Boss DD-20

If you read the manual (short and easy), figuring out how to use this thing is really easy. But for some stuff, you really do want to read the manual. I've found that it's really important to get an extra momentary footswitch (you can get em at Radio Shaq for $10). That way you're able to turn it on/off, change patches, and use the extra switch as a tap tempo. Without that switch, you can't change patches and tap tempo unless you want to stand on the right switch for two seconds, which isn't practical live. It's a drag that the light goes off automatically and you have to turn it back on, but that's not a big deal.

I generally hate digital delays, and I generally hate stuff Boss makes (it usually sounds too thin to me). I had an old Boss delay/sampler that gave up the ghost, and it blew. The DD20 is great, however. It doesn't color the sound unless you want it to, and when you do want it to, you can do some pretty nifty stuff. It's also dead quiet if you use the right adaptor (just go buy the actual Boss adaptor and you'll avoid some real hassles) and good cable. It's hard to get real freak sounds out if it, if you're into that-- like you can't grab the time knob and wing it around to get weird pitch bending, but the fact that you can get 23 seconds of delay rules, and that looper is extremely addictive. If you have a stereo instrument, the DD20 works nicely, because it's stereo all the way through. I run a Warr guitar into a mess of effects feeding each side, and it keeps them nice and separate.

Seems dependable. I keep it nestled in a pedal board and don't smack it around. I use it without a backup-- I'm not made of money. I should say that despite Boss's acclaimed reliability, I've managed to kill two of their pedals even with gentle treatment.

Unless you want to shell out twice as much, you won't find a better-sounding, more versatile delay. It's tempting to incorporate it into everything musical you do, because it runs the gamut from really subtle to opaque sounds that most people wouldn't understand. Like some others have said, definitely get this before the Line 6 (those are inexplicably renowned-- I think it's because Guitar Player loves them).

Pretty easy to use. I come from rack stuff so this is kinda like a toy. Seamless patch changes work well.

I'm using this in the FX loop of a Soldano Decatone head.

It's not noisy, and apparently the buffer is pretty good.

I'm using it in wet/dry mode, using the 100% wet output and blending in the delay signal with my amp's parallel fx loop mix knob.

To be honest, this unit doesn't sound that great as an fx-loop device. It sounds decent with a guitar plugged straight into it, but that setup doesn't work for me because I use a high distortion preamp, which requires delays to go after the preamp (fx loop).

I find that the overall quality of the delays is poor. Even with the tone knob turned full right (enhanced treble frequencies), it has a lot of trouble cutting through. Output is just kind weak. The majority of the "models" are gimmicks. In fact the only one that's decent is just the "standard" delay. The analog sucks, the tape is a joke, twist/warp are ok but kinda useless... sound on sound works right i guess. The modulation delay is pretty good actually.

The one that really pisses me off, is the Dual Delay. Why didn't you morons actually try this one before reviewing it? It's absolutely worthless! By "Dual Delay" you'd think it's like any other dual or stereo delay, with two independent delays running in series. Well, it's sorta that, but the first delay is limited to 100ms or less!!!!!! WTF are you gonna do with that? So all you can get out of it is a doubling effect proceeded by a normal delay... there are no rhythmic possibilities as one would suspect. You people need to check these things out before you come on here giving perfect reviews on your new toys.

Overall I am very disappointed with this unit, as it simply sounds crappy in an fx-loop setup.

BTW, yes I have tried the -20/+4 output level toggle, this is poorly implemented as well.

Seems well made, steel. 5 year boss warranty.

n/a

This has a great feature set and is a great concept. For some people, particularly those using it in front of their amp, it will work well. For FX loop users, I would caution you. Go try it at the store first or something. If you want to go the FX loop route, get a rack unit instead.

In general, this delay is incredibly easy to use. If you've only used straight stomper delays before, it's pretty much the same. If you've used anything with memory presets before, it's pretty much the same. The only thing I imaging could be made easier is the beat ratio settings (the ratio of the number of delays per foot tap. The display could be used to show this a lot better - there's no way to discern what the current setting is if you're playing it live, as it uses tiny eighth/quarter/half/whole icons with tiny dots and triple icons... then again, I've never seen anything else do this well either.

I've only had it for 1 day, but combined with my experience (18 years of delay pedals) and the 4 hours of use (butt on the floor tweak time and stand up loud rehearsel) I do feel comfortable reviewing it this early. I've tried it in 3 scenarios so far - in an effects send/return off a mixer to check on some older tracks (A/B'd with some cubase tape sims), Through a Mesa Boogie Maverick into 1x12 EVM loaded Thiele, and with a Mesa Boogie Mark IV into a '73 Marshal greenback cab (along with a fulldrive II and Ernie Ball volume).
Every mode is extremely quiet - as quiet as it gets. This is a bit strange though when using the analog mode - my old boss dm-3 was not quiet at all - not something that I appreciated. I noticed that another reivewer mentioned that he had tried two and that they were both very noisy - sounds strange to me... perhaps the output mode setting (-20/+4 db) was set wrong? I should add that this feature was a wonderful surprise, as I can now use this pedal as a DI for and get instrument level inputs into my mixer that I didn't have before - strange that noone mentions this. The only other problem I can imagine with that previous user had is that perhaps they're unable to discern the difference between the pedal noise and other sources ( pickup, excessive gain, compressors, etc.)
Effect wise, Tape, analog, standard, dual, pan sound amazing to me. It's been over a decade since I've tried a real echo plex, but I hear them all the time from some studio work my band has done (before I showd up)... I do believe it could fool anyone with in depth experience, but I'm not that guy, so mind the grains of salt.
I found it embarrassing when some Edge sounding licks popped out - only natural when you've got the same kind of syncopated delays - The first and last time I'll ever play Pride, In The Name of Love.
Two strange effects for allt he RadioHead fans out there - Twist and Warp. Both modes are normal delays until the on/off button is held down - "Twist" sounds just like when you tweak an analogue pedal's delay time shorter and "Warp" sounds like manually turing up the feedback and level on an old analogue delay. Releasing the on/off button lets the cacophonic swell die down back to a normal delay. Again, I could never see myself putting this up on the back-beat, but for review's sake, I though describing these cheesier effects might help some reader out there.
The "Smooth" effect was another unexpected treat. This is basically a delay where the tap adds reverb onto them. The reverb sounds very plate-like, and in conjunction with the tone knob and a very tight, one slap delay, you can get just the right rockabilly slap back. I was amazed at how well this worked out in conjunction with the thick reverb on the Mesa Maverick, and the MIM Telecaster never sounded more 50's
I don't really believe in the 10 score unless you know that nothing could ever top what you're rating. I give it a nine because of the modulated delay, which I found a little weak . I had an effect like this on the old Digitech Multitap some 12 years ago - too long to recall which would sound better as my ears have probably changed more than dsp chips have in the same time. However, I just don't think that the modulated delay sounds very musical. I imagine that a wet or stereo chorus or vibrato would sound far better than the modulation built in to this effect. Also, with two extra "deep" parameters to control this (rate and depth), it's cumbersome to dial it in to sound just right.

