Best Delay Pedals On The Market: Top 15 Models + Reviews!

Best Delay Pedals On The Market

Introduction

Delay is considered one of what is thought of as “core effects”. If you survey ten pedalboards, you’ll discover a delay pedal on eight of them – and for certain genres, you may even discover two or three on the same board.

The explanation for that is that delay pedals add a really distinctive depth to your sound, and various kinds of delay add various kinds of depth. It’s also possible to stack delays to show a number of easy guitar chords into rich soundscapes.

We’re going to throw you a number of recommendations for one of the best delay pedals right away, then run you thru what to look for when selecting one of the best delay pedals for yourself. If you are after some compression pedals, you can check them here.

The vast majority of delay pedals in the marketplace are going to give you the flexibility to manage the essential settings such as; delay time, repeat, and feedback. Some of them might also have true bypass, vibrato modulation, pitch modulation, and reverb in some cases as well.

In case you are somebody who’s considering learning methods to add some additional flair to your sound without having to entirely be taught a brand new playing style, carry on reading to find one of the best delay pedals for guitar.

We just want to let you know that we’ll list these best delay pedal reviews in no particular order. They’ll be randomized as we don’t wish to sort them from best to worst.

Listed below are our Top 15 Best Delay Pedals for 2023:

1. Wampler Ethereal Delay Pedal

The Wampler Ethereal Delay Pedal is aesthetically pleasing and sonically satisfying. It produces advanced delay sounds without an overcomplicated format. The 5 controls on the face of the pedal can help you regulate the feedback, tone, delay mix, delay quantity, and reverb mix.

The addition of reverb is a good asset that enhances the 2 built-in delay settings of the pedal. While you mix the three, you get a spaced-out, ambient effect which is nice for textural guitar elements.

The 2 delays which can be embedded within the Ethereal Delay Pedal have contrasting traits. The primary delay provides the inspiration with a continuing rhythm of quarter notes. The second is layered over the top and could be reproduced both as triplets, dotted 8th notes, or a self-oscillating dotted 8th pattern which is right for psychedelic music.

One other function worth mentioning is the tiny switch that’s positioned to the right of the stomp. When activated, this button makes the delay, and the reverb steadily fades out after you’ve got turned the pedal off.

The Wampler Ethereal offers you a lot of advanced choices, however, the design is fairly simple and straightforward to familiarize yourself with. At around $200 it’s on the costly side, however for the actual pressure of trippy delays it offers, you’ll battle to discover a more capable equal.

2. Boss DD-500

The DD-500 is the flagship delay pedal from Boss. At its heart, it’s a multimode delay pedal however it truly is much more versatile and customizable than your common delay pedal. In case you are in search of the ultimate delay pedal that money can buy then the Boss DD-500 should completely be on your list.

As quickly as you lay your eyes upon the Boss DD-500, you’ll understand that it’s a premium product. It somehow manages to look highly effective but fairly easy at the same time. You’ll not really feel in any respect intimidated by this machine.

All the pieces could be very neatly laid out and working it is vitally intuitive. There’s the main knob to the left of the screen which you need to use to pick out a specific kind of delay. Examples embrace shimmer, tape, dual, Tera Echo, slow, SFX, and so many extras.

Coming to the precise sound quality, it’s simply so sweet and energetic. That is technical wizardry at its finest and we can’t think about how Boss goes to better this one as it’s rattling close to perfect. There’s nearly no noise and the construct quality is great which lets you play passionately without having to fret about damaging your treasured and rather costly pedal.

The stereo on this gadget isn’t true stereo which could be a bit annoying for those who actually wish to get into heavy mixing. The lack of an inbuilt expression pedal additionally looks like an oversight. Aside from these minor quirks for which you will discover workarounds, there’s little or no to complain about the Boss DD-500.

3. Electro-Harmonix Canyon

Whereas Boss had been the game-changers for the digital delay, it was EHX who pioneered the analog delays from the last decade prior – most famously the Deluxe Memory Man, the primary echo/delay unit with no moving elements.

The Canyon marks the brand’s first compact, multi-mode offering, packing together 11 delay sorts, together with a 62-second looper and the pitch-shifting Octave mode – a primary in an inexpensive compact.

So, whereas it can’t compete with the sheer horsepower of the DD-500 or Timeline and doesn’t supply stereo outs, it manages to pack loads into a small amount of area – which is at all times welcome news for pedal freaks. Among the finest compact delay pedals on the market.

The looping functionality of the Canyon is what takes this pedal to the following stage. Not only are you able to create a wide range of delay effects, but you too can use it as a songwriting instrument. Simply select the size of your loop, then record whatever you want.

