An Analog Delay....for $30!!

[duhvoodooman]

Reportedly a re-badged version of the Modtone MT-AD analog delay that normally goes for $100. As I read the description, it's not a pure analog delay, but combines analog circuitry with a PT-2399 digital chip. These chips sound very good, however. It's the same IC that provides the delay in my BYOC ping-pong delay pedal.

In any case, $30 and the reviews are very positive:

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Rogue-Analog-Delay-Guitar-Effects-Pedal?sku=H05535

 

[Katastrophe]

Man, that's freaking cheap for a delay.

I haven't ever used any MF house brand effects (Rogue), but my old bass player bought an acoustic bass from them that I was highly impressed with. It was a quality item for not a lot of cash.

 

[duhvoodooman]

Just a heads up--I tried ordering one, just for grins, and they're backordered to March 1!! :reallymad:

 

[Spudman]

Free shipping to boot.
One of the reviews states that the max delay time is around 350 ms for what it's worth. For $10 more you can get a used Ibanez DE7 that has close to 2 seconds of delay and 2 different modes. Although it isn't touted as being an 'analog' delay.

 

[DeanEVO_Dude]

Reportedly a re-badged version of the Modtone MT-AD analog delay that normally goes for $100. As I read the description, it's not a pure analog delay, but combines analog circuitry with a PT-2399 digital chip. These chips sound very good, however. It's the same IC that provides the delay in my BYOC ping-pong delay pedal.

In any case, $30 and the reviews are very positive:

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Rogue-Analog-Delay-Guitar-Effects-Pedal?sku=H05535

Hey, vood, I pulled the trigger on 4 of their units, couldn't go wrong at $30 each... I got the Temolo, Vintage Compressor, Analog Chorus, and Analog Delay (won't see that till March). Solid pedals in terms of construction, a little shorter than the MXR size boxes, power jack for using a wall-wart, nice clickey foot switches (not like the Behringer pedals).
As for sound, they sound nice as well.

The compressor is one I am still trying to figure out, 3 knobs (Attack, Level, Sustain), so there is a good amount of control there.
The Chorus seems to be a bit of a "one-trick-pony" with only two controls (Rate, Depth). Not as flexable as the FX65 I have, also not stereo...
The Tremolo is an effect that I don't have, so this is my first. The controls are Rate, Depth, and Wave. I don't know if my ear just can't hear anything, or it just doesn't do any thing, but there seems to be no difference when I change the Wave knob... In general, can anyone tell me what I should listen for?

For $30, good, solid pedals to add to any pedal set up. Oh, one last thing, they all came with batteries installed, ready to plug-n-play! Nice touch...

 

[Ch0jin]

.......
The Tremolo is an effect that I don't have, so this is my first. The controls are Rate, Depth, and Wave. I don't know if my ear just can't hear anything, or it just doesn't do any thing, but there seems to be no difference when I change the Wave knob... In general, can anyone tell me what I should listen for?

I'll have a go.

Although my tremolo pedal, a modified EAT, lacks the 'wave' control, I can have a pretty good guess as to what it does. Modulation based effects will typically have what's known as an LFO (low frequency oscillator) at their core. If you hear a pedal that causes your signal to sweep up and down in some way, like a phaser, flanger, or a tremolo, that's the LFO at work. Think of the LFO as an electronic version of your foot on a wah pedal.

I'm betting in your tremolo the "Wave" knob is altering the output of the LFO. In one direction the waveform is a nice smooth sine wave, and rotating it the other way tends to make the wave more square.

As to how that would sound, I'm only guessing, but a pure sine wave LFO might offer a "smoother" volume modulation and hence a smooth tremolo sound with a nice gradual swell and ebb to the volume (regardless of speed), whereas a squarewave LFO would result in a "choppy" volume modulation like you were flicking a switch back and forward.

As I read the description, it's not a pure analog delay, but combines analog circuitry with a PT-2399 digital chip. These chips sound very good, however. It's the same IC that provides the delay in my BYOC ping-pong delay pedal.

I can second that, I built a different version of a PT-2399 delay (GGG) ages ago and they sound very good. Unfortunately for my wallet though, I have since discovered the best delay pedal in the known universe, and as soon as I can find a huge pile of cash, the Strymon El Capistan will be mine.

 

[otaypanky]

Well this has been an expensive thread. 3 pedals, 2 gig bags, and a pair of brushes

 

[DeanEVO_Dude]

Thanks, Ch0jin, that makes sense, tho I don't have Eric Johnson's ears, I do hear what you are talking about.

