The Current State Of Multi Effects

I've written about multi-effects on here before, But there has been a lot of time in between now and then so here we are. What do I think about multi-effects? Well, I use to hate them. I had a pretty bad experience with them. I owned a few Digitech units. These were early 2000's and early on in my guitar playing. So I thought they would a good way to have lots of effects without going broke. And it was, what it wasn't was passable for live performance which is what I would later try to make it do. I would later attempt to use multi-effects with Marshall's line of amps before their current CODE line. Again, these left a lot to be desired. I blame these two experiences with the poor impression of multi-effects. It has been a long time since I have tried seriously use multi-effects. So let's take a look.

Line6 did a lot to turn the tide of multi-effects. The POD had a lot of serious users, but I never bought into it. It was too soon for me. I just had a bad taste in my mouth from Digitech. Also, it wasn't a pedal, so it wasn't cool enough. Then came the M series. The M series probably turned the tide on multi-effects. The large unit, M-13, could be your entire pedal board. It could also be a part of our pedal board. The M-13 probably pushed the limit in many respects. It was really expensive compared to other units. Despite that fact, the M-13 was extremely popular. There had been other "high-end" multi-effects" but the M-13 did so well that it renewed interest in premium multi-effects. Yes, Line6 ushered in the new era of multi-effect. Eventide and Strymon probably would be as successful if Line6 didn't help so many of us find faith in their ability again.

Today, multi-effects are again surging in popularity. Line6 have again pushed the boundaries. The Helix series has filled in a gap in the market. With the rise in popularity of high-end,multi-effects, all-in-one boxes, Line6 took what they do well and married it to super-detailed, high-fidelity effects processing. Headrush and Positive Grid both have products that compete with the Helix. Both of these companies have great products that basically changed the multi-effect game practically overnight. But what Line6 has done is married their experience with pedal making (love it or hate it) and the full weight of their multi-effect engineering. The product of all this was Helix.

Is the Line6 Helix the end-all-be-all of guitar effects? I don't know. I not trying to tell you that you need to buy a Helix. In fact, I not trying to say that the Helix is better than making a pedal board of all sorts of different pedals. But, these effects are doing so much more than they used to. Entire digital rigs that act more like their physical analogs than ever before. It all depends on what you want from your rig and how you use it. A guitarist that use a DAW could possibly replace their entire rig and silently record and still have a great product. Some will always love running through an amp and analog effects. There are less and less differences between the actual product, so what you use will depend on what you want from your effects. At the end of the day, Digital improving so much and so fast that soon it will be hard not include these effects.

Why I Still Use A BOSS DD-20 Delay

For nearly ten years, I've used the BOSS DD-20 as my main delay. I've had several others come and go, but I've always stuck by the BOSS Twin Pedal. When I bought it, it was one of the best delays you could buy. As the years have gone by, I've seen many impressive delays come to market. There are a few reasons why I haven't upgraded.

It's Simple

If you can use a any of the BOSS digital delays, then you can use the DD-20. With just a few turns of a knob, you can dial in just about any delay sound you want. That's not to say that it's lacking features, but the interface is very easy to understand and use. There are no menus. There is a screen to give you all the information you need. It's all right there in front of your face. So simple, it's almost dumb. Just the way I like it.

It's Deep

This pedal does a little bit of everything. It's not perfect by any means. However, there are plenty of options to choose from. Not only that, but there is feature that you don't see often on a delay. Not only do you get Tape, Analog, Ping Pong, Looping and other modes, but you get a Tone knob. I know that's not super exciting, but it let's you dial in how dark or bright you want your repeats. I'm sure that some of these uber delays can do the same thing or similar, but when this was new on the market, it was very unique.





It's A Value





I paid top dollar back when I bought mine, but now you can regularly find this pedal for under $100. I've done a lot of looking recently, and $100 doesn't buy you a lot in regards to delay. In this case, You can get tons of delay for your money.




