So. I didn't bond with my I/E/E/D initially. Certainly thought there were neat sounds to be had - I've never owned a tape delay, but have had a few modelers and soundalikes, but nothing has come close to the E/D in terms of realizing the damaged, ugly, broken, mechanical sounds that I imagine in my head.
Sounded' great, yes, but the control set wasn't gelling for me in an intuitive manner, and I just didn't see how I was going to use it on a regular basis, maybe for some specific recording ideas that I might probably never get around to, but not thing I would use on all the time. And the rule I'm trying to keep is that if I'm not going to use it enough to keep it on my board then it's gotta go.... Last night I offered it to someone as part of a trade and thought I'd give it one last try today.
I was using it ALL wrong.
The key, for me, is the momentary switch. Prior to today, I'd never had the E/D on the floor, only using it with various table top setups. Guitar in hand, putting the pedal on the floor, and using my damn foot the way that our alien overlords intended takes this from what I thought was a neato odd ball delay / noisemaker/ sample source, to a unique force of nature. Swirling, rising falling feedback and/or glitching, almost feels like massive JM/jag string bends.... beautiful. Shoegaze fiends, anyone that hid loveless in between issues of Playboy, or anyone using delay/reverb/modulation before their dirt to get walls of sound or waves of motion, this needs to be on your GAS list....
If this had something akin to tap tempo for controlling the momentary, it would be killer and the first time I've ever cared about such things. Better yet - control the momentary from something like an EHX 8 step.... That would have everyone putting their reverse delays up for sale....
Favorite setting/sound so far: Guitar (SG, wraptail, semioddball pickups) > E/D > amp (Traynor head, 215 & 410 cabs). Clean, external dirt and amp set just below breakup point. E/D is set for a ring/slap sound - short echo with a bit of a metallic edge that can push into light ring modish territory. Almost fucking surfy - made me want to pull out some Thurston-esqe riffs. Then you start working on the momentary..... Hold a chord, hold the switch, let the feedback fade out as you work in the next chord change..... Or stomping the switch in and out during sharp, staccato playing...
Awesome.
It's a first world gear problem - bought this with one thing in mind, actual does something entirely different that had never crossed my mind, ends up becoming essential. Needless to say this isn't going anywhere, not anytime soon.