It is a nice strategy to work on a melody for a chord sequence you have got written, or you should utilize it to create a wall of atmospheric delay sounds.

It’s the type of pedal that after you have it, you wonder how you coped when it wasn’t current on your board!

4. Walrus Audio Mako D1

Walrus’ first foray into its Mako pedal format, the D1 shortly turned into one of our favorite delay pedals. The central program selector knob chooses between 5 completely different sounds, and the tweak selector switch multiplies the choices by giving three completely different parameters to, well, tweak for every sound.

There’s a discrete tap tempo footswitch, too, in addition to a selector change to divide delay instances into the quarter, eighth, and dotted eighth notes.

One of many extra distinctive controls on the unit is the attack knob. A problem with crystal-clear digital repeats is their tendency to overcrowd the signal, particularly within the high-end – and so the attack knob basically acts as a pre-delay would on a reverb, which means your echos bloom into their ultimate form. In fact, this is only one instance of how one can use one control on a really in-depth pedal.

To make things much less intimidating on stage, you possibly can access up to 128 users’ presets with MIDI, or 9 without, which means you won’t need to spend half an hour dialing in a brand new delay sound between songs.

As a bonus, the pedal additionally options stereo ins and outs so keyboard and synth players can join the fun. Whereas there’s a glut of overachieving delay pedals in the marketplace, the Walrus Audio D1 might quickly substitute a lot of them within the top-left corner of pedalboards all over the world. It’s excellent.

5. TC Electronic Flashback 2

TC Electronic keeps making compelling pedals, and the pattern continues with the TC Electronic Flashback 2 Delay and Looper Pedal. Together with Line 6’s DL4, the Flashback 2 is a kind of “do it all” delay pedal where versatility is the secret.

A necessary factor to notice is that Flashback really comes in three flavors. In the event you don’t want the looper performance, then we strongly counsel you to go along with the budget-friendly Flashback Mini. Conversely, if you need more options and have the money to spare, you’ll need to have a look at the bigger Flashback X4.

The TC Electronic Flashback 2 is the second iteration of the super-popular unique Flashback delay pedal and has all of the options of its predecessor plus a number of cool new ones, most notably the MASH footswitch management.

You’ll be able to consider the Flashback 2 as an extra compact Line 6 DL4. The lower right knob lets you choose between seven built-in delay varieties: 2290, Analog, Tape, Dynamic, Modulation, Crystal (which has this shimmery/spacey factor occurring), and Reverse Delay; the 2290 setting is especially extremely praised as an improbable clear delay.

If the budget is not a problem, you may spare the room in your pedalboard, and if you need a slightly more fashionable and superior-sounding model of the DL4, we advise you to go along with the Flashback 2.

6. Source Audio Nemesis

For the intense tweakers and extra producer-style guitarists, Source Audio’s Nemesis is certainly a front-runner in sheer compatibility, working along with Source Audio’s Neuro app for iOS and Android. You may even use the spare outputs as an exterior loop, so you may insert one other pedal into the feedback loop of the delay line for a completely new dimension of sonic choices.

The Nemesis from Source Audio fills a specific niche out there by catering extra to producer guitarists than pure players. The performance that it comes with is second to none, making it among the finest delay pedals for that market, however, those searching for something easy might discover themselves overwhelmed.

It has 12 individual delay modes, as you’ll anticipate of a device of this kind, and has tap tempo performance. Additionally, it has MIDI and stereo I/O connectivity, which, when mixed with the Source’s Neuro app, offers you a ridiculous quantity of choices to mess around with.

An educated artist is going to have the ability to draft up some particular stuff with the Nemesis, particularly contemplating it retails for around $300, but those without the production know-how to utilize its many choices might wish to steer clear.

7. Eventide MicroPitch

Eventide is thought for prime quality studio effects in rack and pedal format. The MicroPitch Delay particularly is their finest rated delay pedal, showcasing the corporate’s penchant for high-quality sound, paired with fashionable connectivity and expanded management choices.

Their H9 Harmonizer and ‘Factor’ collection of pedals have proven the trade that they’re prepared for the live world, and the MicroPitch delay is proof of this.

Inspired by the legendary H910 and H949 Harmonizers, the MicroPitch is a pedal with some fairly stable roots. The MicroPitch can go anyplace from “always-on” the stereo widening, to some fairly spacey modulated delays and big solo or lead tones with little effort.

With the power to fine-tune each pitch, tweak the wet and dry signal steadiness and alter your tone to behave as a lead enhance, the MicroPitch is wholly capable of taking your tones to a different stage.

