# Best DELAY for none effect-Loop amps?...



## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

OK..as the title sais...what's the Best DELAY for none effect-Loop amps?......i've tried a few and most go crazy weird even at their lowest settings...i know Delays sounds 10 times better in a Effect loop..but surely some made a decent one that can go straight!!!...


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## zurn (Oct 21, 2009)

I run all my delay straight, if you get your distortion from pedals it shouldn't be a problem. If you get it from your amp then the delay might not sound good since your distorting a delayed signal instead of delaying a distorted signal, that make sence? Anyway, I've used a DMM, a Strymon El Cap and Timeline with no problems without an effects loop.


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

I use the amp's naturall OD and a Overdrive when i need more....Either in a Marshall or Orange...


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## Guest (Oct 21, 2011)

I haven't found delay -> amp to be all that odd now that I'm doing it with my 5e3. I'm using an empress effects superdelay FWIW.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I use a basic Boss DD6 and it sounds great with my rig. No loop. I use pedals for dirt.


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

iaresee said:


> I haven't found delay -> amp to be all that odd now that I'm doing it with my 5e3. I'm using an empress effects superdelay FWIW.


but you're running fairly clean i guess with a 5e3..i'm full tilt OD...


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...diamond memory lane jr?


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## Guest (Oct 21, 2011)

al3d said:


> but you're running fairly clean i guess with a 5e3..i'm full tilt OD...


Clean? Not at all. My 5e3 starts break up on 2 and it's overdriving at 4...beyond there it's Neil Young melt down.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

I run my JTM45 at almost full tilt, so it's very crunchy. I use either a EHX DMM or a MXR Carbon Copy for my delay needs. Both sound pretty good, but (and it's a BIG but) - I only use delay for slapback, not big u2-style multiple repeats.

I have occasionally tried longer and more repeats, and it sounds just fine, it's just not my style.

I've used lots of delays in the past and the EHX DMM and the Carbon Copy are just the best. Easy to use, great quality, great tone.


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## georgemg (Jul 17, 2011)

A Carbon Copy would definitely be a good choice if all you need is one delay sound at a time. I really like mine.

I haven't tried my Empress Superdelay in front of a distorted amp, so I can't really vouch for that one yet. It should work well though - it's very tweakable. Worth trying out.

On a side note, when I bought my Superdelay a few days ago the previous owner let me try it out using a Tele that had one of your (Rivard) necks on it, AL3D. Very nice work, sir!


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

REALLY?..who was it?..Wich tele?



georgemg said:


> A Carbon Copy would definitely be a good choice if all you need is one delay sound at a time. I really like mine.
> 
> I haven't tried my Empress Superdelay in front of a distorted amp, so I can't really vouch for that one yet. It should work well though - it's very tweakable. Worth trying out.
> 
> On a side note, when I bought my Superdelay a few days ago the previous owner let me try it out using a Tele that had one of your (Rivard) necks on it, AL3D. Very nice work, sir!


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## georgemg (Jul 17, 2011)

al3d said:


> REALLY?..who was it?..Wich tele?


His name is Jeff - from the Mississauga area. Pretty sure he said only the neck came from you, but it was nice to finally see some of your workmanship in person instead of just pictures on this forum!


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

georgemg said:


> His name is Jeff - from the Mississauga area. Pretty sure he said only the neck came from you, but it was nice to finally see some of your workmanship in person instead of just pictures on this forum!


OH..yeha yeah..Jeff, owner of Roadrage stuff. actually he waned to "assemble" it..but i did all the paint, relic on body and neck and stuff


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

I had a Carbon copy..did'nt work at all on a marshall...i have here a wampler Faux Tape Echo..insane pedal in a loop..but to much in your face when straight up front.


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## Cary (May 11, 2011)

I like the Line 6 Echo Park pedal into my super reverb clone. It's definitely a different sound than running in an fx loop, but I find it does the trick for some subtle delay on solos or a little psychedelia when the mood strikes.


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

My Goal actually might be less of a delay and more of a mix of a reverb and an echo....very subtle for the lead stuff...


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

The ghost echo didn't work properly for you?
Maybe the new Earthquaker devics - Dispatchmaster can be your thing!


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

Ti-Ron said:


> The ghost echo didn't work properly for you?
> Maybe the new Earthquaker devics - Dispatchmaster can be your thing!


it was not BAD....but it had to be set to a VERY bare minimum to work..so was'nt any manover to work with...


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## Guest (Nov 6, 2011)

Spent the afternoon playing my superdelay straight in to a Rockerverb 50 and Orange 4x12 combo. Worked awesome. Sounded glorious.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

al3d said:


> I had a Carbon copy..did'nt work at all on a marshall...i have here a wampler Faux Tape Echo..insane pedal in a loop..but to much in your face when straight up front.


Really? I just played a show with my Carbon Copy instead of my DMM and I was pretty happy with the results!


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## Guest (Nov 7, 2011)

I just got a Timeline. pretty nice. I also own a DL4, Echo Park, DD3, Zoom Choir, Boss DM3 and Boss Pitch Shifter Delay.

They all work great in front of my non loop amp. I have been using Ducking Delay as an always on delay setting.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Ducking delay is one of THE great innovations in delay.

