

If you turn up the feedback, you'll find that these can be easily coerced into infinite feedback and auto-oscillation.ĭigital delays are generally more pristine in timbre. (Image credit: Electro-Harmonix) Analog vs Digital: which one do I want?Īnalog delay pedals work by using a so-called Bucket Brigade chip, a capacitor array that gives them a distinctively dark sound that's increasingly lo-fi when you apply longer delay settings. That said, the Electro-Harmonix Memory Boy (opens in new tab) and Boss DM-2W (opens in new tab) are both worth considering if your budget can stretch to them. It's simple, sounds good, and even blends well with other delays and reverbs in case you later add more FX to your pedalboard, or indeed if you are looking to add a delay pedal to your current board.

If you want a no-frills analog delay pedal that doesn't cost the earth, the TC Electronic Echobrain (opens in new tab) is a good place to start. If you'd rather get to the products, then keep scrolling. If you'd like to read more about the best delay pedals, we've included some expert buying advice at the end of this guide. If you're unsure where to start, then don't worry - we've rounded-up some of the best options in this guide for you to check out. Modern digital delays go far beyond their ancestors, both in sound and functionality. The first echo effects used tape loops to replay the guitar signal, before bucket-brigade analogue delay pedals took over, due to greater reliability and lower cost. Let’s put it another way players from The Edge, to Tom Morello, to Matt Bellamy, and Johnny Greenwood would not have been able to create the music they did without delay effects.
