Prior post is pertaining to the chap who was asking about overdrives.

Personally, after much trial and testing and having been through a bizillion pedals. I am eventually replacing my X4 with the Wampler Faux Tape analog unit and my Lexicon reverb with the Eventide Space. Nothing wrong with either I just get this fever to change things up every year.
Besides that Eventide has a shimmer reverb to die for.
Yeah I dig Strymon but they are not easy for me to get, hard to muster that many bucks at one time.

Or if you're into a bit of experimentation: BD101 – Analog Gate / Delay

Techincally the M9 because of how many different types of stereo and mono delays you can have and set/save/combo

Depending on your tastes either the Earthquaker Devices Disaster Transport or the Strymon Timeline. Very different boxes, but both very good. I have both and end up using the Disaster Transport more, but the Strymon is a serious piece of kit that rivals the best and most respected rack units including the TC2290.

Darkhorse, you do realize that the hundreds of words you spilled in praise of the X4 and its ability to sound like any delay seem a bit empty now that you're so casually swapping it out? Also, the Faux Tape Echo is digital. To be precise: 'Nearly every part of the pedal, all of its major functions, are analog. The "delay line" is the only digital part of the signal path. It alone being digital brings clarity and focus to the task in a way that analog delay line chips can't really match.'

Not swapping it out what-so-ever, bubbha. It is a superb unit that is so usable I find replacing it a big waste of money right now.
I do intend to change out my Lexicon unit I use for reverbs, for a Eventide Space when I am able later this year.
Sorry for any misunderstanding. I do find the X4 to be a rather outstanding delay much better than anything short of the better Strymon and possibly Eventide but they are are not enough to make me change it out unless I just had budget to burn, which is unlikely any time soon.
I still maintain the Flashback units to be most excellent digital delays for the money. The PC edit software on the units is way ahead of anything right now.
I think there is some room for discussion on the difference between what L6 "models" compared to active delay units like the Strymon, Eventide and tc.
That being said there is probably not a bad delay pedal out there these days but some are for sure a higher quality build than others. Some like those Memory Man EH units but for the life of me when I had one I never imagined it was that amazing compared to others.
Personally I need delay times around 1sec or 1500ms, so I usually stay with the better units for the expanded delay time. I would rather have the option of 7secs than not have enough.
The only analog pedal that really interests me is the Wampler Faux Tape as Brian has that one up to 800ms which is rather cool. Best sounding analog I have heard, plus the way he randomizes the modulation speed is very unique. He has that one able to self oscillate like a real tape as well.
I am not crazy with the tape thing like most which is why I prefer the pristine quality of the digital delay, the options to dirty it up are better for me than a pure analog unit. But the Wampler is the pick for me on the analog thing if I were to try it again.

Um, Darkhorse, maybe reread the latter part of my post- Faux Tape is not analog. That quote is from their website.

I just ordered the new TC Alter Ego X4, getting it tomorrow. Basically the Flashback but with specific tape and analog presets: Echoplex, Space Echo, Copicat, DMM etc. Demo videos look awesome. I'm an analog fetishist but for the money vs tone vs convenience ratio (plus a full looper) I went with this. Spent half an hour with a Capistan and liked it but not quite enough. Will post once I've ran the Alter Ego through its paces.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VXMPre19xBY

Yep, the TC AEx4 is on my shopping list. The only user complaint I've read so far is the lack of a modulation control. I have played and owned the original Watkins Copicat as well as a Vox tape echo chamber (high maintenance, splicing tapes, tape breakages during performances , eventually wore the heads out and had to be replaced)
If you dig his stuff, you can't get a better Hank B Marvin (who now resides in Perth, AUS) sound than with the real deal, lol.

It's a hybrid actually but more analog than digital. Only has 600ms timeline.
Tis a very cool unit, closest thing to an analog I would get as I do not like them much.
So there is a new X4 have to look up the difference.
With the editor there is pretty much nothing you cannot get close to.
I like Strymon but not so much with the tape thing. I prefer the 2290 and the various modulations in the X4. Everything else is a matter of filters and modulation on the delay line as these things are not "models". Wondering what they did to the new one, perhaps longer looper time?

At first glance not seeing anything the X4 cannot be programmed to mimic. Does not seem to have presets either.

Not sure the Alter Ego is necessary for someone who has the Flashback, but for a newbie like me who is into tape units it makes sense (plus I prefer the aesthetic). It does have 3 presets.

