your favorite workhorse delays

telepathy · Post by **telepathy** » Sat Jan 21, 2012 11:36 pm

I'm interested to know about your favorite delay boxes for workaday, non-glamorous stuff. no deep space textural freakout action, no David Gilmour wannabe stylings, just the delays you use to control a send to reverb, to time-align room mics, to thicken guitars by 16ms, stuff like that. maybe a decent slapback-emulation is the hippest thing these delays get to do.

I've been using Effectrons for these purposes (for all my delay needs that aren't tape-based) and I've grown to love them more for their sonic character and quirks than for their functional transparency. the headroom is low and the coloration is noticeable. I'd rather use them selectively and have a solid outboard delay for all the ordinary stuff. no software!

thank you.

A.David.MacKinnon · Post by **A.David.MacKinnon** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 7:38 am

I'm also a sucker for the Effectron but I'll use what-ever's available. I've used the Ibanez, roland, & lexicon rack units with no complaints.
My only rule of thumb is that vocal slap back it has to be done with a tape delay. Like all rules of thumb I break the rule all the time. I love the Space Echo, WEM copycat (although they tend to be wobbly sounding) or Tascam cassette deck. The Tascam overloads in a really nice way and can add a really nice edge to rock vocals.

Jim Williams · Post by **Jim Williams** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 7:49 am

I use a pair of Lexicon MPX 100's for delays. They play well with the other Lexicons and Bricasti.

I usually don't like 20k hz delay repeats, too clear and distracting. The MPX has an echo function, a 6k hz bandwidth first repeat and every repeat afterwards loses more bandwidth, it's just like tape echo without the THD and wow and flutter.

Most digital delays don't have that feature.

KennyLusk · Post by **KennyLusk** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 9:23 am

Jim Williams wrote:Lexicon MPX 100's

+1

junomat · Post by **junomat** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 11:26 am

1. Effectron II ADM 1024
2. Lexicon MPX 100 (cheap but gets the job done)

fossiltooth · Post by **fossiltooth** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 3:44 pm

I still like my Korg SDD-1200. I could totally see how an MPX 100 might be useful for someone who's working on a console and needs another inexpensive outboard option.

But really, for transparent workhorse delays, that's one place I don't mind digital. If you're doing a lot of routing ITB, I think the Waves supertaps delay is quite useful, and it's pretty inexpensive. The Sountoys Echoboy is really nice, and I like the Massey TD5 as well.

I also don't mind using quirky, unusual, or serious bidness delays for these workhorse roles either. An Echoplex as predaly or a room slap? Sure why not!?

telepathy · Post by **telepathy** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 6:03 pm

again, no software!

I love the Effectrons for a lot of things, but they don't have enough headroom for a lot of applications. the Deltalab Super Time Line (which I've never really used) has a different input limiter and an extra output stage, I wonder if that would make a difference.

interesting about the MPX 100 losing bandwidth on the repeats. I might have to check that out.

maybe I just need a PCM 42....

mike_ender · Post by **mike_ender** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 7:28 pm

ELIO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
hello

kingtoad · Post by **kingtoad** » Tue Jan 24, 2012 1:42 am

Possibly a bit more expensive than you want, but you can't really go wrong with a TC Electronic D2.

Gregg Juke · Post by **Gregg Juke** » Tue Jan 24, 2012 5:59 am

Not sure if these qualify as "workhorse," "textural freakout," "vintage/old," or somewhere in-between (and some of these are reverbs with some delay settings) but I have, and like the Lexicon MPX 100, MXR Digital Time Delay, a couple of Boss RV series delay/reverbs, an Effectron Jr., and a Zoom Studio unit. Also an EHX pedal delay that emulates the tape stuff; I haven't experimented with as outboard yet, but am probably going to.

There are a few others, but those are the ones with character. I think my favorite is the MXR.

GJ

honkyjonk · Post by **honkyjonk** » Tue Jan 24, 2012 7:20 pm

Well, it DOES do space freakout stuff, but it doesn't have to. The Memory Man Deluxe.
AUX>Reamp>MM>DI>mixer channel.

philbova · Post by **philbova** » Tue Jan 24, 2012 8:44 pm

Loft 450.

Darlington Pair · Post by **Darlington Pair** » Wed Jan 25, 2012 7:28 am

Digitech RDS 900, Ibanez DMD-2000, Peavey Ultraverb, and of course... Space Echoes.

cgarges · Post by **cgarges** » Wed Jan 25, 2012 11:47 am

Effectrons are pretty impossible to beat for what you're talking about. I own four of them. For more flexibility, clarity, tweakability, and stereo operation, I like the tc D-Two.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

ott0bot · Post by **ott0bot** » Wed Jan 25, 2012 12:27 pm

ditto on the effectrons. I personally use a Deltalab Super Timeline, which is similar. As far as coloration...just keep the input a bit lower and use moderate output volume, then use a clean line amp to boost or increase the gain in a DAW. I use the line input on my Summit Audio 2ba-221 for this alll the time.

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