Delay is one of the most creative, flexible, and powerful effects you can have on your pedalboard. Subtle doubling, slapback, dark ambience, clean repeats, gargantuan swells, or sonic bombast are achievable on most delay pedals. I love pedals that inspire me to play; some do it by being comfortable, familiar, and easy to use, and others do it by being unique or by challenging me to try something different.
There are so many delay pedal options available, and new ones are constantly being released. Knowing what’s out there can help you navigate the landscape and make a good choice for your needs. These six delay pedals have recently caught my attention for various reasons. They all complement the sound of the guitar well and have excellent functionality, but each of them do it their own way.
DigiTech Obscura — warm-sounding repeats from Analog, Tape, Lo-Fi, and Reverse modes; two seconds of delay time; stereo in/out; tap tempo with subdivision control; and a Tone and Degrade knob that can really darken it up.
TC Electronic Alter Ego — awesome vintage delays that are deeply modeled; a 40-second looper; a subdivision switch; and a TC TonePrint memory slot for loading any of their TonePrint delay models.
BOSS DM-2W — classic analog delay with modern Waza Craft upgrades, including 600ms of delay time, optional wet/dry outputs, and an expression pedal input for delay time control.
Korg SDD-3000 — a modern re-creation of the delay unit that the Edge made famous; the same tone as the original with seven more delay modes added; lots of filtering and modulation options; 4,000ms of delay time; 80 memory slots; MIDI and expression pedal control; and input/output options to accommodate any setup.
Seymour Duncan Vapor Trail — bucket brigade analog delay with modulation controls; 600ms delay time; and a super-flexible side insert that can be used as a delay-signal-only output, a delay signal effects loop, or an expression pedal jack for controlling the wet/dry mix.
Pigtronix Echolution 2 Deluxe — insanely tweakable, totally programmable, 12-second, multi-tap delay with extensive modulation, filtering, and octave effects; discover uncharted sonic territory, store it, and then mess with it on the fly using the top-panel knobs, switches, and the optional expression pedal and foot controller.