Since the chips that create the actual delay in the Faux Tape are digital, I don't think you can say it's mostly analog, regardless of the rest of the mechanisms that shape the sound.

I have the Faux Tape Echo as well as the Diamond MLJR. Both of these pedals use digital chips for the delay. What they are both advertised as is that they use analog circuitry in all other aspects...which could mean anything...including analog decimation filter, or using analog companding circuitry (thus treating the digital signal like a BB chip). Of course, they also have analog preamps for the dry signal, but many digital delays have these features.

Still, they both sound very different. The MLJR. is a very clean delay. To me, it doesn't sound analog at all. It actually sounds like a digital delay with an added preamp that fattens the delay signal a bit. The Faux Tape Echo does sound very analog to me, because it is using a low resolution digital delay chip, and so has a lot of grit but also noise (at higher delay levels).

But my current favorite, which is on my main pedal board, is the JHS Panther Cub, which is an analog delay, with over 600ms and tap tempo, and sounds pretty clean even at long delay settings, where some BB delays start producing a high pitched whine and get noisy.

I happen to like the Strymon El Cap. Awesome delay pedal with a ton of options and capability. Build quality is of the highest order. All the Strymon stuff is great. Another really good one is the Providence Chrono Delay. Another very versatile pedal with high quality sound.

Cool. I am curious to know how they have the BinRec programmed.
I think it was Catlinbread who did that BinRec and Bell Epoch, two very cool delay pedals. Hard to beat a quality unit with 12 modes and programming.
Does the Alter have toneprint slots?

The Echorec 1 has way too much modulation for my taste, but #2 is good. My favourite presets so far are the Echoplex, Copicat, Space Echo and DM2.
They all respond well to picking variation, and decay in unique and interesting ways. Surprised how much the grit and touchiness of analogue is captured actually.

There are 4 slots for Toneprints.

tc makes a nice delay unit to be sure. I would only consider the Strymon, not the Capistan model as replacing mine. But as little as I use delay it would be a waste of gear budget.

I am freaking on the Eventide Space, wanting that one to replace my Lexicon as I want to get into more complex shimmer and cool reverbs.
I do not use delay a hell of a lot.
But a nice reverb that does not wash out the tone and gives that trail, very cool. I am not a fan of spring reverb either.
Blasphemy, I know but I just have no use for spring or tape units these days.
Sort of a flash back from hell of an earlier time that was a lot of crap gear. All the magic was laboriously created in long studio sessions and mastering. It was not the pedals. Drives me batty all they seem to care about these days is trying to use superior circuits and designs to mimic copy some older lo fi crap unit.

In general I do not like modulation or tape mimic delays, or the lower bandwidth and frequency cut of analog. Amazing they call that "warmth" these days, it is just a high end loss and low end distortion.

On my X4 I my favs are modified ping/pong, and 2290. Plus I kept that U2 B preset with slight mods, hardly use it but it can be fun. Mostly I have a shorter delay around 440ms and a longer one something like 750-800ms.
I like you can tweak out the delay line to do anything you want and degrade it to a trashy delay, but in general that is not a real musically interesting thing for me.

I had many old delay units and the first analog units that came out, they were really not that great. We use to hate the analog low fi which is all the rage now. And oh what fun to be using a tape delay and watch your tape crinkle into a mass of tape ruin. The EchoPlex had a far better preamp boost in it than a marvelous delay effect.
The benefits of these great digital delay units these days is mind blowing over that we used to try and use. Most of these "classic" units were simply all we had available, few choices, and with the lack of quality control and production QC you were lucky if two of anything were remotely close.
I do exceedingly marvel at what some bands like Pink Floyd and others did with not so great gear. They labored in the studio for eons creating something unique.
How about Robin Trower's old guitar sound, Bridge of Sighs, that was Univibe heaven, to think some cats think they are getting that tone with a modified phase 90 mimic.

Darkhorse, I understand analog and tape might not be your thing, but I think you're overstating your point when you say that people's fascination with them is just misplaced nostalgia and that they were only tolerated until digital came along to save music from the dark ages. I saw Queen a few weeks ago: with all the 'amazing, superior quality' digital options available to him, Brian May still tours with his old echoplex. Neil Young and Andy Summers as well, plus old bucket brigade pedals. A friend just recorded an album in a studio that had an old tape delay laying around. He used it on all his leads simply because nothing on his pedal board could touch it for tone.

