A Smörgåsbord of A-n-n-n-n-a-l-o-g Delay

A true indulgence, it’s not often one gets to enjoy a delicious Smörgåsbord of delay pedals featuring a great selection of the analog variety or emulations thereof. As is the customary approach, the focus here is to compare and contrast, to listen and learn, to come away with a better understanding of what each pedal has to offer and as to how it might best serve one’s needs – all of these are truly tasty audible delights.

Acknowledgments: Before continuing any further, and very deservingly so, I want to express a big and sincere ‘THANKS’ to my friend at ZString Music (https://www.zstringmusic.com/) for providing access to this wonderful selection of delays; even extending the invitation to suggest a few pedals to add to their inventory for purposes of this exercise. A company founded by musicians and tailored for musicians, their guiding tenet is to only carry gear they would use themselves; “a curated” selection from the tried and true to the latest and greatest.

As to the specific Analog Delay pedals selected for this tasting, the Smörgåsbord includes:

• from EHX: the New Memory Man Nano, Memory Boy Deluxe, Memory Man Deluxe 550TT, and the Memory Man Deluxe 1100TT.
• from Dunlop: the MXR Carbon Copy Deluxe and the Way Huge Supa Puss.
• misc. options: the Strymon Brigadier (digital emulation) and, the Eventide Rose, (hybrid Analog/Digital)

[The Final Thoughts First]

Let’s just get this out of the way — these are all great pedals. Some share similar voices and ranges, others bring something a bit unique and, any one of these delays could find a comfortable home on one’s board. From the classic EHX and MXR models to that of the more modern takes, Brigadier or Rose, one will be treated to the well-loved and defining traits of analog delay in spades.

The personal choice of which pedal best fulfils one’s list of ‘needs & wants’ will certainly be based on some combination of the following factors: voice, control mechanics and range of settings, features, and physical format. To my own decision, specific to my current tastes and needs, I felt like the Supa Puss hit the spot, checking off the most boxes for my intended use of analog delay; this, inching ever so slightly ahead of the Brigadier and, each having their strengths with consideration to ‘use case’.  The MXR Deluxe Carbon Copy followed close behind with the Memory Man Deluxe (550TT or 1100TT) rounding out the top five. Important to reiterate, this list is NOT ordered best to worst BUT, as to which pedals best addresses my current needs and wants.

The Rose is so very unique and a solid delay in its own right, with depth of features and related controls. To the idea I was looking for a more traditional implementation of analog delay, it’s personality was a bit complex for my needs at this time. That said I can certainly imagine many different scenarios where it would be the pedal of choice for the application.

[Quick Notes and Observations] 

Memory Man Deluxe 550TT/1100TT:  It’s as simple as engaging the pedal and one is instantly gifted with ‘that’ delicious analog delay effect many have come to love. The cult-like fans of the original Memory Man might argue as to the differences of tone but even then, I believe most enthusiasts would quickly point out that many of the original units often have subtle differences between effect voices. These deluxe editions introduce some welcomed features to include: tap tempo w/ tap divisions, separate modulation controls for rate and depth, an effects loop (connections), expression pedal control, and 9v power requirements. The controls were easy enough to navigate and I found the repeats to have a nice crisp bite and initial attack before evenly fading from there.

The New Nano Memory Man Deluxe: Very similar if not the exact voice and vibe to the two pedals above, the Nano provides a space saving format while still providing the same control set as found on the normal sized Deluxe. Compared to the 550TT/1100TT versions, missing is the tap tempo, effects loop, and expression. The price of course reflects these differences and it is more budget friendly. As the connection jacks are located on the sides (like the normal deluxe), depending on patch cables used, space savings may be negligible.

Memory Boy Deluxe: Wow! this truly is the Goth/Alt step-child of the Memory Man family. The repeats remain crisp and punchy but oh so much darker and moodier. I really liked this pedal — sounded great. Something about the voicing made it so very usable. Somehow it felt like the Memory Boy could be both present and articulate while, at the very same time, sitting back behind the live notes.

So this raises an important thought of consideration before one chooses between these particular EHX pedals, that of the desired voice/brightness level of the repeats. As there is no onboard tone adjustment – it is what it is. That said, I did not explore the loop function on the TT series and, perhaps, the possibility exists that one could deploy an EQ pedal in the loop, this providing exceptional control over the end voice of the repeats among other fun tricks.