I really couldn't say...It comes with a 5 year warrantee, but did the last Isuzu I bought, which turned out to be a mistake...

I paid an extra $20 for expedited replacement service (just drop it off at UPS, and Boss mails back a check for the price of a new one.). I bought this because of how impressed I was with the pedal while demoing it. I would need a replacement for this right away if it pooped out on me.

I've been playing guitar for 18 years, with over a decade of drums and violin beofre that. I currently play in 2 bands, ready to start playing out again. One very alt.folky, ballady, replacements sounding quartet with a country "edge", and the other is punky/emo/indy mixed up band. This pedal hits all the bases and most any kind of delay sound I want is easily summoned up. The trendy analogue sound is only missing the noise artifacts, but that's not missed. Crystaline bouncing shimmer, PBS space documentary intro music, "Creep", "How Soon is Now", "Whole Lotta Love", "Wind Cries Mary" - it's all there. I know that I could tweak 50's rockabilly slapback sound into some great country lead sounds.
I compare this to the delays on many other units I've tried, multi effects and standalone: A Boss DM-3, a Digitech MultiTap, Boss DD-2, Digitech RP-12, Didgitech 2120, Lexicon MPX-G2, Boss GT-5 and more recenly a Danelectro Wasabi forward reverse delay. This is as good or better than anything I've used. My last attempt at a delay, the Wasabi, was returned in exchange for this - the tone cut on the Wasabi didn't do enough to warm it up and do the fake analogue/tape thing at all.
The pedal could be made more useful if it had a third foot switch (i.e., smaller, like the Line 6 delay modeller) so that memory and tap functions could be done more easily. The idea of using a separate switch and taking up more real estate on the pedal board is a real drag. I've yet to try the "Mode 3", where memory bank switching is done by hitting the two-pedals simultaneously - this might appease me.

It's pretty easy to get a good sound. The editing is a little complicated and not entirely obvious, but if you just play around with it most everything sounds good, even if it leads you someplace you weren't expecting. The manual is good, but it does take a while to check everything out because there's a lot of functions. I wish there were some more shortcuts, because I still haven't figured a lot of stuff out. It doesn't sound bad because I haven't figured it out yet, but I don't have full control of all it's capabilities yet.

I plug into an Ernie Ball volume pedal into a TU-2 to a Fulldrive 2 into a modified Boss SD-1 overdrive, into the DD-20. It goes from there straight into a Peavey Delta Blues. The delay is not noisy at all. It's all good. I've used this with my Les Paul Junior and Tele Custom.

It's a Boss.

I've been searching for the right delay for years, going through a lot of pedals on the way. I had a Guyatone MD3 most recently, a Boss DD-5 before that, the Dano PB&J delay, a Zoom thing, and some other stuff I can't remember, all gone on e-bay. This has tap/tempo, dual delays, good vintage delay sims, the reverse thing, looping of a sort, and a place to store favorite settings. Makes me sound like Robert Fripp or The Edge. I haven't had it long enough to go more in depth, but it seems like most everything it produces is extremely musical. Well worth the price. My search for the Delay Grail has ended (I think)

Lots of features... I'm too lazy to list them all. see other reviews.
Very easy to get a basic dealy out of it.
But getting the best out of it requires some time... or extensively reading my review ;-)

It is a digital delay so it doesn't perfectly sound like an analog delay or a tape echo. The simulations are close enough though, but it's not what I use the most. warp, modulated etc... are not my thing. I like digital delay when it's used properly anyway, and remember there's a tone knob to cut off the high end.

BUT... the potential of its digital delay is amazing, and that's what makes this pedal stand out. dead quiet (of course!). Reverse is excellent. I love the smooth setting too (try 130 ms with a long feedback and play arpeggios). The delay time starts at 1 ms ! the quality is pristine. No rack lexicon or TC or whatever sounds better than this. Now wait...

ATTENTION PLEASE!! The reason why I'm writing this review is that most people don't realise the DD-20's full POWER. A lot of people say the Line 6 is a better looper... they're wrong. Do yourself a favor and get a extra pedal for tap tempo. Now set the right pedal to switch between manual and one saved setting. Set both on digital delay, infinite feedback and 23 seconds of delay. Using the tap tempo pedal to start and end a loop, you can use the DD-20 as a TWIN LOOPER, running two loops in parallel. Get it? One tap, play, one tap, it loops. Use the left pedal to overdub phrases. Memorise the time shown on the display. Switch to the other delay (manual/saved) with the right pedal. You can set the time to be the same (parallel loops), half, or off-tempo if you wish. CHAOS! The feedback knob allows you to have loops fade away if you wish.

I told you to use the 'digital delay' setting, but you don't have to! that means, you can make loops with the analog simulation, or tape etc...!!!

I also told you to set the delay time to 23 seconds, but you can also set it to a normal delay time, that way you can LOOP A DELAYED SIGNAL.

One last thing: Put an A/B box in front or your DD-20, and do this parallel looping thing IN STEREO. If you don't have a stereo set-up, try with earphones first, I guarantee after a few minutes of this you will drop your guitar and run to the shop to buy another amp.

There are other features I love about this pedal. I love the stereo routing. You can use the DD-20 as an A/B box, run the delays through a reverb with the dry/fx output mode, etc...

