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Hi there. New to the forum, but I've been browsing a bit here and there, and I've watched a good deal of great youtube demos made by some of you here.
I'm having one of those gear-fits, and I need your input on... delay. Ok, here we go again. I currently own an Adineko, Diamond MLj, Malekko 616, and Mooer reecho. What matters most to me is the sound of the delay, and I love warm/dark tones. Strymon is too crystal-clear for me for instance. I've watched demos about the Fairfield Meet Maude, Pladask Elektrisk, Infanem small array echo, and the much praised Tonal recall.
I cant try'em all (Pladask and Infanem cant be found here in France), maybe some of you have played all these? They all sound incredible, and sometimes in a similar way... (it's hard to describe a sound, but, you know, when delay sounds more like music lying around what you're playing, rather than just repeats? and they all seem capable of great experimental/crazy sounds)... So, it's all a matter of taste, but maybe warmth and a dark sound can be objective? Sharing what you love about these pedals might help...
Any thoughts are welcome. Thanks!

Maude I reckon is one of the darkest delays you'll come across, and what it says in the manual about imparting a rich tape-like quality is pretty accurate actually. Sure it's way darker than tape but it has a nice, natural warbly-ness. It's a great pedal just to lay in the background and not overwhelm things.

I am however thinking of selling mine and getting a tonal recall, I only have space for one dark delay really and the tonal recall seems more flexible.

The Small Echo Array is pretty dark, but it's not really "warm". One amazing thing about it is that rather than a blend it has separate dry/wet volumes (both which go well above unity gain), which is fucking brilliant, and something that more delays should utilize, IMO.

The source tones for this track, for example, are almost entirely the SAE's wet output with a Noise Ensemble (source was a Skychord Desi Parva):


I believe the heads were all 'on' except the third, but it's been a while since I recorded that track, so details are a little fuzzy. You can really hear the SAE at work just after the 3:00 mark.

I miss mine a bit, but most of my delay is ITB noways. Would still buy another if I had the funds and the need, though.

Thanks...

To Peaches: When I heard the Meet Maude I thought "if it had a tap/hold function it would be the best delay ever"... But I'll still have to try a tonal recall to hear its tone... For me it looks like a "big factory", I might be more inclined towards a straight to the point/old school delay...

To D.O.S: having a separate dry/wet means you are able to differentiate the dry and wet more? (like a predelay on a reverb, or a freeze-pedal-under kind of sound?)

Another vote for the Maude.... nice and dark .... with added modulation and Fairfield compressor built in

Haven't messed with any of those peds you mension, but my 2 pesos on 'dark' repeats: They can sound awesome depending on the particular amp/gtr you're using, but in some cases an analog delay can lack the volume to make really dark repeats cut through a loud messy mix, especially when you're running a dirty amp or have a fuzz/dist somewhere in your chain.

Which is why these days I stick to delay peds that have some sort of tone control, so I can tweak the amount of mush/warmth according to my mood and/or other gear. One that I've been curious about ever since it came out and never got around trying: Digitech Obscura. Not actually analog, not in the same boutique/weird league as infanem/pladask/chase bliss/etc, but the degradation/tone controls, small footprint, and those other modes...Make it seem like a great bang for the buck workhorse delay that should be versatile without being overkill for me. Otoh, my echo puss is more than good enough for now. I'm aware neither of those fall in the tricked out glitch delay category though...

Christophe wrote:Thanks...

To Peaches: When I heard the Meet Maude I thought "if it had a tap/hold function it would be the best delay ever"... But I'll still have to try a tonal recall to hear its tone... For me it looks like a "big factory", I might be more inclined towards a straight to the point/old school delay...

To D.O.S: having a separate dry/wet means you are able to differentiate the dry and wet more? (like a predelay on a reverb, or a freeze-pedal-under kind of sound?)

Precisely. Since you're adjusting the volume, rather than the blend of the signal, you can get a much wider range out of the pedal. If I still had mine I'd do a demo.

I also want my delays (or at least most of them) dark and warm. I've landed on an Echo Degrader for now. Just sounds how I want it to as a normal dark delay, and the way it gets less normal and oscillates and makes noises is very much to my liking.
I really liked the bellweather for this tone as well. Wish I still had it honestly.
Then the tonal recall. I wasn't super into it after the honeymoon phase. Maybe it just needs more time and attention than I can give or want to give to pedals.
I also like the 616d as a more budget way to get there, but the mix is a little odd to me.