Sound quality is the primary purpose why individuals score this pedal highly. Customers are happy with how good and provoking it sounds, particularly when tinkering with the settings. Some customers describe the sound as clean and clear, whereas others are pleased that it sounds close to older pictures.

In addition, this pedal comes with an envelope filter and modulation controls that offer you extra sonic choices to play with. Lastly, you may modify the parameters of the pedal via a software program through its USB port.

8. Donner Yellow Fall Vintage Analog

In terms of worth for cash, the Donner Yellow Fall Vintage Analog pedal is tough to beat. It’s a small, compact delay pedal with all the most essential controls and capabilities available.

The very first thing that strikes you is the intense yellow aluminum housing and the minute dimension of the pedal. Certainly, it’s smaller than the vast majority of delay pedals, however, don’t let this fool you into considering it isn’t able to produce enormous sounds.

Where the Yellow Fall actually reveals its class is while you begin to mess around with the three primary controls. By tweaking the echo, feedback, and time you may create tight slapback delays or long, spacey effects and principally everything in between. It produces a really clear sound, with no undesirable noise or hum occurring.

The delays produced have a wealthy classic quality to them, and though the 620 milliseconds of max delay time isn’t so long as some digital choices, in our view, it’s a worthy tradeoff for the analog warmth.

At around $40, this pedal is a sensible value. It proves that you just don’t have to break the bank in an effort to get prime quality analog delay. Though there are a restricted variety of controls and presets, this pedal nonetheless offers you quite a few choices and is certainly valuable for implementing into your rig. That is simply one of the best analog delay pedals for the cash.

9. Electro-Harmonix Memory Man

The Memory Man is likely one of the most sought-after analog delay pedals ever constructed. With as much as 550 mS of vibrant tape-style echo mixed with chorus and vibrato, the Memory Man frequently stands out as the top-of-the-line analog delay pedal to ever hit the market.

This lovely BBD analog delay pedal is simple with tons of character. Merely plug the guitar (or one other electric instrument) into the input and connect the effect output to the amp. More involved routing is made potential by connecting into the Effect Out for the delayed and the Direct Out for the dry signal.

The Mix management mixes the dry and wet signals collectively. Degree controls the output stage. Feedback and Delay manage the number of feedback and delay instances (as much as 550 ms), respectively.

The “CHRS/VIBR” management added chorus and vibrato to the delayed signal to additional add sonic character to the output. The Depth knob manages the depth of the modulation.

The sound of the Memory Man has made it well-known amongst musicians and collectors. Since its first iteration in 1976, the Memory Man has made a reputation for itself as the top-of-the-line delay pedal ever.

The flexibility that this pedal offers makes it a must-have on any pedalboard. Its small dimension and inexpensive worth make it much tougher to withstand buying it.

10. Boss DD-8

Boss is a guitar pedal producer that is hard to overlook given its reputation and worldwide market presence. They win the hearts of guitarists with their efficient and sturdy designs, a great instance of which is the Boss DD-8 Digital Delay.

This pedal enables you to select from 11 totally different delay modes that cover every part from normal clear sounding digital delay to bucket brigade warm, to classic tape-based sounds. It even has extra unique delay modes that are reverse, delays with reverb, delays with modulation effects, glitch kind reverbs, and more.

Being digital it’s able to offer as much as 10 seconds of delay. It additionally doubles as a looper that allows you to record and overdub up to 40-second loops. Different options embody tap tempo, delay trails carry over switch, switchable stereo input/output modes, and extra.

Reviewers point out which delay modes they deem good sounding: standard and shimmer being crowd favorites, surprisingly many are additionally happy with its Analog and Tape modes. As anticipated from a Boss pedal, sturdiness and reliability are important components as to why folks rate this pedal extremely.

Lastly, it comes within the acquainted tank tough single switch profile that’s broad thought-about the usual stompbox design and dimension.

11. Eventide TimeFactor

The Eventide TimeFactor is an outstanding modeling delay pedal with tons of superior functionality. Let’s start our talk of the TimeFactor by recognizing that this unit has a twin delay engine.

These engines function collectively in stereo or dual-mono, or straight mono. Every engine can have its personal tempo subdivision, providing plentiful choices for rhythmic echoes. Each delay in TimeFactor contains an LFO, Filter, and novel Xnob management, in addition to an Infinite Repeat footswitch.

The twin engines have devoted mix, time, and feedback controls for the 2 impartial A and B lines. Eventide’s TimeFactor additionally contains a superior 12-second looper with variable pace and loop head/tail editing.

There are 100 preset slots accessible on this pedal, providing fast changeups to pre-programmed settings. Tap Tempo permits us to shortly alter the rhythm of the repeats. MIDI clock sync/generate permits us to attach the TimeLine to MIDI gear and tremendously improves the programmability of the pedal.