The only thing I DON'T like about this pedal is that you can't turn the rate knob smoothly. I wish it would self oscillate like a DE-7 or at least pitchshift like a basic DD-3. Buy a DE-7, put it in front of your DD-20 and you have an amazing delay combo. Some say the best, I don't know, I haven't tried all those low-fi 80's kaputt delays and loopers. So anyway when you turn the rate knob ou get digital farts. So people love that (there's a review below with extatic comments about those 'rythm patterns'), I don't. That's really the only thing it lacks, but well, a DE-7 isn't expensive.

That's it. Print this out and go to your closest guitar shop. If you still have questions after that, post them on the guitargeek forum: www.guitargeek.com. The geeks are friendly and will be happy to help you out.

It's a boss. 5 year warranty
It's got a display though, so I'll take care of it.

No idea

I love this pedal. It's a songwriting tool + a unique looper + a great programmable delay pedal for live use. Fantastic value. Go try it.

Well here we are back in Roland-land after trying every goddam delay there is. And guess what, it's the DD-20 that cuts the mustard. So anyway, ease of use: well actually it's not the easiest pedal to get your head around! I needed an hour with the manual and I have an IQ of 6.3 billion (but then again I am the alien he surfed with). But really if you just want a straight delay then twiddle the knobs, tap the tempo pedal and you're away. If you want to save stuff, mess with the chorus (yes there is a CHORUS in this pedal) or get your loops right you need to sit down, read the book, and try things out. So not totally intuitive, but what can you expect with only 2 control pedals?

Outstanding. All the delays are superb. Plus you can tweak them with the tone control, tap the tempo, twist this, warp that, you name it.

Running straight into my THD head at -20db it is great, running in the THD fx loop at +4 it is great, running in the post-master-vol fx loop (i.e. straight in the power stage) of my Torque acoustic combo it's a bit hissy but what the hey (who puts an fx loop after the master vol anyway? Idiots). Bypass may not be true, but it's pretty darn good and you'd need a scope to measure the difference when the DD-20 is out of circuit.

The "standard" delay is pristine, the analog and tape delays are retro, the chorus is actually not bad (tip - delay to 1ms then you have a bog standard Boss chorus effect) plus you can tweak rate and depth.

The gimmicky stuff, well "warp" and "twist" actually do little for me after the initial fun moments but who knows, I might get into them. Dual and 2-head delays maybe aren't that gimmicky, but they're not straight delays either, andway they're good. Same for reverse.

And now a special mention of SOS (sound on sound / loop sampler or whatever it is). So I'm new to this, but once you've got the hang of the timing of starting and stopping the loop, it is truly excellent! American Life track 2 here I come... hours of fun :-)

Boss/Roland gear has never, ever let me down. And I've been using it since the early 80s.

I thought of trying one of these and emailed Boss saying I wanted detailed info, they sent me a manual in the post next day. These guys have the right attitude.

This really is the best stomp box delay I've ever used. Maybe it could have more delay models but lose the gimmicky stuff, but who cares - it's great, I love it, it's now on my pedalboard. I can't wait to see what they bring out to replace this with!

This unit was extremely easy to use out of the box, although the manual helps, especially with regards to the assignment of output type. The manual is unusually well written, boss typically struggle in this area, but I guess they are working on the problem. The patches are easily editable, if you can't do this then you either live at the zoo or dont have working opposible thumbs, in which case how the hell do you play???

My setup at the moment is a Les Paul thru a Boss Tu-2, Boss Ce-5, DD-20 (clean channel selected using a Ls-2) and a dirty channel consisting of a OD-20 into a Ns-2. Soon to add the new sabine phlanger (really good sound quality phaser and flanger combo) My current amp is a marshall AVT-100. I also ran my Cort Curbow 5 string bass thru the DD-20. This pedal was quieter than a dead mouse, with the exception of the guitar noise I put in. Most of the settings were extremely usable and I can see myself using all except the twist and warp functions live. The modulate setting is awesome, it has a slight chorus/reverb addition to the chorus. With no effort at all I obtained a perfect U2 the Edge sound using this setting @ 420ms, awesome awesome awesome. Using the SOS (sound on Sound) setting is also cool, Withing 5minutes I had looped the piano riff (on my guitar) for closing Time by the Semisonics and was jamming alongside. Okay this setting might take some time to master, but it is usable, unfortunately the loop cannot be stored like the Boss Rc-20. Another extremely cool addition on this pedal is the fact that the sounds still delay into a fade, after the effect has been switched off, no more sudden delay kill. The tone knob allows for equilization to counteract the high frequency roll off, which I hav'nt noticed.

Its A Boss. Apart from the digital display, I would be happy to use the pedal as a self-defense weapon and still play it without a backup. The metal casing is the usual Boss thickeness, and the display is out of the way, so it doesnt get treaded on when Im jamming. Okay the unit does draw 200mA current, so it likes batteries more than my girlfriend likes chocolate, but hey get a Onespot power supply and power all you pedals at once (for the price of a Boss PSA (Bloody rip off).

When you live in South Africa its a little hard to get pedals to Boss headquaters, but hey anyone who breaks a boss pedal (Ive read of a few people) is either cursed or works for Line 6 (probably try to reverse engineer the technology). Oh yeah about Line 6, try senting a broken Dl-4 unit back to the US for repairs from SA. Im pretty sure the Dl-4 unit has a selfdestruct button sequence, coz they are absolute crap when it comes to reliability. Besides the Dl-4 quility is eclipsed by the DD-20. I'll never touch Line-6 stuff again it sucks big time. Read the Dl4 review page to see what Im talking about, so many horror stories on that page they should make a movie Freddy vs Jason vs Dl4 (my money is on the Dl4) thats some scary Sh*t.

I play mostly alternative rock, and delay has to be my favourite effect, so the DD-20 Delay makes me really happy, not to mention how it makes my music sound. Overall I love this pedal. Knowing Boss, my grand kids will probably be playing with it at some stage. Fantastic Boss has really done it again. If this pedal was lost or stolen, I think at first I would be depressed for about a month, then I would track down the scumback/low life, give him credit for stealing quality and then I would beat him to a pulp with my OD-20 (also a twin pedal, so its pretty heavy). Ive been playing for about 4 and a half years and I have to say Boss is the best when it comes to effects, I have a Vf-1, Rc-20, as well as the effects mentioned above. All the other makes I have tried really suck, and being a medical student, I dont have cash to blow on any pedal, so I try was avalible and choose the best, hence the Boss stuff.

