Delay Pedal ?'s

[Riffmeister]

I got an analog delay pedal today. Usually I would run it in an FX loop, but this amp that I have at the moment doesn't have one. It sounds and works fine on the clean channel, but when I use the distorted channel, first off, the repeats are a LOT louder, like the mix goes from 0 to 5(that is compared to what the mix does on the clean channel, where you have to actually turn it up to around 3 to really hear the repeat) and second, it has this horrible blurred togeter kinda sound, especially if I do any bends . If I just play a single note or chord and cut it off real quick, it sounds fine, other than the louder volume, but it is almost useless for any kind of soloing with the noise it makes.

Is this just due to it being in the front of a crappy practice amp? Jsut wondering cause I have heard guys say they run it in the front of an amp with no problems.

Now I don't think I am hearing things either, but it seems that shorter repeats sound louder than longer ones do also.

Its an MXR Carbon copy if it makes any difference.

[Larz]

Could be loop related to a degree.

I have a few different analog delays (Ibanenez, EHX) and they sound incredible on clean stuff, but a little less than stellar with heavy distortion. Is that an analog byproduct versus digital?

[toejam]

Delays sound like ass if not in an effects loop.

[Trussrod]

Delays sound like ass if not in an effects loop.

+1 It has to be after the pre-amp or it sounds bad.

[Riffmeister]

Cool, I jsut have to wait for my FX loop to get here along with my new amp next week then

Joe,

I must add that this thing sounded like DIRTY ass, not just ass LOL

[Cygnus X1]

Best thing to do if running up front is get a good distortion or overdrve pedal, then delay after it.

You don't want a situation where the distortion comes after the delay.
That's why timed effects are best in the loop.
Because they are engaged after the drive.

Sounds like you're pushing the delay prior to the the distortion, thus the mess.

The MXR Carbon is a good pedal, so that shouldn't be the problem.
I've dealt with this for many eons, being a longtime Fender amp owner.

Much as I love the sound of an old Fender pushed hard, I have to use overdrive
in order to use a phaser, flanger, or a delay effectively.

[Riffmeister]

I have always thought that was the way to go- Time based stuff in the loop- and overdrive etc up front. But I had an amp with a loop in it a few weeks ago( It went back didn't like it) and when I put my phaser and flanger in the loop, they sounded like shit! The flanger just had a sound I didn't like and the phaser was totally unusable in the loop. but sounds good in the front.

I didn't have this delay pedal then to try in the loop.

Now not mixing time based stuff with overdrive or distortion type stuff, Before I go rewiring everything and trying out stuff, Does it make much difference if a phaser or flanger is before or after a delay? Like do I get a diffrent sound from a delayed phaser than from a phased delay signal?

[warlok]

I use my cheap Biyang delay in the loop and it sounds great. Sounds like crap up front. My bro in law has a carbon copy and we A-B's them and were very surprised at the quality of the Biyang. Only real difference is the CC's repeats degenerate quicker. The first repeat is almost exact copy and degenerates from there. Both completely silent when switched on or off. Bombtek's onto something with these Biyangs. I also wanted to mention, most say put your noise gate last in the chain. My chain is DOD rack EQ, Korg rack tuner, EHX Clone Theory, MXR smart gate, Biyang delay. I had never thought about it but having the delay after the gate keeps the repeats after the gate... gates. Sounds great!! Try it if you hadn't thought about it already.

[broken_fusion]

Im using the Biyang delay in the loop too and it kills! Love it.

[roodyrocker]

Its not just because its a cheap amp. Effects, especially delay and reverb, will sound different on the same settings when you switch from your clean to distorted channel when going through the front of the amp. I have some amps that have no loop so its not an option and others that have a loop but the tone of the amp changes when I use the loop. So now I run my pedals upfront regardless of whether I have a loop or not. Anyway, one solution to the difference in the clean vs. dirty channels running the same delay/reverb is a nifty little device I just picked up from Gigrig called a Wet Box along with its controller pedal. This allows you to plug your delay into it and control the amount of wet/dry signal going to the amp with a volume/wah style pedal. So when you go from clean to dirty channel you just back the effect off in real time to where you want it. You can also use it to bring more effect in during a solo, etc... Just recently got it and I will be re-doing my pedalboard with a Gigrig switcher as well. This stuff is badass!

[rocksoldier]

I have to +1 what everyone else said. Delays just don't work that well in front of the amp.

[Riffmeister]

After fooling with it, the longer the delay, the better it sounds, but still doesn't sound good with the distortion. It will definately go in the loop on the new amp.

I have heard people say they run this thing in front of their amp with no problem, they MUST not be running it with any gain.

[VitaminG]

that could be so. Or they are getting their gain from a pedal with the delay after it

[Foulacy]

delays do not work the same from in front of distortion/overdrive:

1) the delay sends it's repeats into the distortion
2) the distortion compresses the signal and distorts it
3) thus every repeat will be the same volume

it's not rocket science.

[Riffmeister]

It may not be rocket science, but it's something I didn't know.