Delay pedal Questions

[aaronagre]

I am looking for a delay pedal for live applications WITH presets. Right now I use a line 6 POD X3 live as a delay unit. I am thinking about upgrading to the timeline, or timefactor, but what i Like about the pod is that I can store 8 different delays in a bank of 4 presets. I could make do with only 3 presets though. I understand that the timefactor has 128 presets, but are they accessible in a live situation? are there other pedals i should be looking at?

thanks for your time- aaron

[drbob1]

The Line 6 delay algorithms were all moved over to the M5/9/13 series. I've opted for the M5 due to space concerns. You can have 24 presets, IIRC, but can only access them sequentially (ie move up or down thru the list). The M9/M13 allow random access to a certain number, and since any footswitch in any scene can have any type of effect stored there they do allow a LOT of flexibility.

[nedorama]

different tack, but I have 2 different delay pedals for different sounds:

Original Ibanez AD9 analog delay (bought in '83) - great for slapback

TC Electronic Flashback - longer echoes, although have it set on Tape and love the slight warbling/watery effect at the end.

[aaronagre]

drbob- i've thought about going to another line6 pedal, specifically the Dl4 but if i opted for that, it seems like a might as well stay with the POD. I am hoping to try something other than line6, i forgot to mention that in the original post. i appreciate the input though.

nedorama- My ideal set up would be to put an a/b/y box infront of a memory man and a timefactor (or other delay with presets) then have the outputs of both pedals go directly into the stereo ins on an even tide space. I would have the memory man set up with a dotted quarter and the "mix" being controlled by an expression pedal. then the timefactor(or second pedal with presets) would have my swell settings (long trails, modulations etc).

but i can't afford both a memory man and a timefactor(dl4, nova) so i was wondering if there was a single pedal that could do it all.

I think i am gonna go with the timefactor and then pick up a digitech fs300 3 button food switch so i can control everything i need to.

also, i came very close to picking up one of the prototype JHS panther delays for $250 earlier.. if it is still available once i get home from school i might jump on that.

one more question: i have a 3 button footswitch that came with a fender frontman amp that a purchased a few years back, will this button work as a footswitch for a pedal, namely the timefactor??

[AllAboutTone]

TC Electronic Flashback <<<<Amazing, and Amazing for the price.

[aaronagre]

Originally Posted by AllAboutTone

TC Electronic Flashback <<<<Amazing, and Amazing for the price.

they look very cool! if i'm not mistaken, i believe the edge used one for years

[darkhorse]

Presets sort of narrows the field to a multi-processor or perhaps the Boss DD-20 that has 4 preset capability. Also the Line6 DM4 has 4 presets. Rack mount can get into some bucks like TC (which makes the best delays as far as I have used), I am not up on the latest and greatest or features.

I use the TC flashback myself but I do miss the preset capability. I wish more pedal makers would get hip to designing those into the box. Electro-Harmonix oddly enough has been doing that on a few pedals, but not the delay as far as I know. Seems like everyone is on the little box format these days, which is all fine and good but the larger EH size can handle presets and is not all that huge for just a few pedals that could really use presets.

[Igotsoul4u]

Memory Man with Hazari has been working really well for me. Its not a ton of presets but I find it to be plenty. It sounds really good IMO and has a lot of different usable tones. Tap tempo is great.

[darkhorse]

Originally Posted by Igotsoul4u

Memory Man with Hazari has been working really well for me. Its not a ton of presets but I find it to be plenty. It sounds really good IMO and has a lot of different usable tones. Tap tempo is great.

Say, what is the ms range on the Memory Man, is that digital or analog platform?
What exactly does "Hazari" mean anyway?

[Jazz Noise]

Originally Posted by darkhorse

Say, what is the ms range on the Memory Man, is that digital or analog platform?
What exactly does "Hazari" mean anyway?

Hazarai is sort of their word for everything - multi tap, reverse delay, looping, filtering and . It's a digital delay with about 30 seconds of a loop length and 3 seconds of delay time and one preset for each "Mode".

It's a nifty performance-orientated delay. I ultimately went with the Deluxe Memory Boy for price/performance and analouge, warped goey nonsense. When you add the expression pedal you've got a wonderland of delays, warbley chorus/hammond, dub echoes and noise. And then the send-loop lets me insert things like wah pedals, compressors, fuzzes and tremolos on the affected signal. And it's tap tempo, too.