Contrary to most other reviewers, I find this pedal very easy to understand. I fully read the manual in about 20 minutes, and I understand all of the functions (it is more complicated than your standard effects, of course). I just bought (and brought back) a Line 6 DL4. Talk about hard to use! The knobs adjust different parameters in different modes. Another thing that makes the DL4 obsolete is the lingering delay after the effect is bypassed. With the DL4, you have to hold 2 switches while inserting the input jack to activate this feature. It is automatically on with the DD-20. Oh, and this runs off of standard 9v Boss power, so you don't have to buy a dedicated power supply from the manufacturer (*cough* Line 6), or spend an ungodly amount on a Pedal Power (which doesn't even power a Line 6 properly, by the way - trust me, I measured it myself.)

Cut and dry: Gibson Les Paul Standard, Marshall JCM 900. No noise whatsoever. The delay sounds great (it's digital- it's not going to soumd exactly like an Echoplex, but I knew that before I bought it). Again, to compare with the DL4, the DD-20 can do almost everthing the DL4 does. The only feature it doesn't have is the 1/2 speed and reverse feature of the loop sampler. Big deal. Those features aren't really practical on stage. The DL4 seems to have a broader range of tones with its patches, though, and may be a bit more true to the original sound, but overall, I'd rather have the DD-20 anyday. Also, the reverse is great. You CAN set the pedal to only hear the reverse delay, and not the forward signal. It's clearly stated in the manual.

I've never had a problem with a Boss pedal. That's the main reason I brought my DL4 back and bought this. I read the horror stories from other customers. That pedal just felt cheap. This is standard Boss - heavy-duty and solid!

Like I said, never had a problem - never had to deal with them.

A guitarist of 11 years, and not really one for many effects, I think this is a great pedal (ESPESCIALLY compared to the DL4). I love the reliability, durability and use-ability of this pedal. Best delay on the market, in my opinion. If I lost it, and bought another delay pedal, this would be the one. Hands down. Very glad I returned the DL4, and picked up something I don't need to think about when I use, and something I don't have to worry about crapping out when I least expect it. If you want a great delay, go for the DD-20

Okay, you've got to read the instructions for this one. it's not that you can't use it without, but getting clued up really opens things up. Once familiar with what it can do, it is very easy to use, being quite intuitive.

As far as can tell, this sounds awesome. I use a washburn into a boss VH1 (multi effects half rack) then into the delay and then into 2 (count 'em) marshall 8080s. I'm not that into the retro delay soun d so can't really give an authorative answer to this but in my experience retroheads tend to go for genuine old gear as opposed to modern immitators. *I* can't tell the difference - the retro sounds sound suitably murky to me but as I say, I don't use them. What I do use are the digital delays, and this sound clear as anything. Also, the deteriation of the signal is absolutely minimal. I tried out the DD6 and set up a nice long loop and within a minute the delayed signal was as muddy as anything. With the dd20, you can go out for lunch and come back and it is still pretty clear (I did this!) an hour later, the thing is still spewing out my stupid riff with *very* little degredation. There are some gimmicky effects here, the warp and twist which are fun but would probably be of minimal use. (note, the warp itself is not such an awesome effect but if you stick it before a distortion unit or preamp it gets pretty cosmic) But the reverse! Man, I thought this would be bullshit but if you get the rhythm keyed into what you're playing using the tempo input, then this thing sounds mental. When used right which isn't too hard with some practice, this thing is going to get heads turning. It really has got a total hendrix/ RHCP give it away vibe and I could definitely use it in a live setting. The other great thing is that two effects can be used at once! I can set up a loop in either the loop mode or by just having a long delay setting with infinite feedback, the switch to a short delay, or reverse mode and both repeats come out simultaneously - at different rates!

It's new so it's not been put to the test yet. But no Boss product I have ever owned (got my first pedal in '91) has ever failed so I would expect this thing to last and it feels damn sturdy too, though I would guess that the knobs could break if not looked after but hey, that's your responsibity.

Again no need to talk to Boss, but I have had previous experience with Roland UK and they were just fantastic so I am happy to give them a 10.

I play a mixture of Power Jazz, Prog Funk and Cosmic rock (kind of Sly and the family Floyd) and this thing is awesome. I bought it essentially to have a loop recorder which could be easily used while playing live. I have a delay in my boss rack unit but it has less than 1.8s delay and I wanted longer. But the DD20 has so much more that I now rarely use the delay in the rack. It is better than I expected so instead of listing its advantages, I'll make a brief list of disadvantages.
1. The delay signal is not 100% as loud as the direct signal. This is a shame.
2. The tempo input only requires 2 stomps as opposed to 4 on other boss units I have used. I know that other posters have said that 2 is better than 4 but I disagree completely. with 4 stomps you get a much more accurate measurement! I have my tempo pedal connected to the delay and my multieffects so the input is the same, but often the tempo on both is different, as the rack uses 4 stomps and the dd20 uses 2. Whenever I check against the tempo on my keyboard/sequencer, the rack is usually on the money whereas the dd20 can be anything up to 4 bpm out. If I'm creating a long repeating loop, this 4bp quickly magnifies. If only boss had put a selector in the device, so both schools of thought could be happy.
That's it. Other than that - it rocks. And funks.

Easy, if you know you delay systems. One read through of the booklet(it small)and programing/Editing is a snap. The Tap mode allows you to step on it in beat with the song and the delay will ring in time with the music. Most of the products I buy are second rate compared to this johnson.

Sound great. No loss of signal when I run it through the loop of a Marshall(+4dB) setting. No humming or buzz that I can Hear.

Only had It for three month, so I'll have to check back on that one

Haven't had to deal with a problem, but the website is informative.

