Digitech Timebender

[woodchuk]

Who has one of these? Who thinks that it's one of the coolest delay pedals ever? And by any chance, whould anyone happen to know if I could get the ending to Radiohead's Karma Police using one of these?

 

[hubberjub]

I've heard good things about them but have never used one. Didn't I see that you also had the Eventide Time Factor? Do you like the Digitech better than that?

 

[woodchuk]

I've heard good things about them but have never used one. Didn't I see that you also had the Eventide Time Factor? Do you like the Digitech better than that?

I think they both have their good and bad points. I think the Eventide gives you more precise control when dialing in a delay time. Also, the Eventide has 100 presets (unlimited through MIDI), while you can only get up to 8 with the Timebender, and that's with an expression pedal added in - normally it's only 4. However, the Timebender allows you to have your delays modulated, either by a certain interval or diatonic to a certain key. On top of that, you can apply the modulation to just about any of the 9 delay types available. Plus, the multiplier button makes it really easy to nail those tricky in between tempos. So, if you want a 6-tap, moving tape head delay, with repeats in dotted eighth notes and harmonized in thirds in the key of C, you can do it easily, without having to spend an hour setting the pedal up to do it. I don't think the Eventide is nearly as flexible in that regard. In the end, I just swap them in and out as I feel appropriate, as I think they're both top-notch for the price.

 

[hubberjub]

Interesting. I do think Digitech has come a long way in the last couple years. They were viewed as a lesser company for quite some time, but I've heard a lot of good things about the Timebender and their current crop of looper pedals. I have used a Boss DD20 for the last three years and it has done me well. My taste in delays definitely leans more towards the traditional analog, but I just can't give up the convenience of having a tap tempo. My next delay pedal purchase is most likely going to be a Diamond Memory Lane. Though it's not in the same ball park in terms of price, I will definitely check out the Timefactor.

 

[woodchuk]

The Eventide does feature tap tempo, but it's present as a vacuum switch on the unit as opposed to a wider footswitch, which may or may not provide the desired tactile feel for you. Personally, I think my hands are more coordinated than my feet, so I welcome the Timebender's ability to set a tap tempo by strumming the pattern on muted strings. However, you can do the tap tempo by using the footswitch on the Timebender as well, so I think the Digitech actually gives you a little more freedom in regards to tap tempo.