Sorry, I still get a little excited when I talk about it! They're just different beasts, but depending on your concept of what a delay "should" do I'd get one or the other - the only competitors of note would be the Moog Delay and Clusterflux.

[gollumsluvslave]

Nova Delay is great - less types than Flashback, but covers the main ones, has presets and is hugely flexible.

It's my main delay until I can get the Strymon Timeline

[Robert Sands]

I've heard great things about the TC Flashback. I have the Line 6, the big green monster and it is wonderful but it does take up a lot of room on a pedal board. Try the Flashback.

[darkhorse]

Originally Posted by Robert Sands

I've heard great things about the TC Flashback. I have the Line 6, the big green monster and it is wonderful but it does take up a lot of room on a pedal board. Try the Flashback.

I have to say for tones features and cost I am not dropping the Flashback off my board. It continues to sound great and have great versatility. Just has something few other delays have had for my tastes, it lays back in the mix just right and morphs with what you throw at it in a very musical way, downside of course is no presets, but you do have the toneprint option for some new mode and perhaps a release of the editor software to customize your own delay.

The Flashback has 2290, Analog, Tape, Lofi, Reverse, Ping-Pong, modulated delay, Slapback, Dynamic 2290 ducking delay, something like 10 or more modes plus the toneprint. 6 secs of delay, 40 secs of loop on mono, 20 secs on stereo. Stereo in/out, tap temp which works by simply struming your tempo instead of switch clicks to time. Plus is just has an amazing musical tone and every sort of delay mode you can imagine. If you just want a high quality DDL the 2290 is peerless. I do not like a lot of modulation on my delays just a nice laid back in the mix trail repeat so I tend to like the LoFi mode myself. But it is all there and for just $160 there truly is nothing that gets close to it. Pretty silly cheap for what it can do.

I like the preset idea but all things considered if I went back to anything it would be the Boss DD-20 but the Flashback is better tonally and price wise much less has longer DDL and loop. A 40 sec high quality loop is just ridiculous fun.

[taperocket]

+1 Nova Delay, good interface and great sound, plus you can enter a numerical bpm which was a feature I needed for live use.

[darkhorse]

Originally Posted by taperocket

+1 Nova Delay, good interface and great sound, plus you can enter a numerical bpm which was a feature I needed for live use.

TC rules in my book for #1 delay tech. I also like the Nova has a readout for ms time which is a down side for the Flashback but it is too small to handle such tech. I think they count more on you setting the delay by tap mode. Have you seen the new modified buffer input they are offering on the Nova units and others? I would probably go that route, forgot about that unit. Presets and all, much better tech than Boss or others.

[Arichlsss]

I've used them all and own most.... tc nova, old analog pedals, memory man aqua puss
And my advice is nothing sounds as good as the time factor (that has presets)

I use a voodolabs pedal comander for all my pedal board recalls. It works flawlessly

[darkhorse]

Originally Posted by Arichlsss

I've used them all and own most.... tc nova, old analog pedals, memory man aqua puss
And my advice is nothing sounds as good as the time factor (that has presets)

I use a voodolabs pedal comander for all my pedal board recalls. It works flawlessly

Is that the Eventide unit? I have always thought Eventide to be the best but really expensive. I lot of guys like Strymon as well.

[Arichlsss]

Originally Posted by darkhorse

Is that the Eventide unit? I have always thought Eventide to be the best but really expensive. I lot of guys like Strymon as well.

Yes eventide

[darkhorse]

Originally Posted by darkhorse

Is that the Eventide unit? I have always thought Eventide to be the best but really expensive. I lot of guys like Strymon as well.

As is that VL controller a midi unit? When I looked at the VL pedal systems there were two units you needed to integrate your loops and presets. Was a fair amount of bucks. Some really expensive new switchers out there these days. I think the Carl Martin Octaswitch is very nice for the money. Been thinking about one of those for some time but all my pedals are bypass w short cables and I run a high end buffer pedal front of chain. I do not have that much to gain from it.

[gollumsluvslave]

Managed to snag a Strymon Timeline, hopefully will arrive in a week or so (shipped from the states)



Will report back on how it fares, had to have it after hearing the samples!

[gollumsluvslave]

My Strymon Timleline is in the UK (going through Customs!)

Delivery could be by the end of the week!