I play rock to metal and it works for me. Jamming the axe since '83. My guitars are 2x Gibson explorer and a jackson King V(D. Mustang). Run 'em through a dbx 166 compressor>>Boss TU-6 Tuner>>Morley Wah/Vol>>Marshall 900 preamp>>loop send>>Boss DD-20 delay>>loop return>>Power amp. Yes, I would buy another if stolen. I love the Tap feature. I'm still trying to figure out my pedel alighnment.

in case you are debating whether to purchase this, the dd-20, or a line 6 dl4, let me just decide for you. you want a dd-20. no, really. i mean, i don't know if you've played a dl4 but if you've compared these 2 units it's an obvious decision. the dd-20 is far easier to use, has better sound quality, and offers more useful features. for example, where is the display on the dl4? that's right, there isn't one. the dd-20's display can even light up. oh, yes, it lights up
let me mention the main thing about the dd-20 that makes it superior to he dl4. the dd-20 has not only 4 memory banks ("patches") but also MANUAL MODE. those wacky kids at line decided to leave out this feature, making their pedal practically useless.
once you read the manual, it's pretty straightforward how to use the pedal and it's easy to write patches. you can also switch the display from milliseconds to bpm, change the output settings, how the pedal switches from manual to patches, etc., all of which is explained clearly in the booklet. in short, once you read what is actually on the pedal you can play around for hours. then, once you've read the booklet you find, "oh, gee, it can do THAT!?"

NICE. the digital delay settings are crystal clear--the most genuine reproduction of the original signal that money can buy. or at least that i've heard. the analog setting is probably the best digital simulation out there. even short slap-back style delays are nice, which were frequently a problematic area with older digital delays. the tape setting i can't really comment on, as i've not had any experience with playng the real deal. it does emulate that tape warble ("flutter") but i'm not sure how well. the reverse and modulated delay are at least as good as the dl4. as with the dl4, you can set and/or program the dd-20 for the amount of modulationdesired. same goes for flutter on the tape setting. warp attempts emulating the spin of a knob on an analog delay, i.e. the ole spaceship spin. it emulates it well, but it's limilted in ts tonal spectrum. twist is nice but it too could go a bit further of the deep end in order to allow delay craziness. i've only played it through one amp (acoustic control corporation g60t) so i'm not sure about stereo mode. no, you don't have an armada of delay modulations like on the dl4. the dl4 rarely hits the proverbial nail on the vintage effect unit. boss has chosen not to deliver an overwwlming array of delay types. they've compacted all of the basic sounds one needs, which i find much more usable, and, quite frankly, the sound quality is much better. don't get me wrong, the dl4 sounds nice--but it always has a bit of a digital toy aspect to the sound.
it also offers the best looper i've ever used. with the dl4 i frequently got a slight click at the end of my loops. the dd-20 on the other hand almost seems to smooth out the transition. and 23 seconds ain't bad. and infinite overdubs also ain't.

seems quite reliable and well-built.

it's a decent warranty. otherwise, i can't comment.

now, i'm sure some dl4 fanatics will try out the dd-20 and ridicule it for not having some of the same features. for example, the dd-20 can't play back a loop in reverse or in 1/2 speed. on the other hand, those are 2 features that i probably never would've use and they are almost impossible to use live anyhow. (besides halving the time also dropped the notes an octave anyhow.)
i use this for standard delay sounds, spacey shoegazing, looping and heavy overdubbing, etc. i can't imagine this pedal not fulfilling anyone's delay needs. at the same time, there is room for improvement. for example, it's not possible to loop a delayed signal. that's not a big deal for me, as i have 2 other delay units in front of the dd-20, but i wouldn't need em if i could delay + loop. but i guess the delay + the loop are using the same memory circuit so the uit would require an extra memory circuit for that. however, the seemless switcing makes it possible to loop something, and then switch over to a delay setting. expression pedal? i don't kow if it's neccessary, but it might be nice.
i'll give it a 9 for now, as it's the best of the delay/looper genre. but i'm sure something else is in the works that will outdo the dd-20.

If you understand Engish, no problem with manual. Any way it sucked me out for the first hour I tried to adjust the sound.

My setup is Fender Strat_Plus or Washburn Signature series with EMG and X2N (Dimarzio), -> Custom drive-distortion box (with true bypass)-> DOD Ice Box -> Boss DD-20 -> customized Marshall tube head -> 4 speaker cabinet.
Sounds very good to my taste. If you use it with normal cords and good power supply (Max 9.8V) (I made my custom, stabilized, with filters ) it is noiseless unit (Clear as bell, as crystal). It's the best stomp delay I've ever heard. For good sound you should read manual and follow technical recommendations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Very reliable unit

Don't know. Nevre dealted with company.

Rock, funky, blues. Every vere is useful. I play for 8 years it is beter than I found delays in most digital guitar stations. It is beter tham Line6, DD-6, DD-3. If you are looking for good delay, just try it and you will like it.

Not to bad some of the fuctions require you to push more than one button. There is no indication on the front pannel so you ether have to read the manual or remember. For example if you are using the modulation and want to change the rate and depth you need to push down a button (can't remember which one) and turn the delay knob. Not very intuitive.
Over all its pretty simple to get a good sound. But because of the above it only get a 6

I really like the sound, very quite and very nice mix of delay types. --Someone commented on the amount of noise the pedal was making???? that guy should read the manual and learn about line levels, if you getting NOISE then your output level was set for +4db, come on man this is a digital pedal!

Anyway back to the review. I really like the analog and modulation delays, nice features like tap tempo come in real handy when playing live.

No problems yet, I had it for about 2 months

I really bought this because of the sound on sound feature. I was looking for a delay and the fact that this one had SOS really sold me. I was thinking about the DL4 but after reading so many negative reviews and the fact that it needed a 1200ma power supply and pedal was so BIG I didn't even test it. my thinking was if the DD20 didn't sound good I would consider it, but the DD20 sounded great and it has 23 seconds of SOS, no save fuction though.

I think the above really speaks to the quality of the DD20 as I could get the DL4 for less than the DD20.

I have been playing for a long time and know what I like and I like My DD20. It is a good pedal of the money. Highly recommeded

It's quite simple to use this pedal in its fundamental, intended form... more in depth program changes such as altering the button mode and a few other neat tricks require the manual, which is well written and perfectly sufficient. Scrolling through the four presets and the manual mode can be tedious, but if you set up the delays properly in order of common use it shouldn't be a problem live. Also, a few other features are customizable, such as the memory led display, so once again, awesome. Great LEDs in genreal actually, and very nice to have the actual delay time always displayed...