MXR Carbon Copy Deluxe: Based on another staple of analog delays, the Carbon Copy, this deluxe edition adds some very fun and meaningful features. The base voice of the effect has a nice rich character while the tonal options provide just enough of a meaningful difference between. Control enhancements include: on-face granular modulation controls (speed and depth), tone options (bright or normal), optional expression control/input, and tap tempo with division controls. To the expression jack, it can be used with either an expression or aux-switch pedal, assigned to the various onboard controls or, used to switch/morph between two different setting configurations. Fun fact: the traditional Carbon Copy does allow fine-tuning of the modulation but, the depth and speed adjustments are controlled by internal trimpots.

As to the mix settings, and duly discussed in other threads, the on-face control does NOT culminate with ‘Full Wet’ signal strength; rather, this option is provided by an internal dip switch. After some discernment, if heard correctly, I’d suggest the [Mix] control maxes out around a 60/40 split of wet to dry signal. For U2-esuqe dotted eighth delay lines, one will have the pedal set between 3 ~ 5pm on the dial. This implementation allows for a lot of fine-tuning capability for more moderate settings — think: sitting back in the mix. To be honest, this felt a bit awkward at first if only because it was different from the range and working of the mix knob on other delays — almost a forced limitation — BUT, with just a little bit of time and an open mind, this mechanic worked perfectly fine. Perhaps a debate for further discussion, it may actually make better sense for the mix range be skewed in this fashion because, after a certain point, 70/80% wet, one might suggest diminished value in the resulting effect (not referring to scenarios that require 100% wet).

Way Huge Supa Puss: If the Carbon Copy Deluxe is the corporate Cadillac of the Dunlop line, the Way Huge Supa Puss is it’s funky and rebellious alter ego. The flavorful analog voice is there with full richness and, I possibly sense subtle high-pass filter to the repeats that comes into play, creating a pleasant wash with higher feedback settings.

The available controls are very similar to the Carbon Copy with a few key differences. New; one is provided the [Gain] control to dial in some saturation to the delay lines and, the [Tone] control now provides a sweepable range from dark to bright. While the optional expressional pedal control is limited to adjusting the delay time, the Supa Puss introduces a Chase Mode that, per their manual, “automatically cycles through the rhythmic subdivision’s, creating a unique ‘Shifting Delay’ effect”.  Remember what I said about the [Mix] control on the Carbon Copy Deluxe? Throw that out the window as the Supa Puss ramps up to ’11’ before even making it halfway around the dial. Its so quick in fact that Dunlop and other builders offer a mod to provide some breathing room to work with in the more subtle range of settings.

When taking pause to digest and savor the pedal and resulting effect in its entirety, considering its control offerings and mechanics thereof, all built on a great sounding analogy delay voice, it was for these very reasons that the Supa Puss ended up as my preferred choice.

Strymon Brigadier: With the ability to successfully recreate and easily dial in the voices and nuanced characters of many of the analog pedals discussed above, the Strymon Brigadier does not disappoint. The control mechanics are properly tuned; it’s quite easy to dial in most any sort of analog delay one would want. Simplicity without sacrifice. The pedal provides a nice selection of features to include a filter control (read: tone) which affords a nice range of voice options for the repeats. To the primary settings of the [Bucket Loss] control, unlike traditional analog delays, one is provided the ability to explore the spectrum of BBD character not directly tied to the actual delay time; from pristine delays to some true grittiness. To the ease of use and control mechanics, the sleek design and connection options, all speak to the Strymon pedigree we come to expect.

Eventide Rose: Like the flower for which its named, this hybrid delay contains such beauty and complexity. The classic delay tones are faithfully emulated through the unique combination of both digital and analog design components. I actually spent several weeks having great fun exploring this pedal — very captivated with its reverse function, this pedal has what feels like limitless shoegazing potential. If there is a thorny part of the user experience, the immense depth and complexity of controls can be a lot to retain and successfully navigate. To this, they do have a very fun and handy user guide which I assure you, will need to be kept handy. The Rose is a great tool and, in the beauty and uniqueness of controls and features, would make a great addition for one’s library of effects.

Eventide Rose

[Concluding Thoughts] 

Just to touch back on my the ‘Final Thoughts First’ shared at the start — all of these are great pedals. Each has some strengths that may speak better to ones specific needs or wants. For me, the Supa Puss, which wasn’t even on my radar at first ended up having just the right blend of features and personality — to note: I will be getting a unit with the [Mix} control mod. Again, a big thanks to Z String Music for providing access to all of these great pedals.