With a bit of luck I'll be able to put it through some paces at the weekend, really interested to how it compares with the Nova (it's obviously got TONS more to it though!)

[darkhorse]

It's is high end gear. Strymon is considered pro status all the way. Hard to believe it will not sound great. I've hear good things about them. If I went higher dollar on delay I have to have a ms readout, I really miss that. The TC Flashback is too small to contain it like the Nova. Does the Strymon have one, not sure what models they have, been too expensive for me to ponder them.

Also a fan of the Eventide models, there is a lot of history with Eventide. I love my little Flashback but I miss the ms readout. Everyone seems to be on this compact pedal kick making everything small but that means no preset capability and readouts which to me are more important than tiny. I wonder if the Flashback is basically the same platform as the Nova delay w the addition of the toneprint download USB????? Great sounding little box, for $160 nothing beats it.

I would be tempted to get the Nova if it is the same circuit as the Flashback with presets and a readout. How much was the Strymon monster if you do not mind telling?

[gollumsluvslave]

Got it on ebay for £450 (after shipping and customs) - call it an expensive impulse purchase!

But considering the El Capistan is £250 on it's own I think it's a great price - the Diamond Memory Lane is just under £400, and the Timeline has a much better feature set.

I may sell my Nova if the Timeline covers all bases, which I expect it to, but you never know!

[darkhorse]

Some serious bucks there.
Way out of my budget.
I wish the two vendors I use quite a bit would get some more top shelf pedals as they allow payments. If I tried to save up for something like that I am sure my wife would see the balance and it would be shoe or handbag day.

For me if I replaced the little cool Flashback it might be the new IB buffer Nova or at best the Eventide which I think they offer. I also like the Wampler delay but everyone seems to be crazy on the modulation delays.

I actually prefer a truer warmer repeat like LoFi or analog mode. The TC 2290 mode is a great echo for super clean reproduction if you lay it back in the mix. The 2290 kills any sense of the Boss DDL pedals for my tastes.

I get the tape echo thing, but looking back having an old echoplex sometimes I do not get all the magic. If anything the Xiotic Ep Booster coped the best thing that unit had. I do not remember tape being all that great, run that head like Pagey used to do and get a stretched out tape that would just crinkle and jam. I think the circuit delays that mimic the tape units are far better and a much less pain in the ass, they were rather poor quality repeats with the warble and flutter, hard to believe that is what is sought after these days. Everyone goes right to the tape mode mimics.

I do really miss having presets and the ms readout. I suppose tap gets around not having a readout but since I have not been playing in the band in a while I use a tap tempo much less. Most of the time I forget I have it. I've been messing more with the loop mode on the flashback and having 40sec to loop is pretty interesting you can lay down quite a few rhythms to play over.

[gollumsluvslave]

Timeline arrived yesterday after a lengthy wait in customs!

So far it's every bit as good as the demo's, only got an hour or so to play with it direct though my Vox AC30, but my initial impressions are great.

+ Build quality appears great, solid
+ Interface is superb
+ Easy to real-time tweak
+Tons of presets
+ So MANY sound possibilities, and the quality is amazing. Better than my TC Nova, and that's high praise!
+ Amazing modulation box as well

Really happy, think it will be worth every penny!

[Draytone]

I've been using the TC Electronic Nova Delay which is a great pedal. 9 presets, so what is cool is you can setup your delay and dial in the BPM prior, save that, which means no tapping during songs.

If I were to go and buy a delay pedal right now, I'd be going with the Strymon Timeline. I've used this as well and it is a fantastic unit!

[darkhorse]

$450+ bucks it better do something amazing.
I am wondering how Eventide compares to Strymon. I can possibly get Eventide at $400 through my Vendor's payment option but I am afraid Strymon is on my lottery list. I think I would probably just hold that puppy for 15 minutes and just relish I have "my precious". Somebody is having a great Christmas. Congratulations.

[darkhorse]

Say just wondering has anyone A/B'd the new IB buffer circuit version of the Nova to the standard? Does the Nova have a loop mode?

Wow, from the Strymon website of the Timeline:
-When we decided to create a studio-class stereo delay effects pedal, we knew we must go well beyond what has been done in the past—in sound quality, sonic flexibility, hardware design, and processing power. We spent months locked up in the Strymon sound design labs with an intense focus on dreaming up the most spacious, lush, creative, and tweakable delay effects ever heard. It was a monumental task—a relentless study of delays and their nuances, and a continuous pursuit of innovative and musically inspirational sounds. Utilizing a ridiculously powerful SHARC DSP, every drop of processing power is harnessed. Each algorithm is so detailed it requires the entire processor.

