Best analog emulation on a digital delay pedal?

[rsmith601]

Source Audio Collider / Nemesis

Joe Gore lent us his collection of vintage analog delay boxes for the development of the Analog delay engine on Nemesis and Collider (they are identical). It was a big project.

 

[rashrader]

I’m always happy with my Eventide TimeFactor.

 

[40Hz]

I found Strymon pedals to be the current best at capturing that elusive analog quality. At least to my ears. They seem to be more highly focused on timbre, and more willing to sacrifice some versatility along with the bells and whistles to achieve it.

But if you want the analog quality why not just get a BDD-based delay pedal and not bother with emulations? Here’s a list of 36 analog delay pedals to consider.

If you’re on a super tight budget, TCE’s Echobrain sounds really good. And it’ll set you back less than $60 new. I’ve got an effects-wonk musician pal who built a pedalboard over the years which represents an investment equal to a down payment on a Mercedes. He’s got all the high end and boutique builder toys on it. But his favorite delay for that analog/tape sound is the TCE Echobrain.

 

[Cardiorrhexis]

I really like the Walrus ARP-87. Take a look at the comparison videos on YouTube. It can sound like an MXR carbon copy as well as sounding like the Strymon Dig.

 

[DogsNbeer]

Ibanez DE-7

They’ve gone up in price as their reputation has grown

 

[GMC]

Strymon El Capistan
View attachment 4191056

It's a nice pedal for sure, however...it's not an analogue delay emulator, but a tape delay emulator. It's slightly different. An analogue delay is built from bucket brigade delay chips that cascade and have a certain sound. A tape delay sound is created using a piece of audio tape and they sound different to an analogue delay.
It's the same with the Strymon Volante, it's more of a tape delay emulator than an analogue delay emulator.

 

[Tom Bomb]

Maxon's AD-999's a contender.​

 

[SidNitzerglobin]

I really like the Walrus ARP-87. Take a look at the comparison videos on YouTube. It can sound like an MXR carbon copy as well as sounding like the Strymon Dig.

I was going to mention ARP-87 myself as it's sounded good on the BBD patch (& indeed any of the others) when I'm not fighting the low input headroom. Might not be a problem if you can manage the level going into it, but anything over unity seems to make either of my ARP-87s go pretty crispy sounding in a bad way. YMMV of course

Maxon's AD-999's a contender.​

I've really liked the AD-80 reissue as well (think I grabbed mine for right around $100 used). MXR Carbon Copy or Malekko 616 MkII are great somewhat moderately priced analog options too IMO.

 

[Alien8]

Actually one pedal that was overlooked and sent me on a delay rabbit gole was the Line6 Echo Park. Fun pedal!

 

[Tom Bomb]

I may've missed the mark with the bucket brigade bonanza that is the AD999. Doesn't do digits So, I'll fall back on the dublicious DE-7 — just so you know, I'm paying attention. That's a very accommodating and entertaining take on delay echo, and versitile ​

 

[NoiseNinja]

The delay pedal I currently use in my setup is a NUX Tape Core Deluxe, which is a digital emulation of the legendary Roland RE-201 Space Echo tape delay, and it does an amazing job at recreating just that, with access to all the parameters of the original unit, plus more (like control of the tape wow, flutter and saturation, as well as the option of synching the build in tap tempo to specific note values for each of the 3 emulated tape heads), via the software editor that makes it possible to customize each of it's 7 modes (plus an 8th "Sound On Sound", looper mode), which reflects all possible combinations of the 3 emulated tape heads of the original Space Echo unit.

And with the delay time all the way down and the build in reverb effect turned up (as it, just like the build in spring reverb of the original unit, got a build in reverb effect too, which can be controlled, from completely off to a thick lush reverb, via the software editor) it even makes for a great dedicated reverb pedal as well.

In my opinion a better Roland Space Echo emulation than the Boss RE-20, but even disregarding that the NUX gives you access to more adjustable parameters as well.


The pedal (the tap tempo function by default is activated by holding down the foot switch for 2 seconds, but via the software editor it can be set to activate automatically whenever it detects the foot switch being tapped more than once (twice (or more times) after each other). The "T.Lock" effectively being a preset save and recall/activate setting, meaning you can store 1 preset of how the physical control knobs are set, beside the overall/general settings of the "hidden" parameters that, as said, can be adjusted and saved to each mode via the software editor):

And here's how the software editor looks (the tap tempo can be set either to sync to whatever note values you chose for each head, or to "free form" react according to the time between your taps of the foot switch):

 

[Tom Bomb]

Gotta say, on the strength of this ^ post, I now have, hopefully, a fully fledged (time will tell)) space echo (echo). I've often marveled at these things, without being able to justify the expenditure.

