Delay-true bypass pedal suggestions

[fmsoloist]

I just need a simple delay pedal that will offer me 1, maybe 2 modest sounds in a footswitch. The stereo model of the Boss dd-20 and Eventide Timefactory are nice, but maybe a little elaborate. The Boss isnt true bypass and sucks your tone, which is probobly why its 175 bucks and the Eventide seems way to over-the-top for my needs. I already have a nice TC SCF that sounds great with my Roadking. I dont think I should have to pay $399.99 for a decent delay with true bypass. I know the keeley stuff is great. He mods the dd-3 and Ibanez AD7 delays. I play a fairly modern genre and am not looking for tape echo sounds or slapbacks. Does the 300ms limit on the AD9 take it out of the running? The reveiws on the keeley DD-3 are slightly less convincing. Does anyone have experience with that pedal/know of one for sale? Can anyone recommend a reasonable delay that won't thin the sound out of my guitar and amp? I like it to be as simple as possible.
Thanks!!

 

[ketiov]

I heard the MXR Carbon Copy get good reviews in a lot of places. It's true bypass from what I read on Dunlops website.

 

[DeFrag]

+1 on the MXR

 

[lyman]

Re: the boss dd-20 sucking tone....I'm not saying it does or doesn't, but if you're concerned about stuff like that there IS a workaround: if you have an amp with a parallel effects loop you can put the delay in the loop, set output B of the pedal to "wet only" and blend in only the echoes. That way your dry sound isn't going through the pedal at all. And when the pedal is off, no sound is coming out of output B.

 

[fmsoloist]

thats a great suggestion. I really utilized the various effect loop options when I had the G major, but in the interest of simplicity I'd like too keep just one chord running from my pedal board to my amp, otherwise I'll have to run a snake to my amp and hook up each input everytime I play. If I was in a bigger band and I could hire a tech I could handle a more elaborate setup. I did actually just come across the mxr carbon copy that was suggested and I picked up a MCATMODS Deeelay true Bypass pedal. Seemed to get great reviews and the builder was great in answering my questions. I'll experiment with the delay in the loop anyway espectially recording as that is the ideal location, but for gigging Ill just take advantage of the true bypass and keep it simple
Thanks!

 

[guitarmaster]

:!:

 

[prspastor]

+1 on the MXR Carbon Copy

 

[bimbosbones]

I use a custom delay pedal built by CMATMODS, this is the best delay pedal I have ever heard. I tried the Carbon Copy and this pedal beats it hands down. I ordered it from his ebay store.
Here is the info from ebay.
This is a new Delay pedal that I hand build. I use only the best parts for great tone and reliability. I use lots of care when building a pedal we are a small company that strive for a great product for the working musician. This delay pedal sounds like the great analog pedals that we all love but it is digital with the same high end roll off that an analog pedal has. This lets your natural tone come through it is really warm and musical. This is version 2 this is a new model with over 600ms of delay time and the case is powdercoated and screen printed for great looks that last a life time.

I use parts like double sided circuit boards with plated through holes like the military uses, military grade wiring, EH 3pdt true bypass switch, 1% metal film resistors for tighter tolerances and lower noise, panasonic poly film caps, Xicon electrolitic caps, Neutrik jacks, Alpha pots, Davies knobs and powder coated enclosures. This all adds up to a great pedal with great tone and reliability. Goto my site www.cmatmods.com for mp3s and more information. This is brand new in the box. Thanks and happy bidding!

 

[fmsoloist]

Yes I love my CMAT MODS Deeelay pedal. Its extremely well built and the sound quality is really amazing. It allows me to get just the sound Im looking for from a basic delay pedal without sucking my tone. The only shorcmings are it is noticably noisy (adds some noise while on) as well as it contributes to the overall noise of the signal chain of (5 now) pedals in front of my amp. So I might be in the market for a noise reduction pedal now. The hiss when I open up my amp is not tolerable. Im quite sur its the sum of my pedals being amplified by the front of my amp, so not to start a new topic, bu tthe noise red/sup should go at the endo of my chain right. my guitar is noisless and I think if I put a noise pedal in the front the pedals would just make nise after it.

Suggestions?

Decimator
NS-2
Hush (one knob/2?)

Thanks

 

[bimbosbones]

I don't get much noise from pedals, but I do run a MXR Smart Gate at the end of my chain. I also run my Chorus, Delay and Smart Gate through the Effects Loop. Volume, Cry Baby and Boss Tuner through the front.

 

[fleeced]

Just ordered the MXR Carbon copy (before reading this post!) ... as I was after a true bypass delay - and wanted analogue.

Glad to see the thumbs up from people.

Have a Dual rec - on which the tone definitely changes with effects loop on ... no matter what the blend of send / receive is. Had a DD6 before, a digital reverb and CH1 chorus in the loop. The CH1 is also going in favour of an analogue man mini-chorus pedal with a wet/dry mix control and true bypass. The CH1 definitely sucks tone when not being used.

As the chorus pedal has wet/dry blend i'm thinking of putting it straight in instead of in the loop. Has anyone got any views on whether it's best in the effetcs loop ?

 

[MF]

+1 on the MXR

+2

it's on my wishlist.

 

[MrMason]

I'll add another +1 to the MXR Carbon copy. I'll also add, though, that I don't think that it's true bypass. What makes me think that it isn't is that I accidentally forgot to plug the power up to it, while it was in bypass mode, and my amp had no sound. I'm pretty sure that a true bypass pedal would still pass your signal in bypass mode with no power to the pedal. It doesn't seem to suck tone, but I don't think it's true bypass. I had a Marshall Echohead that sounded great with my Carvin amps, but it seemed unnatural sounding with my Express 5:50; now I use the Carbon Copy, VERY nice pedal for the price.

 

[fmsoloist]

yes I think that is the case. Im also noticing, along with some new noise I didn't notice/wasn't there before, that my TC SCF pedal doesn't allow the signal to pass when the plug is out/power is off, so it may not be true bypass after all either

 

[lyman]

yeah, the Carbon Copy has been getting plenty of +1's in the various online guitar forums i've checked out. not a bad price either. i used an old mxr delay pedal, the big green one that is the same size as the mxr flanger, in a studio session not too long ago. it sounded awesome, especially for self-oscillation feedback effects. twas a bit noisy. spacey!

 

[MrMason]

After doing research, everyone claims the Carbon Copy IS true bypass; my guess is they use a relay? Regardless, it's a great pedal!

 

[fleeced]

I've now got the carbon copy ... it's definitely +2 from me...

"beautiful" sums it up

 

[-BOOGIE_MAN-]

I havent tried MXR carbon copy but ive got a maxon ad-999 delay. its AWESOME!!!

 

[lerxst88]

for the record a boss delay (or any boss pedal) is NOT true bypass however it uses FET switching and utilizes a buffer so no too extremely little tone sucking occurs.

true bypass is not the end all to tone sucking problems. if you have a bunch of pedals and theyre all true bypass and then turned off the cable is essentially one long cable from the guitar to the amp and can introduce capacitance into the mix which will roll off your highs anyway. best idea if you intend to true bypass your pedals is to have one good buffer and a good quality cable with very low capacitance. some pedals come with a buffer in them already like....boss

 

[fleeced]

This guy really knows his stuff...

http://www.muzique.com/lab/truebypass.htm

A buffer in front of a chain of true bypass pedals would seem to be the way to go ...

But as they say... tone is in the ear of the listener - there is no right and wrong way.