An update on the Vintage Compressor; I am liking it more and more. One thing that I like very much is the Attack knob when set to its quickest setting (fully counter-clockwise), it does not have that "pop" on the note with the initial pick attack. It is really very smooth. To boot, all these pedals are prety quiet.

 

[otaypanky]

I got the compressor and the chorus today. I ordered the tremelo as well but I think Dean EVO dude got mine by mistake ~ oke LOL
So I'll get one in April, they're backordered for now. I'm not surprised because I really like the ones that did come. Small, solid, and sound good. Even came loaded with a battery

 

[otaypanky]

Update on the pedals ---
The chorus is cool but the compressor is going back as it's just too noisy. It has a nice sound but I keep thinking a wave is coming in, it sounds like the ocean ~ I thought it might be the way it was reacting on my board but an MXR is much more quiet.

 

[Ch0jin]

.... but I keep thinking a wave is coming in, it sounds like the ocean ~

You know you are supposed to plug it in, not hold it up to your ear right?

(kidding, thanks for the updates )

 

[DeanEVO_Dude]

Hi everyone, update for the thread here... Got my delay pedal... I must say that I am rather dissapointed in it. Not the look and feel of it, the look is very good, the feel is, like the rest, solid (not excellent). What I am dissapointed in is the sound. It had been sooo long since I used an analog delay pedal (used to have an MXR Time Delay - the large, black, big rubber button, one - shoulda never never sold it!), and I forgot how noisy they are on the repeats. But, this one is especially noisy, the volume of the hiss that comes thru with the delayed signal is almost 1/2 to 2/3 the volume of the of the delayed signal. So, I called Musicians Friend, told them, they offered me $30 off of a MXR Carbon Copy. Needless to say, I jumped on that one! At any rate, I continued to play with the pedal (the Rogue), and I found that it is at home in an effects loop (yes, I know, "that's what they are for!" I can hear it now LOL). However, I now have the Carbon Copy, and did a side-by-side comparrison (plugged into the front of the amp), and the CC wins out for noise, hands down. So, in conclusion, the Rogue is OK if you use it in the effects loop, but not in front of the amp. By the way, I was on a clean channel (not semi-clean or any other kind of crunch) of a Fender Princeton 65 (solid state, not RI tube) amp.
Rogue Analog Delay rating scale 0 - 5
Look - 4 (I don't like the blue they used. LOL)
Feel - 4.5 (not perfect, almost, very solid)
Sound - 3 (due to the noise. would have been a 1 if I had not discoverd the effects loop trick)

For those of you that got this pedal, what do you think? Agreee? Dissagree?

 

[FrankenFretter]

I'm really glad I read this, as I was about to order one. I guess I'll pass, based on Evo Dude's review. Definitely don't need to add more noise. Hmmm...do they have a noise gate?

 

[DeanEVO_Dude]

I'm really glad I read this, as I was about to order one. I guess I'll pass, based on Evo Dude's review. Definitely don't need to add more noise. Hmmm...do they have a noise gate?

Yeah, this pedal, actually these pedals (except the compressor), is/are what I would refer to as "effects loop" pedals. They are slightly noisy when put in front of the amp (even on a clean channel). As for the delay, to clarify, the pedal itself when on is not noisy, but there is some hiss on the delayed repeats when playing. I guess, the old saying, "you get what you pay for" really comes true here. The MXR CC is very quiet put into the front of the amp while the Rogue is not. If you are not using the effects loop, don't get the Rogue pedal.

Speaking of noise gates, anyone have/use the Rocktron Hush pedal (not the rack unit)? Like it? Does it work? Or should I spring for the MXR (I forgot how much I like their pedals)?

 

[DeanEVO_Dude]

I'll have a go.

Although my tremolo pedal, a modified EAT, lacks the 'wave' control, I can have a pretty good guess as to what it does. Modulation based effects will typically have what's known as an LFO (low frequency oscillator) at their core. If you hear a pedal that causes your signal to sweep up and down in some way, like a phaser, flanger, or a tremolo, that's the LFO at work. Think of the LFO as an electronic version of your foot on a wah pedal.

I'm betting in your tremolo the "Wave" knob is altering the output of the LFO. In one direction the waveform is a nice smooth sine wave, and rotating it the other way tends to make the wave more square...

As for the wave control on the Tremolo pedal, what it does, as best as I can describe it, it controls how extreme the effect is. On the low setting, the sound does not cut out, just a volume drop with the lfo, when you turn it up, the sound cuts (with the lfo) out more and more (the more you turn it), almost like a mix control on a delay pedal. My first Tremolo pedal, so I'm not sure that my description translates...