ShortScale.org

I'd been looking at getting an analogue delay of some sort, most probably an EHX Memory Toy, but now I've been offered a 1972 Copicat for £100. Having seen demos online it looks like it does what I want, but would it be worth it? It seems like a vintage tape delay is worth the extra £40 (a new Memory Toy is £60), but what does ShortScale think?

They're lovely fun, but can be finicky little fuckers, and they're all really starting to show their age now. There are valve and transistor models (this one will almost inevitably be the trannie version). The tape loops they use are disposable.

What I'm driving at is: they're grief. Get a nice analogue (or analogue-emulating) delay instead. Buy a Copicat for a fiver when you see one at a car boot sale, like you're meant to.

i wouldn't gig with one, buy a nice pedal instead unless you're a home studio boffin.

Hmm, so I'd probably do better to get the Memory Toy then?

Would it be worth borrowing the Copicat and having a go anyway?

definitely; like tim says, they're cool, just not particularly reliable as they get older.

The Memory Toy is notoriously flakey as well. If it's just a delay you're after (no modulation etc.) the Behringer VD400 is even better than the SF300.

I'd offer you a money-back guarantee, but...

I am quite interested in the modulation to be honest, although it isn't a necessity.

I'll see if I can have a go with this Copicat anyway, and then I'll let you know my thoughts!

Don't get a Memory Toy, though: they're shit.

Is the Memory Boy any less shit?

Yep, the memory boy is a bundle of fun, can be used as an analogue vibrato, you can plumb in an expression pedal, and it's not been plagued with the QC issues the Toy has.

Line 6 Echo Park has tape/analog/digital settings plus modulation.

Freddy, Did you find this?
http://shortscale.org/forum/viewtopic.p ... ht=copicat

Plenty of "modulation" from the old beast but you do need to meddle with the controls a bit, that "demo" of mine doesn't show much of it at all but you can make a real racket with one once it's warmed up.


I you have chance to borrow one then go for it!

The Copycats sound great, but if you really want a reliable analog delay then get a MXR Carbon Copy.I never look back or elsewhere...

Most people give kudos to the MXR pedal. I have a Roland Space Echo RE-201 that I love and haven't had issues with yet but I wouldn't gig with it. It's too big and I wouldn't trust it. Just too much can go wrong. I did buy the RE-20 since I love my tape Space Echo so much and I absolutely love the RE-20.

this thread reads like my most wanted pedals list

only pedal ive had any first hand experience of is the memory boy which i borrowed off a friend for a few weeks.

it really was top draw. couldnt fault it at all. ive got a friend who raves about the carbon copy as well though.

would love one of those old WEM's though

Problem with the Memory Toy (and Boy ?) aside fro the QC issues are the volume boosts you can get from it on certain settings.

For example, if you have the blend knob below 12 oclock for nice subtle delays then there's a jump up in volume when engaged which gets louder as you turn anti-clockwise. I found it really irritating otherwise it's a magnificent pedal and I would have kept it. My first 2 were faulty out of the box... but I have a feeling they're fixed these quality control issues now. Really not bad for the money. You'll probably need to tweak the trim pot too for friendly modulation.

Personally I find the Carbon Copy a little dark.... although it's been a while. Perhaps that's what you want ? A lot of people do.

I'd have a look at the Echohead delay, I think it's fantastic... failing that a Boss DD of some kind, a lot of these have analogue settings.

for not much more than the price of the WEM I've been considering getting a TC Electronic Flashback - http://www.tcelectronic.com/flashback.asp I've been eyeing these up for some time now and they look the business