Conclusion




If I had the 200-250 dollars it would take to buy a DD-20 at its original price, I'd do one of two things. I'd save up for the DD-500 or I'd get the Carbon Copy Deluxe. The DD-500 might be a little overkill, but it won't leave you wanting. The Carbon Copy Deluxe is a great delay made even better. I'm running analog type delay sounds most the time anyways, and the Carbon Copy is just about the best deal going for one of those. If I had to put together a full feature pedal board for the least amount of money, then the DD-20 is my pick. For about a hundred dollars, the DD-20 is very hard to beat.

Best Delay Under $50

A delay pedal is one of the most intimidating pedal-decision that a guitarist can make. There are endless features, staggering costs and tons of options. Despite this, a delay is a core effect on the pedalboard of most guitarist. The first time I bought a delay, I just asked the guy working at the guitar shop what the best one was. I bought it. And that was it. I spent over 200 dollars and luckily ended up with a great pedal that I enjoy, but I easily could have ended up with a turd. So here is a list of pedals that are cost-effective and useful.  If you are in the market for a "cheap" delay, then here is my list of the top eight pedals to take a careful look at.


Behringer DD600

This pedal is inspired by the BOSS DD6. Behringer has done a decent job of copying BOSS pedals. The feature list is nearly unheard of on a pedal in this price bracket. The availability of tap tempo and tons of different delay modes make this pedal a tempting pick. I'd encourage you to test one out. There are reports of noise with this pedal, so be sure to test drive before you buy.


Behringer EM600

This pedal is a long time favorite. This is based off the Line6 Echo Park. The Echo Park is still loved by a loyal set of fans. The Swell effect only made this pedal very desirable. Besides that, you have analog and tape filters included in this digital delay. Tap tempo and available Mod filters on your delay tails add a cherry on top. As of a few weeks ago, this pedal was difficult to get a hold of, so prices might top $50 on the used market, but keep an eye out for one of these.


Ibanez DE7

The Tonelok series from Ibanez was unfairly overlooked. Fortunately, you can still find these pedals relatively easy and for $50 or less. 2600ms with an available 'echo filter' give you plenty to play with. Solid metal enclosures are a plus over the plastic Behringer boxes, but the feature list takes a bit of a hit. Overall this pedal is a solid choice with few drawbacks. Not to mention the key feature of these pedals: the set-it and forget-it knobs. If you have a core sound you can lock it in and not worry about it getting knocked around.


Danelectric D-8 FAB Delay

This is one of the cheapest options for a standard type delay. At $25 this pedal is tempting to pick up just because. Obviously, there are limited features on this pedal, but it's a solid choice for bargain-ben prices. It has about 600ms of delay which is decent for half of some of the other pedals on this list. It's another plastic pedal, so it's not one to beat around. If you don't ask much from your delay and want to save some money this one might be one to consider.


DigiTech Digidelay

This is another full-featured delay that has come and gone. Although you can't pick one up new from the store, there are plenty out there to be had. Up to 4 seconds of delay and handful of useful modes, including looping, make this a top contender for best delay under $50. The used market goes up and down, but you can find these hanging around $50 fairly common. All this and tap tempo make this a must watch.


TC Electronic Prophet

Fair new to the market is the TC Prophet. This is a simple digital delay. The most impressive features of this pedal are structural. Top jacks and super-solid construction make this pedal impressive just to hold. Features wise, this pedal doesn't really impress. There are three modes, but they aren't extremely useful. For being one of the most impressive on this list, the features of the actual delay doesn't seem impressive, but this pedal probably has the best "feel" on the list. Street price on these pedals is $60, but I've caught them on sale for well under $50.


Behringer VD400

Another bargain is the Vintage delay from Behringer. Plastic? Check. But you get the feel of an analog delay for under $30. Your delay time is limited, but if you don't like the D-8 but want to find a bottom dollar delay, then give this pedal a try. This is another one you want to test drive. Find a local dealer is see if it's right for you.