I have to give a glowing review here, because it truly does exactly what I'd like it to sonically. I use a few different short tape delays, and this pedal nails the sound I'm looking for. Of course, you're not getting the "wow and flutter" effect of real tape or even the Line 6 DL4 which adds that, but that brand of extraneous noise is not in my list of preferences. All of the 10 different delays sound great, though I only use a few. Analog, Tape, Standard (Digital), and Modulate are really the only I employ, but the possibilities are numerous with this beauty. My Rig is as follows:
Strat Deluxe Plus/Tele Deluxe/Bluesbird >>Fulltone Full-drive2>>Marshall BB-2 Bluesbreaker(Boost Mode) >>Vox Wah>>Korg Dt-10 Tuner>Fender late 90's 'The Twin'. Effects Loop is as follows:
Line 6 MM4>>Boss DD-20>> EH Holy Grail Reverb .

This pedal adds no noise whatsoever and is prestine in every way... top of the line in my opinion. In other words, if you're looking for a pro delay with a lot of options, fantastic quality and reliability, go the Boss route... (Line 6 is an option, but see my reliability comments below for further clarification)

This is where the Boss DD-20 out-performs its main competitor, the Line 6 Dl4. I was thinking of getting the Line 6, mainly because you don't have to scroll through a couple of presets to get to the one you want as you do with the Boss. Though this isn't a huge issue. And after reading reviews of the DL4 here on Harmony Central, it quickly became apparent that there are some serious quality control issues with the Line 6. And Let's face it, Boss stuff is some of the best for reliability... I have complete confidence in this thing lasting forever (I do baby my gear, mind you). It is well built, well-designed, and with each press of the footswitch you are assured of the quality inherent in the pedal. Kudos Boss.

I've never had to deal with them, for the reasons mentioned in the reliability section.

I love this pedal. I've been playing for 12 years, gigging for ten, and play on a regular basis. If it were lost/stolen, i would certainly get another. I also quite like how it runs off of 6 AA batteries, which are cheap and easy to find anywhere. The looper is great, though i don't use it live. Easily the best delay in the Boss stable, and perhaps in any stable for sheer useability and practicality.

It has plenty of clearly marked knobs to twiddle (noW, now, keep it clean)eg delay time, effect level, feedback etc, and the display clearly shows the delay time. Two pedals one for on/off, the other for memory select. had a great sound in 10 secs. a little hint you can have 5 memory patches. Set up a manual patch when you switch it on and have 4 already stored patches in the memory to get 5 patches, thats 2 more than line 6. Maual is very basic, but its sooooooeasy to use that if you can't work it, you're dead.

Best quality, its a DIGITAL delay but you can get more analogy type sounds out of it. I use a Les Paul deluxe, Fender Strat Plus, Mesa Boogie. I don't know what the other reviewer was talking about when he said it hissed or something, must be your ears cause it sure wasn't the pedal.

Not had it long (2 weeks) can't comment. Seems really sturdy though

Never had to use it

Would by it again in a heart beat.
The only other conteder out there is the Line 6 DDL4. This pedal has more patches, easier to modify sounds (more knobs and a display line 6 you have to guess your delay time), better quality (line 6 was too harsh), smaller, sturdier (metal, not plastic, and is #20 cheaper. Which pedal should you buy. D'oh, no brainer

Fairly intuitive and the manual is good. Once you've been through the manual it's a piece of cake.

Excellent quality delay. Much better than the delays in my GT5 which I no longer use. Twist and warp a waste of time though. The modulate delay is nice for adding a kind of chorus sound to the repeats(with a short delay it can do "chorus"), the dual is nice but it'd be great to have independent control over the volume of the short and long delays. I like the tape echo and especially the two head option. Smooth is also a favourite adding reverb to the repeats. Pity there aren't a few more memories or an indication in the lcd as to what delay type is in use.

It's boss

No opinion

Totally satisfied with what it does, the price, ease of use and the quality of the delays. Lovely for my cod gilmour impersonations.

It's pretty easy to get a good sound out of this unit. The manual is very good. Editing patches are fun. Excellent layout of the controls. I like were the input and out etc. connections are.

Let me start with BOSS delays. I was contemplating on getting the DD-3 or the DD-6. I like them both. But after playng a few tunes, I spent too much time knealing down changing settings for differnet tunes. So I decided to have something programmable. I even had the line-6 DL4. It was like a kids toy. It also sounded too digital to my ears. I'm using an Anderson Cobra-S and a PRS 22 and PRS 24 with the Rivera Quiana Studio. Unit sounds really good with these guitars and amp. I connect the unit through the EFX loop. It doesn't change the sound of my amp or guitars especially when I turn the unit off. The delays really sound professional. Analog settings sound ....well analog. The digital sounds ....well digital. You can soften the digital sound with the tone control. Digital, analog, tape, warp, twist, dual, pan, smooth, modulate(one of my favorites), reverse, it's there if you need them. I'm really happy with the unit. For lead work as with distortion/overdrive, it's a killer. You can get a lot of delay sounds from your favorite artists. I think 23 second is an overkill but hey, it's their if you need it. I like the size. I have to rate this unit a 10. It's the best programmable, professional sounding floor pedal delay unit I have ever heard so far.

Too early to tell. It's three days old.

Never deaklt with them.

