Behringer VM1 Vintage Time Machine

Takes a while to dial in the sound. The level and mix controls have to be set carefully for best results. The level overload led indicator helps. With analog delay, you want to keep the level up to reduce noise so the level control is really there to match different pickups. Then the mix knob changes the amount of effect a lot in the last quarter of travel. Care needed for best results.

Analog delay is very good. Not too much distortion in tails. Not too dark but a real analog echo sound, not a digital imitation. I have owned several other analog delays including a Carbon Copy, a cheapo Toys R Us pedal (which had noisy tails on longer settings) and a Boss DM2 which was pretty good but only had up to about 1/3 second repeats. The Behringer does much longer delays (over half a second) and yet is not excessively noisy or dark sounding. The Carbon Copy had a similar long delay and modulation a bit like the VM-1 on a low setting, but was very dark sounding.

No nasty pops or buzzes in mine.

The modulation chorus or vibrato (depending on switch position) is good in small doses, a little is all I generally find I want to use.

This pedal can do crazy self oscillation trippy sounds if you want it to.

Seems well built but too early to say.

For the money its amazing.

Definitely takes a bit of knob twiddling and being an anlog delay there cannot be any tap tempo to set speed, and needs care setting the input gain stage - but Behringer provide a LED overload indicator which is a nice touch.

IT IS AN ANALOG DELAY! - sound quality is low fi and slightly hissy - much like any other analog delay. Edge's Deluge Memory Man hisses too and we don't hear him *****ing about it. The VM1 does analog delay sounds very well - that is what it is. Analog delay by nature blurs the sound and hiss is inevitable but this pedal is no worse than most.

I will probably annoy some cork sniffers but I have also owned a MXR carbon copy and IMHO this pedal can do everything that the MXR can and a lot more. They are both quite dark sounding (the CC was too dark for my liking) but I think possibly the range of options on the VM1 makes for more confusion at first and maybe people don't take the time to set it up right.

I find I need to get the input gain matched to the guitar being used and take time to balance the mix, speed and delay for the sound I am after - this pedal has the same general capability as a Deluxe Memory Man, same general pros and cons. Maybe not quite as good as an original 70's DMM or a Moogerfooger so I will knock a point off...

I should question reliability as one or two of the dudes who reviewed it before me seem to have bad units, either that or they have never played a real analog delay before. Mine *seems* well built and quite robust. Time will tell.

I must score this very highly here because for the money it is unrivalled. I have been playing for years, owned some original seventies EH pedals and while I think it is a shame that Behringer rip off classic designs so shamelessly, nevertheless they have created a decent analog delay which is amazing VFM.

Pretty standard delay pedal layout. Not complicated in the least bit.

I am not really big on returning gear because it is weak on this aspect or that aspect, one has to do their homework.

But I did return this pedal. Aside from the nasty pop when the effect was engaged or disengaged and the dull-sounding by-pass, the actually playback of the signal always gave a hiss. A very loud hiss. Longer decay times compounded this sound and makes it progressively worse. I had no other pedals in the chain. It is lo-fi in the sense of bad workmanship. I think something was wrong with the unit. You get what you pay for.

I would not mail order the VM1. It should be played in person, to see if there are any glaring flaws. I am really disappointed.

pretty easy to use, but the tremolo/chorus knob works differently from a memory man where i remember the delay knob set the tremolo/chorus speed. here it's the effect knob which does that.
the manual said the delay is 450ms and not 550. i don't think it gets as long as 550.

it sounds cold, a horrible hum kicks in when engaged, i brought it back to the seller in 2 days. He said nobody complained about this and they sold a lot of them. I think it's just bad, cold and useless. i've used many others analog delays including a memory man but this sound nothing like the warm and lush delay of the MM. Just don't be as stupid as me thinking that a 50 Pounds thing could be as good as a 200 pounds one.
Just try the two machine in the shop side by side and you will understand the difference.

seems well built, brought back in two days

well, i brought it back to an official behringer dealer and I got a store credit, i guessn the customer support from them is OK.

this is a squallid copy of the EH Memory man, with shorter delay time, a cold and unusable delay. Ask to the shop to give it a try side by side with the memory man. Then you'll understand the reason of the price gap. and you will realize it's the MM you want and not this chinese rubbish. Don't buy it unless you have tried it before

This pedal is a sinch to use , there is a preset page in the manual just to get you going but very easy to use.

I use the vm1 with a 72 deluxe reverb , gretsch duo jet with dearmond pickups, gibson es 135 , airline tuxedo ,gibson es295 and the vm1 sounds killer with all of them , i play old style rockabilly grady martin is my guitar hero and i can that sound from this pedal no problem at all , think johnny burnette trio , don woody , little brenda lee all the retro rockin country rockabilly,

only had the pedal a week

as above

If this pedal was stolen i would buy another strait away.

very easy to get a good sound, 5 knobs, level, mix, feedback, delay, chorus/vibrato. chorus/vibrato switch. this is the deluxe memory man clone, and although ive never messed with the dmm to any great extent, ive heard enough dudes playin them to say that this sounds pretty effin identical. the manual is not needed easy to set up. the manual has suggestion setting that can help you with starting points.

Esp Eclipse II, Esp NV STD, Mesa Mark 4, maxon od-9, mxr kfk ten band eq, isp decimator in the front of the amp, boss ce-2, dd-2, dd-6, dm-3, maxon cs-9 pro, and mxr carbon copy through the effects loop. i didnt find VM1 noisy at all. the delay, echo, and vibrato sound great, the chorus lacks, maybe i need to set it up with the direct out as well, but i dont have a second amp on hand to test that. very ethereal majestic sounds tho. the delay has 550ms, and sounds awesome, nice break up with the analog delay. worth it for the delay alone. id never spend 300 on a dmm , but for 70 u.s. dollars, ill take the VM1.

very sturdy construction, knobs seem sturdy as well. i would gig without a backup, seems very reliable.

never dealt with behringer on any level.

i play alot of metal, along with other things. been playing for 20 years. if it was stolen i might buy another one just because theyre so affordable anyway. i love the delay, echo, and vibrato, but the chorus is weak, again this could be due to not having a second amp to test the direct out. didnt compare it to a similar product, but this pedal can get some pretty ethereal majestic sounds. this pedal could def help musicians write some interesting things. here is a demo vid that i made.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSl5LrM6LcQ