We are able to additionally change the input and output ranges of the TimeLine between instrument and line. This implies we are able to simply use this pedal not solely with a guitar (or one other electric instrument) but also with line-level sources.

If very good performance, sonic versatility, and superior sound quality are what you are after in a digital delay pedal, make sure to contemplate the Eventide TimeLine!

12. Empress Effects Echosystem

The Echosystem, in our view, is among the best delay pedals ever to hit the market. It is easy to use and has everything we might ever need (each sensible and impractical) from any kind of delay unit.

Empress additionally puts out firmware updates for this pedal that embrace new algorithms, parameter controls, and extra. It is a pedal that repeatedly improves even after its unique purchase.

The pedal has 12 algorithm varieties, all with a number of variations. The record continues to develop as new firmware is launched.

The Twin Engine performance of the Echosystem permits any 2 of those delays for use together, routed in both parallel, sequence, or left/right configurations. Talk about infinite inspiration!

Settings might be saved to 35 presets and accessed through bank type or scrolling style preset modes. In both approaches, the three stomp switches make accessing these presets straightforward.

The pedal has stereo inputs and outputs together with a Universal Control Port that permits us to have an expression pedal input, exterior tap switch, management voltage, exterior audio input, and MIDI (all utilizing the standard 1/4-inch jack)!

This pedal additionally has the fundamental controls (delay time, ratio, mix, output, and feedback) together with tap tempo, tone controls, and two multi-use parameter controls that control completely different parameters relying on the delay mode.

13. TC-Electronic ND-1 Nova

The TC Electronic Nova Delay pedal is a revolutionary, however classically constructed digital delay pedal with a red display and LED indicators.

In the event you’re a newbie in the world of delay pedals, you might find that it’s very straightforward to get confused with this delay pedal due to how many completely different choices you need to customize your tone.

Nonetheless, in case you’re somebody who is absolutely trying to regain control of your sound, this is likely one of the best delay pedals on the market to do that with.

The general tone of this delay pedal is colorful, pure, and really dependable. Whereas that is extra of a costly pedal, this would most likely match best within the hands of somebody who has a great amount of expertise playing around with delay pedals and actually is aware of what sort of direction they’re trying to take their sound in.

Guitarists who wish to experiment and create distinctive, authentic delay sounds will like it. It will be a disgrace to buy the Nova pedal and easily use the provided presets because it has so many choices that may be achieved via experimentation.

Also, you’ll by no means run out of choices when playing around with the Nova. The presets are prime quality and this pedal encourages you to create your individual sounds which generally is precious studying expertise.

14. DOD Rubberneck

Given the distinctive nature of the sound, crowning a definitive finest analog delay pedal is a troublesome and near-impossible process. Regardless of this, our primary pick is the DOD Rubberneck.

For the $300 you’re going to be spending on this one; you get an analog that may do all of it, from the standard delay sounds and melodies to the extra uncommon and peculiar sounds you’re going to be searching for.

The primary selling level of this analog is the oscillation which you can get in your repeats. Not only do these oscillations sound sick, but you’ll be able to range them in-depth for optimum management.

You even have control for tone and gain, too, providing you with far more customizability than you usually see in analog pedals. Holding in theme with that, the Rubberneck additionally has a much longer delay time than you may be used to with analog circuit, in addition to having tap tempo performance.

A regen knob provides control over momentary oscillation effects and an extremely usable delay-time sweep makes extra atmospheric delay lines potential. Positively the winner of the quirky underdog award on this best delays contest!

All this makes the DOD Rubberneck an analog capable of a variety of sounds from quirky to typical and is arguably among the many best delay pedals available on the market right now.

15. Chase Bliss Audio Tonal Recall

The core of the Tonal Recall is constructed around a pair of reissued MN3005 bucket-brigade delay chips, leading to an unmistakable analog character and velvety tape-like modulation depth. But it surely’s the pedal’s digital performance that actually sets it aside.

Whereas the guitar signal stays 100% analog, the digital aspect means you get fashionable amenities resembling tap tempo functionality, optional bypass, expression management over any parameter, and the flexibility to save presets, all while retaining the constancy of the pedal’s basic analog delay tones.

Like many analog delay pedals seeking to amp up their sound, this Chase Bliss pedal has built-in modulation. Not only can we alter the speed and depth of stated modulation, but we are able to additionally alter the LFO waveform of the modulator (between triangle, sine, and square waves).

The tone knob of the Tonal Recall doubles a “Ramp” management. This can be a cool characteristic that works along with the dip switches on the back of the pedal.