I play Blues, all kinds of Rock, Fusion, Jazz. Beautiful unit to have and keep. I've been playing for 25 years. Heard alot of really good delays. Heard alot of bad ones.This one has professional sounds. I don't know how BOSS does it but they have created a really good programmable delay unit and still kept it competitive. I wish it had a built in tuner with programmable cent(s). That would be asking too much . It would drive the cost an extra $125.00. I also wish it had a carryng case.

i thought that this pedal is much more easy to use than the almighty line 6 DL-4. You have a whopping 4 knobs that are very self explanitory, i love this pedal, and if you want insane tone, and crazy delays, use a dd-20 and a dl-4 at the same time!

clear as a bell! no infamous tone eating! i love that. its true, clean delay, with no residue.

very reliable, it doesnt reprogram itself like the line 6 has a tendancy to do. it is so solid!

dont need it

if you are into the U2, radiohead, clodplay, beautiful delay tones, this thing is for you. if you are into vintage tape, and analog delay sounds, this is for you, whatever you are into, ITS FOR YOU. i have been an official tone snob for about a year, and this thing took some research, but i have never been happier with a purchase. hear it in action at www.teelmerrick.com

very simple considering all the different things you can do with it. It takes 5 minutes to read the short, clear manual and then its plain sailing - otherwise you'll likely get confused or miss features. Although you're also likely to discover a few things that the manual will have you believe aren't possible... don't you love it when that happens?

Utterly silent, hum-wise. Doesn't colour the guitar sound that i can hear. I'm putting an Epiphone Dot into it, and what comes out of the box is as warm and clear as what goes in. But i reckon the box's own sound is lovely and warm too: i use it a lot for mangling the guitar into unrecognisable fragments of noise and improvising with these, and the sharpest digital shards are never uncomfortably harsh, even to my coward ears. Doing similar stuff with some pedals quickly becomes grating.

The effects: if you're listening Boss, the Level & Feedback knobs should always go all the way past meltdown - the sticklers for exact Space Echo replicas etc can stop at 6 if they get dizzy. And can we loop delayed sounds please? And can we hear just the delay without the played notes? (And if you really want to please me, a sample snapshot button to capture the nice random things that appear and store them somewhere, and a waveform synthesizer, and...)

The effects i love on this aren't the ones listed as effects but the ones you get from wazzing about with other controls like you're Lee Scratch Perry. I use the Reverse, Tape & Analog settings most for that. You know about the common settings so i'll share my thoughts on the three that aren't; one incredibly useful and two who're there to blow your mind in the shop but won't remember your name in the morning.

SOS (sample overdub, clean sound only sadly) - The only sensible answer to chris' comment elsewhere on this page ("who the hell needs 23 seconds sample time?") is: who the hell needs more than 3 strings on a guitar? who the hell needs the frets above the 12th? who the hell needs alternative tunings? who the hell needs more than one erogenous zone? Creativity finds ways to use whatever potential allows and 23 seconds allows a lot of things - including detailed representations of hell, chris. You can overdub continuously on the 23 seconds so there's actually far more sampling time, and you can 'punch in' the overdubs. Fantastically useful for songwriting, working out harmonies, live performance, improv, atmospheres. If only you could loop the delay-effected sounds...i'd never leave the house tho'.

Twist - Oscillates the delay with increasing speed & pitch. In technical jargon this translates as 'blasting into space on a spinning rocket'. Unfortunately the volume increases violently too, rendering it impractical at those moments when you need to blast off on a spinning rocket. Bit of a waste overall, although with one hand on the volume and some experimentation there are things like evil techno bass swells to be coaxed from it.

Warp - increases volume & feedback of delayed sound. The feedback level you begin with makes a big difference as you're either bringing back what you've played a second ago or everything you've played in the last 23. It increases and declines far too steeply for the supposedly subtle effect to be employed with much subtley. But i'm sure someone's doing something wonderful with it somewhere.

the LED went after a few months and now resurrects itself for short periods according to planetary alignments not charted in the manual. A real pain for using it live, i need to find a little light i can clip onto the box. I suspect the moral here is always follow the manual's instructions for switching the unit on & off - it seems to matter in this case.

I was joyously surprised to find it lets you misuse it so creatively: there's worlds of different sounds to be had from setting infinite feedbacks then altering the delay times with the knob, and doing it with the pedal gets different effects again. Don't get me wrong it doesn't have anything like the potential of plugging into a computer, but the fact i'm even comparing it to that and often use it in preference is remarkable. Its a simple little box full of complex sounds with liberating limitations and i've had a lot of fun with it, as a song sketchpad, a dub fx generator, to jam with myself, an improv engine, generating mad aphex twin-ish rhythms, soundtracking angels or devils. Highly recommended to the explorers out there. (Mis)using it live with a band would present a few challenges. It'd be great as a solo improv tool, although i've seen a cellist/singer (Mrs Pilgrim) use a green Line 6 Delay live to great effect - different limitations, i'd like both!

This is a hard one to give an accurate rating. As far as stompboxes go, yes, this is way more complicated than the average stompbox. But the user interface is so intuitive and powerful that you don't mind taking a half hour or so to dig in to all the features to see what all this pedal can do. They really thought through how a guitarist uses an effects pedal, and how it can be used in new ways. From having four presets that are a snap to save and access, to having a speed-jog delay time knob so it doesn't take forever to dial in the delay time, to being able to switch from a tempo display to a seconds display, to having tap tempo capabilities...the list goes on and on. If we were talking about it strictly as a digital effects processor, I'd give it a 10 for ease of use, but since it IS a stompbox, I'll give it a 7. Keep in mind, being feature-rich is not a bad thing.

Here's another one that's sort of tough. If we're strictly talking "digital" delay, then it's the best I've heard. Not only is the digital delay a dead-on copy of the original note, but the TONE knob gives you the abilitly to dial in a more analog-sounding delay if you prefer. There's also an "analog" setting to get an even closer simulation of analog delay - nice and warm and round. The only thing with with a delay time longer than 300 milliseconds that sounds better is the Maxon AD-900 - this is a true analog delay. But if you're looking for a good tape delay sound, you won't find it in the DD-20, it's tape delay simulation down-right sucks. (Try the Hughes & Kettner Replex for this, or a real tape delay.) There are other sound settings on the DD-20 that create interesting and even useful delay sounds, but I consider them more bonus experimental features that do not make or break this pedal and I therefore don't give much weight to them in my evaluation.

This pedal, like all Boss pedals, is not true-bypass. But as far as my ears can tell, it doesn't compromise my tone in anyway when it is off. Plus, this pedal is dead-silent when both on and off. And having the delay effect continue to trail off once the pedal is shut off (a benefit of non-true-bypass) is priceless.