Never tried a Maude. I might, but I'm so happy with my Echo Degrader. Seems like the perfect combo to have one for dirtier, one for modulated.

frigid midget wrote:
Which is why these days I stick to delay peds that have some sort of tone control, so I can tweak the amount of mush/warmth according to my mood and/or other gear. One that I've been curious about ever since it came out and never got around trying: Digitech Obscura. Not actually analog, not in the same boutique/weird league as infanem/pladask/chase bliss/etc, but the degradation/tone controls, small footprint, and those other modes...Make it seem like a great bang for the buck workhorse delay that should be versatile without being overkill for me. Otoh, my echo puss is more than good enough for now. I'm aware neither of those fall in the tricked out glitch delay category though...

With the delays I use, that ground is pretty much covered... I love my Memory Lane jr, which is not that dark, but the sound is so beautiful. I'm now looking for more analog, lushy, warm-ambient delays...
Most of the time I play a strat or tele... If I go for a clear/sharp delay, I get an unbearable "high" tone...

PeteeBee wrote:I also want my delays (or at least most of them) dark and warm. I've landed on an Echo Degrader for now. Just sounds how I want it to as a normal dark delay, and the way it gets less normal and oscillates and makes noises is very much to my liking.
I really liked the bellweather for this tone as well. Wish I still had it honestly.
Then the tonal recall. I wasn't super into it after the honeymoon phase. Maybe it just needs more time and attention than I can give or want to give to pedals.
I also like the 616d as a more budget way to get there, but the mix is a little odd to me.

Never tried a Maude. I might, but I'm so happy with my Echo Degrader. Seems like the perfect combo to have one for dirtier, one for modulated.

Yes, I've watched great demos of the echo degrader... I know demos can be deceitful: I was impressed by Belle Epoch demos until I tried one in a music store, and it sounded cold to me... About what I hear on echo degrader demos, it seems to me that the tone is quite... neutral. Not a strong character, but amazing possibilities for degrading/modulating your sound... But, you seem to place it in the "warm" category... I guess I'll need to play one to see...

I wouldn't really call the echo degrader warm, either?

And now I'm missing two of my old delays...

The pladask and SEA are PT2399 based and will have a bit more clarity than a bbd or CCD (Reticon) (they can be pushed to a variety of sounds though...just a versatile chip).

The Maude, to me, was dark but sounded great on its own. The subtle dynamic envelope touches were great. I felt some of the character got lost when used in a longer chain.

If you are looking for more rhythmic and different kind of options to tailor repeats, SEA and Pladask are probably the right call.

Don't know much about the Tonal Recall, but I heard it being played...I'm sure it can be dialed in to a variety of sounds, but it was surprisingly clear for a bbd when I heard it at NAMM.

Probably the best dark delay I can think of is the Maxon AD9.

Another good option is the 80 tape In Limbo (tone control and a wealth of other options) and EAR AD4096 (based on boss dm3...there is supposed to be a new version soon...I think it mixes really well).

My personal preference is for the Amdek DMK-100.

I dont know much about electronics, so your remarks in that field are quite helpful. The EAR AD4096 has a gorgeous sound indeed. A super dm2 so to speak. Maybe not as adventurous as other delays though. I guess I'm looking for a really fat sound with eerie/unpredictable/dark shimmer options... Feels like Maude or Pladask could be a good pick.

Where are you in France? because I have an SEA and Pladask Gjengangar you can try if you're nearby

It's incredible this thing about delay... it's the greatest mindfuck.. It's so easier to choose a fuzz or whatever.... When I watch demos of Boonar, No memory, ilf, etc... + the ones I've mentionned, they all have singularities and you get stuck with wanting them all.

A few years ago I went to the store to buy El Cap... I played it side to side with a Memory lane Jr. And the Diamond's sound was way more appealing to me. Much warmer than El Cap, and still capable of giving you a wide sound, like a Blonde Redhead arpeggio or something like that. (El Cap is great, I agree, but not what I wanted)

But in a way, El Cap and Diamond are in the same "area" of sound (sorry guys i'm doing my best with my english!)... Regarding what is now called the lofi delays (tape echos/degraders/...), there are so many options...