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I'm looking to buy my first delay pedal at some point next week and to be honest I dont really know where to start. I have watched video after video on youtube but I've been just getting lost in it all since its a been a pretty unfocused search. I'm still a bit unclear on the difference in sound between analogue and digital delay so I havent made my mind up on that and I'm not really looking to spend much more than £75-£100 so any suggestions would be helpful.

Thanks.

analog repeats degrade quicker and sound dirty or muddy, which is great for dreamy, reverb type stuff. digital tends to be an accurate reproduction of the note and will repeat clean and clear; great for distorted tones.

i like a digital delay that tries to copy the analog feel. my personal favorite is the subdecay echobox.

The first step is deciding if you want analogue or digital. Digital usually means clear and accurate repeats. Analogue repeats lose treble and fidelity with each repeat.

It can get confusing because a lot of digital delays will have a feature called 'warm' or similar where the repeats are artificially made to lose treble and fidelity in order to sound more like an analogue delay. Some digital pedals will also just do that by default.

So you could say the first step is deciding if you want it to sound analogue or digital because not all digital delays sound digital. I guess an easier way to phrase that is do you want clean, accurate repeats or do you want them to 'soften' with each repeat. Perhaps you want something that can do both.

The vast majority of the boutique type stuff is either analogue or tries to replicate it. It's not necessarily better, though.

Thanks for the replies guys. Now this adds further confusion for me. I'm wanting to use it in a bit of an ambient-ish type situation so I would imediately think that analogue would be my best option but there is another guitarist, a bassist and synth stuff so I'm not sure if keeping as clean, clear sound as possible would best as not to end up just sounding like mush.

If you're getting confused maybe head to your local guitar shop and try some out to see what you prefer.

The TC Electronics Throwback Delay looks like really versatile quality for the money; it's digital with various analog emulations, which seem close enough for my needs.

http://proguitarshop.com/store/effects- ... lay-p-2745

I don't have one, but I plan to
make it my first delay pedal.

My first delay pedal was a Electro-harmonic memory boy, sounds great. Does the CRAZY stuff if you want, but can also do a lovely subtle echo - think the eric johnson sound.

I have a Maxon AD999 which is a great analog delay but a bit expensive. Other good delays i've had include Ibanez AD9, Marshall Echohead, EHX Memory Boy, Danelectro Dan-Echo and Boss DD3 if you like sterile digital repeats.

I have never really been a huge delay fan but bought my first delay last yr, I went with a delay that had a built in looper....

The looper is great for practicing/ writing.... this may be a feature u might want to look at on delay pedals

but modulated anolog delays sound wonderful too

You might want to consider the TC Electronic Nova Repeater. I really like mine. It has several delay types like a Boss DD-7, but you can add chorus or vibrato on top of whatever delay you choose. It's a digital delay, but can do analog emulation (just don't expect self-oscillation). Built like a tank, too.

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A good old BOSS RPS-10

you say you want to make ambient sounds but a lot of the guitarist who do stuff like that have a mixture of delays to get the textures they want. If there is a particular band/guitarist you like maybe see what they are using. Will you want just a straight delay or something that adds reverb or modulation?

I really like my SMMwH but the Memory Toy was a cracking delay as well but that had a short delay time. If you want to try something out cheap to see if it works I would recommend one of the behringer pedals, their delays are cracking value

I'd really recommend trying a few out yourself to get a feel for it; what sort of sounds are you trying to get? Any particular songs featuring delay that you're keen on?

Once you have made up your mind on what type here are my recommendations:
Analogue: MXR carbon copy
Digital: Guyatone MD-3

try to buy a scond hand Ibanez DE7, it has digital and analog emulation. My band mate has one, it's a good cheap first delay

Try some out. If you can't decide then don't buy any. Maybe get a little line 6 M5 multieffect because you might not be a "delay guy", it has a kick ass delay, and a whole lot more.

Maybe get rid of the synth player just to be safe?

Another vote for the DE7 from me - I've had two and loved them both: sold one to fund a DMM, sold the DMM and bought a DE7 again - great pedals.

Its nice to read a thread about humble sub-£100 pedals. I get sick of hearing about all the boutique stuff, the market is so saturated with them its almost becoming uncool to like pedals anymore.

Like others said;
Dan Echo
Boss DD-3
Ibanez DE7
Digitech XDD

Some of the old Dod stuff is decent and usually cheap.

I've been looking at the DD-3 lately, the 'hold' function seems to work a bit differently from the later DD-# pedals.

Sounds like it could get some tasty stutters on the go.

DD-6 is best for random stutters stuff, the DD-3 samples (and playbacks) at a rate set by the dials; the DD-6 samples for however long you hold down the pedal.

The guitar on the right in this old riff demo of mine has some stuttery stuff going down, courtesy of the DD-6: