-3 Reverb/Delay from Boss is one of my all-time favorite effects pedals, combining two wonderful effects together with a bunch of combination options and pretty rad-sounding tones. I’d always been a little skeptical of the RV-5 Digital Reverb, as it slimed down to being just a reverb, and as much as I dig delay, I thought it was a choice I was not going to like. Turns out, the RV-5 is a fine piece of gear, and apparently...
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As we’ve said before, the 10 Series of pedals from Ibanez are among our favorites from the 80’s, and today’s featured pedal is one of the best from that group. In general, chorus has been an effect that has a love/hate relationship with guitarists, and while it can be heard on amy classic recordings, there are some players who just will not touch it. That said, the DSC10 Digital Chorus pedal might just have something...
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Today’s pedal is really a delay to end all delays, as long as you’re not running a stereo rig, that is. The Flight Time Delay (FT-1Y) from Free The Tone looks like the Flux Capacitor and the Millennium Falcon had a love child, with it’s vast control section and digital read-out parameters. Truth is, that’s not far from the truth, as it is just about as futuristic looking and sounding a delay that’s on the...
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I have yet to come across an Ibanez pedal in their 10 series from the 80’s that I haven’t found to be exciting and exceptional all at once. I mean, these things are all built like tanks, usually have a ton of options, regardless of what type of pedal it is, and sound like they were decades ahead of their time…which they were, in fact. Today’s shining example is basically a multi effect, although it’s...
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When it comes to compact, simple delay pedals, you usually only have the option for one specific sound for each pedal: analog, digital, warm, crisp, dark, etc., resulting in the delay section of your pedalboard constantly having to expand. Well, the crew at Alexander Pedals and Chicago Music Exchange have created a pedal that will trim down that portion of your board immensely, with a full spectrum of delay tones from classic decades...
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2-In-1 pedals are always fun, but more often than not, they come in the form of overdrives. Don’t get me wrong, I love dual overdrives, but a Dual Delay pedal? Now that’s something else all together. The Dual Tap Delay, made by the now-defunct Visual Sound (actually, they’re a new company called Truetone), is one of these rare delay breeds, and one that is a hell of a lot of fun to figure out. Each of the 2 separate...
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The crew at TC Electronic has had a long-standing reputation for building some truly innovative and awe-inspiring delays, and possibly the best delay ever in the 2290 Dynamic Digital Delay. Shrinking the principles and options down to fit into a smaller enclosure that fits nicely onto a pedalboard, they’ve created the Nova Delay, a compact delay full of sonic options and tones for days – all the best features of the old...
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16-bit Digital Delay. Tape echo emulation. Looper. Tap Tempo. Twenty-three point eight (that’s right, 23.8) seconds of delay time. These are all options we seek, for a variety of different pedals, right? There’s no way these could ALL be present in just one, sweet, blue-mixed-with-purple pedal, could there? As today’s pedal, the E2 HeadRush from Akai Professional, will show you, it IS possible…and so much more,...
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Nick and the crew at Greer Amps have been putting out some incredible dirt pedals over the last few years, but with today’s pedal, they’re veered a bit off course into the world of delay, which I (and other fans of theirs) couldn’t be happier about. The Black Tiger Delay Device is a relatively simple delay, but has great tone, like all Greer pedals, and provides the perfect amount of tone-enhancement to make your rig...
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Have you been searching for a delay that has a ton of sonic options, but a small pedalboard footprint? One that has a switchable boost section for you to power through those killer solos with? One that has optional Vibrato and Flanger modes, for thick and tasty delays across the board? One that has tap tempo AND switchable note subdivisions? Well, if you thought something this fantastic couldn’t possibly exist, you’ve...
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After reviewing the Defibrillator Reanimating Shock Fuzz from Paradox Effects, I was super excited to see what they would come up with next. Crazy graphics, tones and controls seem to be the general makeup of all their pedals, and the latest is no exception. When the Oniric PseudoAleatory Delay Modulation showed up on my doorstep and I opened the box, I knew I was going to be in for a real treat, and it turns out I was right. As...