TimeLine provides you with twelve different delay machines, each with extensive control over sonic character and feel. Tweak to your hearts content and save up to 200 presets of your favorite sounds. Go from crisp and clear, studio-quality digital delays all the way to the saturated and fluctuating sounds of tape delay machines. Get warm and fuzzy analog style repeats all the way to shimmery, sparkling, and crystalline ice delays. Top it all off with full MIDI implementation and a routable, 30-second stereo looper and you’re on your way to delay bliss.

I am going to have to read up on the Strymon website just cool pedals. A bit like looking in the Jewelry store window. I wish I could save up a few months for them but my wife would declare national shopping day and that money would disappear.

I credit this website with the first time I heard of Strymon and this thread seeing some have them on their boards. Best I knew of to that point was always Eventide. Still like my little $160 buck Flashback, suffering without presets, but I have a 40sec looper in mono and 20sec in stereo, not bad for a little box. Puppy is a great sounding pedal for the amount of money. I am convinced Strymon Timeline is God.

[gollumsluvslave]

Originally Posted by darkhorse

Say just wondering has anyone A/B'd the new IB buffer circuit version of the Nova to the standard? Does the Nova have a loop mode?

Wow, from the Strymon website of the Timeline:
-When we decided to create a studio-class stereo delay effects pedal, we knew we must go well beyond what has been done in the past—in sound quality, sonic flexibility, hardware design, and processing power. We spent months locked up in the Strymon sound design labs with an intense focus on dreaming up the most spacious, lush, creative, and tweakable delay effects ever heard. It was a monumental task—a relentless study of delays and their nuances, and a continuous pursuit of innovative and musically inspirational sounds. Utilizing a ridiculously powerful SHARC DSP, every drop of processing power is harnessed. Each algorithm is so detailed it requires the entire processor.

TimeLine provides you with twelve different delay machines, each with extensive control over sonic character and feel. Tweak to your hearts content and save up to 200 presets of your favorite sounds. Go from crisp and clear, studio-quality digital delays all the way to the saturated and fluctuating sounds of tape delay machines. Get warm and fuzzy analog style repeats all the way to shimmery, sparkling, and crystalline ice delays. Top it all off with full MIDI implementation and a routable, 30-second stereo looper and you’re on your way to delay bliss.

I am going to have to read up on the Strymon website just cool pedals. A bit like looking in the Jewelry store window. I wish I could save up a few months for them but my wife would declare national shopping day and that money would disappear.

I credit this website with the first time I heard of Strymon and this thread seeing some have them on their boards. Best I knew of to that point was always Eventide. Still like my little $160 buck Flashback, suffering without presets, but I have a 40sec looper in mono and 20sec in stereo, not bad for a little box. Puppy is a great sounding pedal for the amount of money. I am convinced Strymon Timeline is God.

Really, have to say that it is every bit as good as the claims; every one of the 12 engines offers something different, and the smiles on the faces of the rest of my band last night simply from some of the presets was great.

I want to put it through a lot more paces - not even scraped the surface yet.

I also can see some amazing uses as an external plugin when it comes to mixing, some really lush chorus sounds, the Ice engine especially is great for ethereal sounds (a bit like Valhalla Shimmer for anyone that has that plugin - in fact I'd love to see what Sean Costello thinks of the Timeline).

I think I would probably just hold that puppy for 15 minutes and just relish I have "my precious".

Easily surpassed by the first 15 minutes of playing with it - like a kid in a sweetie shop!

I don't usually sell pedals, but I may have to seriously consider selling the Nova, though I may keep it as a backup just in case.

[Ving]

I had a TC Nova Delay and it is a nice sounding unit but I found the preset switching to be too cumbersome to use in a live situation.

I have the Eventide TimeFactor now and I am very happy with it. It's easier to navigate the presets, and has some other great features too:
- midi switchable
- aux switch input for additional switching / tap tempo with something like a Boss FS-6
- expression pedal input! (can control multiple delay parameters at once)

I use all of these features which makes it a clear winner for me.

I don't know about the Strymon Timeline as it wasn't around when I purchased my Timefactor. Features look good though.