My first delay was a DM-2. I later got a Digitech PDS-1000 digital and hated it...I thought the delay sound was too much like the original and got in the way and muddled things up. That was when U2 was coming on the scene, but they weren't my thing. I'm sure if I tried to cop Edge's style, I'd have loved it.

I've always gravitated towards low fi delay for guitar. Even in the studio, with digital delays, I'd knock a bit of high end and low end off the repeats. It just keeps the delay from getting in the way. Just depends on what you're after. Vocals are different. I prefer a more pristine delay, and originally had a 2290 that delivered. Now I have a couple D-Twos in the studio. But for guitar, give me low fi.

Just because someone uses an old tape unit does not mean nothing else can touch it. Like I said the EchoPlex preamp was far the better result of using the unit than the crinkle master tape thing. I had one as well as many other old things, could care less about them now. As for analog, if you thing a quality level delay unit these days cannot mimic the frequency rolloff and degrade of an old analog bucket brigade then probably you have ever seen an oscilloscope, frequency analyzer or other such marvels of science. You probably adjust your studio EQ and room by ear.

And yes, indeed many players use things out of nostalgia of their initial first experiences. Some of these cats have such brain damage I am impressed they can do anything anymore. Drugs and a sense of immortality, are wonderful things when you are young. At some point ones ticket is punched and the train is at the station.

Hard to imagine growth and development as a player and a musician using the same gear you always used. Seems like many are just trying to rehash their old tunes and tones rather than something new. Maybe they are just not creative anymore and just cling to what they have done. It happens.
Would someone please tell Pete Townsend and Daltry to please RETIRE!!

Please no one compare first off digital units to the level we have now. Things have improved so much. Try a Strymon, Eventide, or a tc unit before trashing digital delays. And really if you like the analog thing, they are really cheap these days, no need to buy an expensive delay to dirty and lo tech it, but it is nice to have that as an option preset. One can make hi tech go lo but lo not hi. A 2290 delay is a thing of beauty, you cannot get that out of a tape or an analog bucket brigade circuit.
If you think that some digital delay units cannot render good tape and analog mimics then perhaps you have not heard the better ones or your superheroes have not.

When I speak of things, it is what I have come to, everyone should use what they like, and do what they like, I should care.
I have learned a thing or seven in my years of life and playing most certainly bad advice gets adhered to over more logical all the time as well as trying to argue something true over dull minded opinion.

Some units are not suited for some players, If you like old tape and spring things then by all means lo tech yourself to death.
I would be the last person to use something from seeing someone else use it, I should care. If one thinks they must duplicate another's gear in order to sound like them, then you have a ways to go maturing and developing as a player. Been there, done that, moved on.

I've been playing for as long as most of them anyway and my tone is pretty damn awesome at this point. But my rig in someone else's hands, just would not work as well for them.

We afford so much weight to super rich and super famous persons in this society as if they must all be sources of profound wisdom and insight when in fact most of them are complete dupes. Success and riches simply do not make all your choices and opinions gold, in fact they seldom do.
Fame and fortune are often a result of fluke of fate than anything else.

I have never once told anyone to use anything. Do what you like, it is of no concern to me. I know what works for me and I know from my experience and development as a player few things I used when I started remain anything I wish to indulge in these days.
If I want that Echoplex preamp there is the Xotic EP or the Dunlop unit.
If I wanted tape there are units to approach that delay characteristic.
If I want analog delay that is very easy to do, just high pass and low pass rolloff.

I prefer cleaner pristine delays myself. If muffled dirt warble repeats is your thing, have at it.

Okay Darkhorse, this is getting tiresome. First off I never trashed digital or said it can't sound like tape or analog; remember, I've been singing the praises of the Alter Ego. My point was that you are projecting your disdain for analog onto a whole generation of musicians who, you seem to be saying, were just putting up with analog and tape until digital came along, and that those who won't move on are just nostalgic fools (or, with your latest post, drug-addled has-beens). Whereas the fact of the matter is that a significant number of people- including some brilliant musicians of all ages- simply love the sound of tape and digital, and for qualities that are perhaps a bit more subtle than high- and low-end cutoff and modulation.

Nope dude. I said "me", my experience. It was what "I" experienced and if you like you can go back to some really old issues of the various guitar mags of the day. They were pissing all over the "new" analog bucket brigade pedals as sounding bad.
It was a time when digital was only on real expensive Eventide units. Tape delay was cool but it was short lived fun. That thing ate tapes all the time and like I said the preamp in the unit was the cool thing. I remember players being excited over the new tapeless pedals and getting rig of the whole tape thing but no one at first liked the sound of them at all.