The ramp may be set to manage any of the other 5 parameters individually or simultaneously (mix, rate, time, regen, depth). It may be set to both modulate or ramp-and-hold (rise or fall) these parameters through dip switches behind the pedal.

Merely put, it presents every little thing you can ever dream of from an analog delay pedal, with the trendy conveniences of digital.

A Word on Buying The Best Delay Pedal

For probably the most part, delay pedals are fairly simple, providing controls for volume, delay time, and feedback – and for many of us, that is enough. That being said, as the delay pedal advanced through time, as too did the options tucked away inside.

In the event you like your delay to be precisely in time, you could wish to find a unit that gives tap-tempo. As the title suggests, this function lets you manually enter the tempo of the delay by merely tapping a switch with your foot.

Some fashionable delay pedals provide the flexibility to regulate the tempo – and different parameters – through MIDI connectivity, which means you possibly can have your delay pedal respond in real-time to manage data being despatched from a laptop computer, switcher, or one other pedal.

Do you wish your delay had much more movement? Well, maybe you want a unit with a built-in modulation change. This modulation provides a chorus effect to just the repeats, bringing an additional dimension to the sound. The MXR Carbon Copy does this very nicely, and in some methods, it is paying homage to the worble present in retro tape delay.

Below we’ll list some elements to consider in case you’re at the point where you need to purchase your new delay pedal.

Price

When you aren’t somebody who has an enormous budget to be playing around with, you’re actually going to want to make sure that you’re keeping track of the value of your delay pedal.

You also need to remember the fact that if you do find yourself spending your cash on a delay pedal, make sure that you’re investing in an effect pedal that’s going to last you a very long time.

It could be a waste to purchase a delay pedal that’s low cost but only lasts you a month or two. If you wish to have a high-quality delay pedal that’s going last you for a good while of time, chances are you’ll need to save up some more money (relying upon your budget).

Versatility

When it comes to versatility, digital delay pedals are much more versatile than analog delay pedals. In the event you’re really eager about the ability to get a ton of use out of your delay pedal, a digital delay pedal will actually get you the flexibility that you’re searching for.

If you end up taking a look at delay pedals, just remember to take note of the features that the delay pedal comes with. There are some delay pedals in the marketplace that present customers with extra effects resembling looping, tempo, and reverb.

Having extra effects in your delay and reverb pedal will assist to avoid wasting your money, as you won’t have to buy additional pedals.

Construct Quality and Dimension

How necessary delay is to your type and sound will dictate if it’s good to pay close consideration to the construct quality and dimension of the pedal.

As with every pedal you shop for, if you’re going to be playing live and stomping on it night after night you’ll wish to be certain that it could actually take a superb beating and stay functional.

A much less sturdy construct quality often means a way more inexpensive pedal, so be sure that’s one thing you actually require. Relating to dimension, the extra feature-laden a delay pedal is, the bigger it will likely be (thus taking over more space in your pedalboard), and sometimes costlier.

Do I Really Need a Delay Pedal?

A delay pedal is mainly just used to add extra texture to our sound and is mostly a matter of personal selection with regards to what you concentrate on in your sound.

You need to use a delay pedal to help make your sound extra noticeable in case you’re attempting to stand out from the sound of the opposite instruments in your band or if you’re solely simply trying to add a unique layer to your sound.

Adding in extra layers to your sound can actually assist to remodel your sound into something far more intricate, without having to study something new (or change devices).

What Does a Delay Pedal Do?

Although the technique of attaining the effect can get a bit difficult at instances, the precise function of a delay pedal is fairly easy. Primarily, all the pedal actually does is playback the notes that you just performed.

Nonetheless, this effect additionally has a number of different interesting uses. For instance, when set to extra refined settings delay can work wonders in filling out your lead tone for solos. This method is definitely commonly utilized in nearly every style, although it appears to be most typical in Country.

Conclusion on Digital Delay and Analog Delay Pedals

No matter if you are after analog or digital delays, an average delay pedal should have at least the basic parameters that will let you shape the sound of your delay. You will also be able to find picks that will recreate the tape delays from the tape age and get that analogue delay sound that digital delay effects are struggling to recreate.

You will have the freedom of signal processing with various delay times and delay types that guitar players are after. Enrich your pedal board with some traditional delays or analog-style delays that can have both mono or stereo operation.

This sums up the usage of the delay effect and these units can definitively bring you some benefit, no matter if you plan to use them live or for studio usage. Having a trusty delay pedal can take you a long way in signal processing.

In case you are having any questions in terms of this topic, please let us know in the comment section below and we will be more than happy to answer your questions.