TC Electronic Echobrain

Everything that you can say for the Prophet you can say for the Echobrain. The delay time is limited, but it's built like a tank and the delay sounds great. This is probably the best/interesting sounding delay on the list. While the digital delays do their best to sound like analog, this pedal delivers on the authentic analog sound. It's a little on the dark side, but that's what the appeal of these pedals is. Dark, dirty delays are what this pedal does. Again, the list price is over the limit, but if you want to check one out, then wait until they go on sale and snap one up.

WHAT NOT TO BUY:

JOYO Digital Delay

This pedal did not make the list, but I thought that I'd put it on this post in case you were looking at inexpensive delays. This pedal has an issue with passing signal while in bypass. Don't buy this pedal. There are better options. In my opinion, every pedal is a better choice than this one. This pedal also goes by the name "Time Space" but I'm pretty sure it is the same pedal. Check out the full review of this pedal here.



Conclusion

These pedals aren't in any kind of order. All of these pedals are worth a look if you want to spend minimal dough. I've played all these pedal personally and tried to share some useful information to help you make your delay decision. There are several from Behringer. I don't particularly like their pedals, but they have a large list of inexpensive pedals. So, what do think? Did I miss any pedal that should have been on the list? Leave it in the comments below!

Hands On Review Of Behringer EM-600 Echo Machine

If you are familiar with the Behringer line of guitar effect pedals, then you know that they are mostly BOSS clones. They are basically plastic versions of our favorite BOSS pedals. So what BOSS pedal is the EM-600 Echo Machine? It's actually a facsimile of a Line6 Echo Park. You may have know that. Actually, If you are reading a review for the EM-600 then you probably already knew that.  So, is the EM-600 a decent replica of a Echo Park? Let's see...


Old School

So, just like all the other pedals in this line. It is very similar to the size and shape and function of the BOSS format. However, that format is old. If you look at the pedals of twenty years ago, you'll see that a lot of companies made pedals just like that. DOD, Digitech, Ibanez, and others made pedals just like that. However, form and formats have changed over time. BOSS is huge and doesn't have to change, but inexpensive pedals attracts younger players and younger players follow trends. Those that want trendy pedalboards will have to weigh economy against style.

Where's It At?

Just in the past few weeks, this pedal has become hard to find. Most of the main online retailers have gone from 'item backordered' to 'no longer available'. You can still find this pedal on the used market, but there are few to be had and people are already asking more than street price. It may be easier to get a hold of an actual Echo Park.

The Sounds

So, this has been a pretty solid Ugly Truth post, but we have to talk about how the pedal actually sounds. This pedal have a ton of modes, but the ones that matter to me are the Taps, (quarters, eighths, and dotted eighths) Swell, Multi 1, Multi 2, and Reverse. The taps are super basic. I'm just stoked to have a tap tempo on a $50 delay pedal. Swell is a key feature of the Echo Park. It was a big deal when the pedal came out and its still cool to play with. The Multi (pattern delay) setting are really cool. I wish they were a little more flexible. Reverse is a pretty standard feature, but when you add all the feature together, then you have a deep mode selection for minimum cash. If that wasn't enough, you have a Analog and Tape filter. And you have Mod control. There is just a stupid amount of feature packed into this pedal. I wouldn't say that all the sounds are 100% convincing, but just the fact that they are there is impressive. It's close enough to fake it in a pinch.

There Is A Problem

There is always a problem. There problem with this pedal (other than the plastic construction, old format, an unoriginal design) is that with the mix knob is at 100% the bypass signal can completely drop out. I noticed this on the Swell setting. On the swell setting the mix knob works like a mix know rather than a effects level, so when it is at 100% then you have 0% dry signal. However, even when the pedal is in bypass mode the signal is lost.  So, if you are using the Swell feature, then you can kill your entire guitar signal. Unless... you turn the tails to off. So, there is a work around. But in that particular circumstance, it is a little annoying.