For the unfamiliar, the principle is relatively simple: the delay signal is mixed way back...until you stop playing, at which point it is faded back in. The advantage of this is that adding repeats on top of fast picking can clutter up your sound too much. The ducking feature lets one deliberately put the repeats on the back burner until such time as they can contribute productively to your sound without cluttering. And the nice thing is that it does so automatically, without the player having to work a volume pedal for the delay signal or have a soundman standing by working the effect-return fader.

The ducking feature is going to have sensitivity and time-constant (attack/recovery) aspects to it that may differ from pedal to pedal, and I would imagine there may be players who find the implementation on pedal X to be more to their tastes than that on pedal Y. But all in all, it's a great addition to any digital delay.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

mhammer said:


> Ducking delay is one of THE great innovations in delay.
> 
> For the unfamiliar, the principle is relatively simple: the delay signal is mixed way back...until you stop playing, at which point it is faded back in. The advantage of this is that adding repeats on top of fast picking can clutter up your sound too much. The ducking feature lets one deliberately put the repeats on the back burner until such time as they can contribute productively to your sound without cluttering. And the nice thing is that it does so automatically, without the player having to work a volume pedal for the delay signal or have a soundman standing by working the effect-return fader.
> 
> The ducking feature is going to have sensitivity and time-constant (attack/recovery) aspects to it that may differ from pedal to pedal, and I would imagine there may be players who find the implementation on pedal X to be more to their tastes than that on pedal Y. But all in all, it's a great addition to any digital delay.


that sounds really cool! What delays do this? The Timeline I take it. Others?


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I've used "ducking" delays in the studio and they are very effective in reducing clutter when you don't want a strong effect.I didn't know pedals offered this feature but it would be very useful in a live performance.


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## Guest (Nov 7, 2011)

hollowbody said:


> that sounds really cool! What delays do this? The Timeline I take it. Others?


There's a ducking mode on the superdelay. I like to use it with an infinite feedback setting -- when you play the delay gets ducked to an very low level under your playing, and then when you stop it builds back up and there's this awesome infinite pad happening.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

iaresee said:


> There's a ducking mode on the superdelay. I like to use it with an infinite feedback setting -- when you play the delay gets ducked to an very low level under your playing, and then when you stop it builds back up and there's this awesome infinite pad happening.


Cool, yet another reason to lust after a superdelay! I've been thinking about pulling the trigger on one of those for a while, this might help. There's a few songs where I can think of that being super useful!


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## Guest (Nov 7, 2011)

hollowbody said:


> Cool, yet another reason to lust after a superdelay! I've been thinking about pulling the trigger on one of those for a while, this might help. There's a few songs where I can think of that being super useful!


Unfortunately it's not available in *all* modes. It's a mode unto itself, bundled with the standard delay sound (so not tape or reverse or shimmer or anything like that). But you can still use the filter and modulation switches in combination with it to get a darker or brighter "ducking pad". I'll try to record it for you...it's supercool.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

iaresee said:


> Unfortunately it's not available in *all* modes. It's a mode unto itself, bundled with the standard delay sound (so not tape or reverse or shimmer or anything like that). But you can still use the filter and modulation switches in combination with it to get a darker or brighter "ducking pad". I'll try to record it for you...it's supercool.


sweet! that would be much appreciated!


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Pretty much all the Line 6 delay pedals like the Echo Park and DL4, and all their modeller series - M5, M9, M13 - have it.


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## Guest (Nov 7, 2011)

I really liked the DL4 ducking delay and thought I would reduce the footprint by getting an Echo Park, but the EP is slightly different than the DL4. The Timeline got me the ducking delay I liked from the DL4 and maybe a little nicer tone all round.

Note: My settings are very subtle so my experience might not be what others would find.


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## The Lullaby (Dec 8, 2010)

look for a dirt cheap boss dd3,basic as it gets!


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

mhammer said:


> Pretty much all the Line 6 delay pedals like the Echo Park and DL4, and all their modeller series - M5, M9, M13 - have it.


I had a DL4! Boo! I must have not had any idea what it was. I remember setting the DL4 to the Analog and Tape settings and pretty much leaving it as is from there  Wish I'd known about this back then!


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

i have an echo park, and the tape emulation is beautiful.
i guess its the budget version of the dl4, but its still a swiss army knife of a delay pedal.
does everything i want in a delay, and then a whole lot of things i never use.
that said, it seems to be built like a tank, feels like a brick in your hand, 
yet all the while seems like it would break if you looked at it sideways. weird.
i also dislike its switching system, as well as the tiny knobs and confusing "always on" led.

i got a deluxe memory man not long ago- its a great delay, but i still prefer the sound of the echo park on its tape setting.

ive got a dd3 as well, its something you cant really go wrong with. but again, that tape sound with the echo park is too much.

i run all these, and an old univox tape unit at times, straight into all my amps, no effects loops here, no problems.
the dmm does effect the sound somewhat when bypassed, but its not very bothersome.


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## Todd68 (Mar 7, 2008)

The Carbon Copy adds too much hi end and changes the overall tone of my guitar when on.

I've dealt with this problem for years. I hate there any tone change or volume boost from the delay (with OD). The best up front (that I've tried) are the Strymon pedals and the Empress. Would love a DMM again, but I no longer have a loop and I'm afraid to take the plunge. I sold my El Cap but I want it back!


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## captainbrew (Feb 5, 2010)

I absolutely LOVE my El Capistan. The best overall delay for me and I've owned TONS. 
Disclosure: I'm not a massive delay user though. I use it more for ambience or slap back to thicken up or liven up my tungsten crema wheat tweed deluxe style amp.


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