Delay-ducation (3)

Our next delay discussion is by far the most contemporary preference- the digital delay (DD).

Unlike the analog sibling the DD is devoid of signal deterioration upon repetition. What you hear deteriorating is the signal volume & this is the very reason why those ol' timers would tell you the DD is devoid of 'warmth' (as understood on Ep. 2). However, the great advantage here is the fact that DD allows the user to enjoy longer delay intervals so the player's delay output is not strictly limited by the device un-tweakable capacity but what he/ she is able to dial in. The other editable parameters include delay depth & number of repeats (among others). This means the modern delay unit is also able to re-create ambience in addition to mere repetitions. The fact that the DD involves a good serving of programming, it costs more than the average analog version & consumes battery more rapidly as well. The learned among us will invest in a good power adapter for our beloved DD pedal which makes more sense here.

Some recommendations

BOSS is arguably the leading name in DD for its simplicity & effective applications. Despite perpetual re-design, the DD-3 remains to be the manufacturer's landmark unit & it's no wonder that the pedal is being preserved in its catalogs till today. Yours truly here keeps coming back to the DD-3 after countless flirtations with other units. The current additions to BOSS' DD models include the DD-7 & the other-worldly DD-500 (the latest addition, 2015).

If you wish for a more updated DD design without losing footing in your guitar focus, check out Strymon's El Capistan pedal. Some of the lushest DD tones can be had here but if you wish for a simpler Strymon philosophy, the DIG model should be it. Please note that the Strymon brand name isn't the most affordable out there but it's good for the money.

There are players out there who wouldn't mind access & some programming/storage capabilities in their DD pedals. Not too long ago, the standard to beat in this category (at least in my books) is Vox's Delaylab. However, the good people of Korg had re-introduced their wonderful SDD-3000. The SDD-3000 is a legend per se that started off as a rack mount unit. Excess here is a little under-statement, you get MIDI feature, panning, note values differentiation, etc... plus the fact that it's a true bypass unit.

To be concluded...

Link to Episode 1: CLICK

Link to Episode 2: CLICK