Conclusion

I've tried out a few delays lately. This is the only one that I've thought about adding to my board. It does some things that I can't do with my current delay (swell) and I'd like to have a number 2. If I did add it to my board it will probably be a place holder until I get one of those uber delays, then move my number 1 into my number 2 slot. That all said, this is a solid delay. I might even recommend it higher than a DD-6. When its half the price of any pedal that objectively beats it, and it can compete with any delay under a hundred dollars its hard to put it down. Check one out, if you can.

Ugly Guitar Truth: Chasebliss Tonal Recall Red Knob Mod Delay

Those familiar with Chasebliss know the amount of engineering that they put into each one of their products. No product more recognizable of their than the Tonal Recall. An absolutely stunning display of quality, features, and control, the Tonal Recall has made a name for its self on its hard-earned merit. Just before Summer NAMM Chasebliss announces that they've produced a second version of this pedal with some very special features. Let's check it out...

The Tonal Package

It's hard to improve on such a beloved pedal, but Chasebliss have done just that. They've increased the delay time to 1100ms while still using the MN3005 that gave the first version its character. It now carries more repeats before its signature breakup. Its runaway hold control has been improved to sound more natural. The overall tonal range has been expanded to be able to sound a bit brighter. Quite simply, the people over at Chasebliss have made their amazing delay even better.

Still The One

Although they have made many changes, the Tonal Recall is very much the same pedal. There are a dizzying array of options available in this pedal. Deceptively simple look at a glance, the Tonal Recall lets you control nearly every aspect of your delay sound. These controls are also controllable via expression pedal as well. Rest assured that this is still the pedal that everyone knows and loves.

Conclusion

No doubt that the fans of the original will love the Red Knob Mod just as well. It is hard to believe that they've created a way to make this absurdly great delay even better. The only thing that you could criticize is the price tag. Not to say that the price isn't worth it, (I'm pretty sure that had to put actual magic in there) but when you start looking at $500 delays you find a lot of great options. Chasebliss has declared war of the big box delays with this one.

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Ugly Guitar Truth: DOD Rubberneck Analog Delay

DOD just released the information on their newest analog delay. there is a lot more than meets the eye with pedal. It has 1.5 seconds of delay time, adjustable rate and depth of modulation, bypassable buffer (tails/no tail), quarter/eighth/dotted eighth note subdivides. There is a rubbernecking feature that allows "rubber band" stretched sound, whatever that really means. You can hold the tempo footswitch and engage a regen effect with an adjustable parameter. An actual effects loop will let you insert effects that only affect your trails. Lastly, there is a remote input, so there you go. That all seems fine. Is there any ugly truth. Well...


It's Actually A Strong Offering


So, you look at the features and you can get a little overwhelmed. It seems like you have way more than you could make use of. The features are really all related. For delay users that really capitalize on the analog part of this pedal, the feature list make a lot of sense. You might be tempted to call this a 'shoegazer' pedal. But really, the interface is simple enough to quickly set or tweak. But it is $250. Is that good or bad? Well, take a look at similar pedals: EHX Deluxe Memory Man, Empress Tape Delay.. It's spot on really. It actually packs a lot of features in a pretty package for a reasonable amount of money. Not to mention that it sorta has a feature that is somewhat unique.


Conclusion


I like it. I want to use it and experience the rubbernecking feature for myself. I don't think it would get a spot on my pedalboard though. I really dig these analog delays. They make really cool noises. But digital delay do it well enough. And that might be the ugliest truth. I would put a Boss DD-500 on my board because it could probably do 95% of what this pedal does and then a lot more. Not to mention it is in the small ball park cost wise. I can't tell you that  you should pay 250 dollar for a pedal that does so much less, but if you are in the market for an analog delay that does neat things, this one is a great option.

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