This clip pushed me over the edge,

​

Didn't take much pushing

Now, imminently, Lost in Space (Echo), with any luck …

"DANGER WILL ROBINSON (Crusoe)! … Set the controls for the heart of the something different."
​

Thank you, NoiseNinja ​

 

[SidNitzerglobin]

Space Echos are fun. Mine's been a pain in the butt to keep running well & hasn't been out of the house for many many moons, but I just can't quit you RE-RE 201....

Another very cool digi Space Echo is the Nocturne Mystery Brain, for guitar the preamp alone is just about worth the price of admission IMO & it does a very nice job w/ the delay as well:
Mystery BRAIN ECHO 301™,a vintage japanese preamp & digi tape echo.

 

[Tom Bomb]

This Tape Core is really very nice. Only just got 'round to plugging it in. Got the whole ball of wax happening, with a smattering of reverb, oodles of wow, flutter, bass … I just twiddled a little and saved the settings, good for #3 with time dialed, mix backed off and repeat bordering on eleven o'clock, clean or dirty. Tasty, on the tele (the tardy type ).

More fiddly bits than I'm used too, this is a first for me, but I could get used to this. They turn over their returned pedals which you can take a relatively painless punt on. Makes them very cheap Glad I took the plunge. Had a ball last night. Let off some steam

I'll give a bass or two a run soon. See how it goes. I'm expecting good results, on the strength of my maiden flight, but wishing I had better mastery of the tape core's goodies so I could keep things cultivated. Not likely today. More hours needed on the job, I s'pose
​

 

[NoiseNinja]

This Tape Core is really very nice. Only just got 'round to plugging it in. Got the whole ball of wax happening, with a smattering of reverb, oodles of wow, flutter, bass … I just twiddled a little and saved the settings, good for #3 with time dialed, mix backed off and repeat bordering on eleven o'clock, clean or dirty. Tasty, on the tele (the tardy type ).

More fiddly bits than I'm used too, this is a first for me, but I could get used to this. They turn over their returned pedals which you can take a relatively painless punt on. Makes them very cheap Glad I took the plunge. Had a ball last night. Let off some steam

I'll give a bass or two a run soon. See how it goes. I'm expecting good results, on the strength of my maiden flight, but wishing I had better mastery of the tape core's goodies so I could keep things cultivated. Not likely today. More hours needed on the job, I s'pose
​

It really is a great pedal, even mindblowingly amazing for that kind of price.

I forgot to mention, even adjusting the time while playing, eventual with the external expression pedal function, reacts like a real tape echo would, accordingly speeding up or down gradually as you would expect from the real thing.

 

[Geir Birkeland]

Joe Gore lent us his collection of vintage analog delay boxes for the development of the Analog delay engine on Nemesis and Collider (they are identical). It was a big project.

Hello folks,

Do you have a digital delay pedal with an analog setting that sounds warm and as close to authentic to a stand alone analog delay pedal?

Hunting further to make a choice...

I am also searching for a stand alone delay pedal (for guitar), first i was considering Strymon El Capistan (or Dig), than i heard a great demo of Source Audio Nemesis...and than came Universal Audio with the Starlight. Now i can`t decide. But i think it will be either the Nemesis or the Starlight.

 

[Geir Birkeland]

I’d say they *are* “slightly” affordable. $400, in comparison to the Boss DD-500 or Strymon Timeline is a reasonable price, given the quality.

I was just saying over at TGP that, in the grand scheme of things, $1200 for the trio of UAFX pedals isn’t that much more money, in the context of a $10K rig: $2K each for two guitars (or basses), two amps, and a pedalboard, plus cables and accessories. For bass, or if you played a mono guitar rig, you could get away with dropping one amp, so $8K.

For someone gigging regularly, spending $2K per instrument, $2K per amp, and $2K on a pedalboard is just the price of pro level gear in the 2020s.

But, the alternatives to the UAFX trio are what? $200 a piece? So, the difference in price is $7400 v. $8000? How much does that really matter, in the long run?

I totally agree. "I’d say they *are* “slightly” affordable. $400" The UAFX Starlight and Source Audio Nemesis are around 400$ each, and then you can stick with either of them, as long as they don`t break down.

 

[Geir Birkeland]

Joe Gore lent us his collection of vintage analog delay boxes for the development of the Analog delay engine on Nemesis and Collider (they are identical). It was a big project.

I am also searching for a stand alone delay pedal (for guitar), first i was considering Strymon El Capistan (or Dig), then i heard a great demo of Source Audio Nemesis...and then came Universal Audio with the Starlight. Now i can`t decide. But i think it will be either the Nemesis or the Starlight.

 

[Eddie LeBlanc]

I love my El Capistan with an expression pedal.

 

[GMC]

Just saying again that a tape delay isn't the same as an analogue delay. They operate and sound quite different. The Source Audio Nemesis and Collider is the only unit available that re-creates near perfect digital recreations of either or both. Seriously, it's that good.