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Many times on a pedalboard, simplicity can be your closest friend. Take, for example, the Mockingbird 3-knob Delay pedal from Backwoods Music. One of the newest additions to their sonic lineup, the Mockingbird will give you a wide range of delay tones, lengths and sounds in a neat-and-tidy, compact, pedalboard-friendly package, without sacrificing any tone, clarity or build quality whatsoever. Mix, Feedback and Delay make up the basic...
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As much as I enjoy a nice, small delay pedal that fits beautifully onto my pedalboard, I love the big box delay pedals, the ones that take up too much real estate but sound so incredible that you don’t mind the size whatsoever. In an attempt to satisfy my delay obsession, I may or may not have purchased a number of these pedals over the years, and one that I really dig is the Plush REP-3 Tube-Voiced Delay from our friends at...
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Reviewing so many drive and fuzz boxes means I’m usually playing through my electric guitar setup, but recently I’ve been gravitating toward my trusty Alvarez acoustic, and decided to create a little acoustic mini-board to enhance my playing a bit. The first pedal I decided I needed, as I always do, was a delay, and after some research via the Interwebs, I chose to check out the Fishman AFX Delay as my first acoustic...
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Analog Delay. There’s something special about it, you’re never quite sure what it is, but it makes you feel warm and comforted right down to your core. While there are a lot of digital delays still in production, analog has made a bit of a resurgence in the last decade or so, with new and better options arriving on the market year after year. One of those happens to be the AD4096 from Endangered Audio Research. Where to...
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I dig pretty much every type of pedal out there today, but if there’s one kind of effect I have more of, use more of and love the most, it’s got to be the almighty Delay. They can be extremely simple, adding just a touch of color to your sound, extremely complex, with a multitude of bells and whistles, or fall somewhere in between the two. While the B-304 Analog/Hybrid Delay from Big Joe Stomp Box Company is relatively...
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The Nova Delay from TC Electronic was actually my first delay pedal. I bought it because it’s just what my friend told me to get. But I’m incredibly thankful I did. Eventually I’d grow tired of it and move onto the Timeline, because everyone knows since the Timeline is more than twice the price of the Nova Delay it has to be better, right? False. If you’re looking for crystal clear, U2/ Early Hillsong .8th...
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If the DL4 were a person you’re looking to score with, you had better be willing to put in the time and effort. Easy enough to get interested with a quick chat up line, but requiring hours of invested time and genuine interest to get the most out of the sound when using live. Make no bones about it, the DL4 is a keeper and one you’ll want to settle down with – that is, if you have a penchant for ambient sounds, uber delay, or just...
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This pedal is a mammoth of an effect, both is actual size and sonic ability. Pigtronix has been leading the way in making some incredibly uncommon and exciting pedals for years now, and although the newer version has more bells and whistles, this first version of the Echolution Tap Tempo Analog Delay with Modulation is a beast in it’s own right, not an effects pedal to be taken lightly, or turn your back on, ’cause you...
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Well, this is a big one. The current reigning champion of the Delay world in stompbox manufacturing, the TimeLine Delay from Strymon. I gotta tell you, I was a bit skeptical about this pedal, and had gotten a little sick of seeing it everywhere, to be honest. Roughly 3 minutes after I plugged my guitar into it, I understood what all the hubbub was about. This moderately-sized gray enclosure seriously holds the keys to all your delay...
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It seems as though Strymon has become an absolutely dominating force amongst guitarists and their pedalboards as of late, and there’s a reason. Besides making space-age looking, beautiful, intelligent pedals, they have created some of the coolest sounds you could want coming through your amp, and the Brigadier dBucket Delay is a prime example of their craftsmanship and skill. As soon as you plug this guy in, you can feel...
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The Twin Pedal Collection from Boss has produced some interesting and quite useful pedals – one of my favorites (and, a bunch of other guitarists, apparently) is the DD-20 Giga Delay. Flush with options, tones, sounds and surprises, the DD-20 takes some getting used to, like any pedal of this magnitude, but once you get it down, it’s a ton of fun to play with, and can really be utilized on stage and in the studio to meet a...
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First off, to be perfectly honest, I’m not entirely sure why the TimeBender from Digitech is not on the delay pedal A-list. This thing is super powerful, sounds great and is relatively inexpensive. DigiTech has a prolonged history of making incredibly innovative pedals. The TimeBender combines conventional effects with some nutty, yet still sweet delay effects. The interface is great, and the ability that it gives you to...