I've been pondering the whole delay thing and why it is I like cleaner delays.
If you have this massive Vibe, tremolo, overdriven warble into feedback tone going then you would not want any delay to further modulate and dirty up the tone. Having a quality 2290 type delay falling into the mix just makes for a better sound spectrum and definition. Anyway, not saying anyone should use anything. Use what you like if that is the sound you are after.
I just do not care for delays that mess with my tone as they are for me an ambiance thing not the core of the sound. I am not doing the U2 thing at all.
When I get this monster tone going I merely want the delay to repeat it not alter it. Just my way of playing.
A player sound use what they like and what makes performing easier for them. If you like analog, tape or spring reverbs have at it.
I just like having a delay unit that can mimic those types but like I said you cannot get a pristine 2290 type delay on a dirty modulated pedal but you can get dirty from the cleaner one. For me it is about options and range of use.

Give the Alter Ego a try. The DMM setting is good.

You need to use "strum tempo" instead of Tap Tempo, though... I like my Delux Memory Boy because of the tap tempo with sub-divide.

TC Electronic Alter Ego Delay




-tINY

Well, perhaps "Delay Pedal" isn't descriptive enough.

They appeal of the "analog delay models" or putting a vibe or EQ in the delay loop is the way it decays. A lot of people like the fading-into-dirt as you change chords - so you don't get harmonic clashes, yet keep the ambience up. It's not unlike reverb in that way.

It's totally different than a slap-back or a center-left-right clean ping-pong or a simple repeat.



-tINY

The Alter Ego X4 has 2 new DMM settings, one with chorus and one with vibrato. The DM2 setting has a nice modulation-free dark analog sound.

And it has tap tempo, not the strum tempo of the smaller pedal. And sub-divisions.

Personally, I hate that slapback rockabilly thing. I do not really have a need for modulation as I use longer delays and it just sort of detunes the overall sound I have going.
I already have modulation on my tone so I do not want my trail repeats to modulate it further just mushing up the tone. I prefer the delay to just repeat at a lower trail level what I put into it. My tone is where I want it by the time it gets to the delay adding more just whacks out my sound too much.
Ponder like a heavy Vibe Trower pulse sound you would not want delays on that modulating it further, just the way I do things. Everything has a use at times. I just do not rely on my delay as adding to the overall tone, I like back in the mix repeats just for ambiance trail. If you're after that more overt delay part of the sound U2 thing then modulation is a good thing as it is a part of the overall tone and sounds better. For what I do I just like more moderate delay repeats back in the mix. And the panning of left-right can be quite amazing. Many times I just put the delay or reverb on one side of my twin cabs.
The beauty of all this gear is doing what you want with it and having the options to create new things. There is no bad way to do something it is just what works for you and makes you want to play. All these blog things are for is sparking ideas and maybe trying something different someone else is using.

Thought you might like to know
Brian May does not use Echoplex tape units for delay.
New rig run down from Premier Guitar:

Rig Rundown: Queen's Brian May | Premier Guitar

TC Electronic G-Major 2 delay units (one set to 800 ms and the other 1600 ms).

Sorry kids, tape retired for newer digital delay.

Hmm, that's surprising. Then he really has worked hard at getting his rig to emulate an Echoplex, because he did a ten minute solo piece where the delays had the imprecise timing and saturation of tape.

...and since they are modern digital pieces, they worked the same every night, with zero maintenence...

Funny how some cats like it easy.



-tINY

I remember trying to keep a bunch of tape cartridges on hand as with those things, you never knew when it would just crinkle into a mass of crap. Especially if you try that Pagey thing of whipping the delay lever, really stretches the tape and causes it to jam.
I do believe many units these days are able to render extremely good tape mimic delays and analog is rather easy.
For the shear convenience of zero maintenance, fidelity, extreme delay times, and so on, modern pedals are light years ahead of the old stuff.
You can always buy a new Tape TTE unit from Fulltone for like $1400 and a box of tapes, why not get two for different delays.
Like I said Strymon, Eventide, tc electronic, are just extraordinary circuits.

not about much a pedal - but on your pc does it ever say - calculating time - 5 minutes left - then 5 minutes later - remaining time 6 hrs and 21 seconds? That is the best delay ever.