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The DE7 Delay pedal from Ibanez has two modes. Delay gives you a digital delay that is clear and full. The Echo mode is where this pedal shines. It gives analog-like repeats and warm echoes. These echoes are why this pedal has a cult-like following. The repeats sound best with tremolo picking and like to pile on top of each other, creating thick noise when you want it, or long echoes when you want space between the notes. While this...
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BOSS PS-3 Pitch Shifter / Delay Made from 1994-1999 Three Delay modes Seven Pitch modes One Expression mode There’s A LOT in this lil one-stomp pedal. Various options for pitch shifting – from slight chorus-y shifts to drastic intervals! And classic spot-on BOSS digital delay settings. My personal favorite is ‘Mode 7’, which is a pitch-shifting reversing delay. Depending on where you place the settings it will...
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First off, the DelayLab is a BIG box, no bones about it. That said, it packs a heap of features and a million different settings to choose from, making it one of the funnest delays I’ve ever used. Simple digital readout in the top corner lets you know what bank you’re in, what the delay time is, amount of feedback being produced, etc., depending on how you turn the knobs. 3 footswitches allow for a multitude of banks (30,...
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We had the pleasure of checking out the new Galaxy ’74 Tape Echo & Reverb from Universal Audio, and were (as usual) pretty blown away. Today, we’re looking at the next unit in their latest lineup releases, the Del-Verb Ambience Companion. Similar to the Galaxy in ways, but also a unique beast on its own, this pedal combines algorithms from UA’s wonderful Golden Reverberator and Starlight Echo Station....
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A couple months back, we had the distinct pleasure of reviewing and demoing 3 brand new amplifier pedals from our friends at Universal Audio: Dream ’65, Ruby ’63 and Woodrow ’55, all of which were wicked spectacular. Today, we get to revisit more UA gear, this time in the form of three effects: Astra Modulation Machine, Starlight Echo Station and Golden Reverberator. We’ve had our eyes on these for a while, as...
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(This article comes from our friends at GuitarTricks.com – check out their site for tons of guitar-related tips and tricks!!) The History of the Space Echo Echo Echo… By Shawn Leonhardt for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer, the original platform for online guitar lessons. History of the Space Echo Echo Echo… Before the electric guitar was invented, guitarists were limited on using reverb and delay in their music. The...
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The 200 Series of pedals from Boss really take a ton of sonic options and smash them together into ergonomic, comfortable and pedalboard-friendly enclosures, all without sacrificing any functionality or tone. Following in the footsteps of the DD-200 Digital Delay, we move into dirt territory with the Boss OD-200 Hybrid Drive. This yellow beast gives you 12 drive modes, 15 boost types, series/parallel gain paths and much more, all...
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As our “Deadbeat Week” draws to a close here at Pedal of the Day, we’re excited to bring one final effect to you from the “Station” line of pedals from Deadbeat Sound. The Echolation Station is full of gooey delay goodness, boasting a ton of different modes and echoed tones up and down the line. The delay-filled gem gives you a multitude of echo effects, from modern to classic to vintage and everywhere...
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Chris Marlon Jennings Northampton, Massachusetts Sun Parade http://www.thesunparade.com/ How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? When I was 5, I took some guitar lessons for a little, until I ran away from a lesson. So I guess I started when I was about 12, after I broke my foot during the baseball season and then asked my dad to show me bar chords. I also saw a Sum 41 music video on MTV of them...
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Continuing their status as one of the top-of-the-heap companies in the effects pedal world, Keeley Electronics introduced some multi-effects boxes to the world last year, and we’re lucky enough to have one of them to check out today. The Super Mod Workstation covers more ground than it probably needs to, or should be able, which is definitely NOT a bad thing. With more effects and parameter settings than you’ll know what...
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Mihali Savoulidis Vermont Twiddle twiddlemusic.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’ve been playing guitar since I was 14, but I really had just been playing in my bedroom and writing songs and working on my lead playing. I went to college to form a band and play all these songs I had written during high school, and the end result is Twiddle. I started really gigging out when I was 18,...
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