All in all, I'm giving the DD-20 an 8 for Sound Quality simply because there are better-sounding analog delays out there and it totally sucks for tape delay simulation. But again, if I were only grading it as a strictly digital delay, I'd give it a 10, there is no better digital delay.

I'm offering no rating here as I haven't had it long enough to know for sure. Boss pedals have always held up for me. I don't see why this one would be any different.

Never had to use them so I'm offering no opinion here.

Overall, this is a fantastic digital delay pedal. I see the Boss DD-6 on many guitarists' boards, and the DD-20 takes everything that is good about the DD-6 and improves on it ten-fold by adding tone control, four-preset programmability, a parameter display and up to 23 seconds of delay (even though this is total overkill - who the hell needs 23 seconds of delay?) among many other features.

It seems many people today, when in the market for a delay stompbox end up choosing between the Boss DD-20 and the Line 6 DM-4 Delay Modeler. Well, when I bought this pedal, I also bought the Line 6 DM-4 knowing that once I made my decision between the two pedals, I'd take the other back. The Line 6 went back. As far as I'm concerned, no matter what Line 6 says, all of their stuff sounds sterile and digital. Their DM-4 is no exception. The Boss unit sounded more lively and "real." But where the Boss truely won out was in the features department: four presets as opposed to Line 6's three, a backlit LCD display so you can see what parameters you are setting (Line 6 has no display), editable tempo and note pattern relationships, it's smaller and cheaper, etc. The Line 6 unit also had a lot of unusable "psycho" sounds, but it DID have a better looper and a dedicated tap tempo button.

If you're only going to own one delay unit, the Boss DD-20 is the one to own. It's feature-rich, very powerful and sounds great, plus it's relatively inexpensive.

P.S.: Just don't plan on powering it with the Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2. I emailed both Boss and Digital Music (Voodoo Lab) about this with no response. From my experience, using the PP2 with the DD-20 is unreliable at best. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I would imagine it has to do with the power the DD-20 draws (It's rated at 200 mA by itself. The PP2's jacks are each only rated for 100 mA.) And unless you plan on spending a fortune in AA batteries, get the Boss PSA adapter.

if you cant figure it out with the manual you're a moron

IF you were like me choosing between the Line 6 and Boss, this is what you need to know

Boss :
-has SMOOTH transitions when you turn the pedal on/off or switch memory slots (it finishes the delays in memory)
-doesnt make ANY noise at all ever, and especially when you hit any of the pedals (on/off or memory)
-is very top notch pro quality
-has 23 seconds of delay

Line 6
-is very childish, not pro quality
-makes noise when you hit the buttons
-DOES NOT have smooth transitions when turning on/off or switch memory slots. A HUGE PROBLEM. the delays stop abruptly when you turn it off.
-sometimes has a volume increase/decrease
-COSTS MORE THAN BOSS

Hence, buy the boss. The only cool thing about line 6 is this:
-it has alot of weird trippy stuff. however, all teh wierd trippy stuff is useless if you know what your doing. For example, the line 6 has a sweep echo. This is EXACTLY the same as putting the Boss in mixed output (direct:A effect:B) and putting phaser after the B output. excpet in the line 6 case, its a shitty phaser, and you cant put it BEFORE the effect. its just a dumb pedal. it is infantile. not for pros.

Get the boss. Its pro/studio quality. Its everything you need in a DELAY pedal (...yeah, so it doesnt come with a stupid phaser setting....buy a phaser moron. if you REALLY interested, you can turn this delay into a chorus pedal by setting it on modulate, time=18ms, feedback=really low, level=high)

the only plus abotu the line 6 is that the modulate mode is SLIGHTLY SLIGHTY smoother sounding. at any rate, put the boss in mixed output and put a chorus after it or something. same crap.

boss...although the LED is a little scary...dont smack it...but i have had NO problems so i goto stick with 10. Also, you will be surprised how long the batteries last in this thing ! (just an extra bonus)...(althouygh it does take 6AA's not a 9v)

why would you need customer support with a boss....?

i play TOOL style stuff, lots of delay, lots of effects, lots of weirdness. This pedal is my favorite of all. It is the perfect all encompassing delay. you will never need another. justy buy this and be done with it. (although the other twin pedals arent so hot). No noise, ever, every setting you can want, easy use, memory slots, 23 sec delay, looping, reverse, modulate, smooth reverb, analog, wierd crap like twist and warp, sound on sound....dont be stupid and buy the line 6

Ergonomics: The dd-20 gets high marks for its ability to do temporary delay triggering.... the pedal on the left allows you to drop delays in and out at will; the feedback continues even as you go back into bypass mode. nice applications for that. This feature can be a nightmare for superlong delay times, though, where it's necessary to change the patch a few times to cancel out stray regenerations. Helpful that it's possible to store several patches at once. My main issue is that the actual sound of the delay is kind of foofy- means that you kind of end up using some of the nicer ergonomic features as workarounds. I've had this pedal for a few weeks, have gigged and practiced on it a bit.. Switching from a really great sounding Lexicon MPX1 setup with pedalboard. that rig was a pain to schlep around and the delays weren't designed to have as much variety- but you could just set it up and forget it, it sounded so musical. I was prepared for a bit of a step down, given the difference in price- but the Boss really sounds like an effect to me, and I'll probably end up using it as such if I keep it- just for feedback and looping.

I am a horn player with an electronics rig, I'm kinda sensitive about tone issues. I bought the DD-20 in order to avoid going the Line 6 route- I can't hang with the DL4's converters- even the line 6 rackmount sucks the life out of my sound. The DD-20 is much fuller in comparison, I can get through a gig using it. but the delay sound kind of lacks integrity, it's not that convincing to me. The pedal works well enough and it has a variety of delay sounds, but so far I don't feel that it adds anything useful to my sound. I always end up tweaking the mix levels and tone, trying to get a musical sound out of it, something that sets up a mood, inspires musical thought, not a lot of luck so far. I also have an Adrenalinn II- this box isn't really promoted as a delay pedal, and the implementation is nowhere near as flexible or convenient- but the delays sound much better to my ears. Not cleaner, crispier, sweeter- just stronger, kind of inspires confidence in a way. Hard switching from a (good) Lexicon unit, though- YMMV.

I don't think it'll break down- but the way that the bypass is implemented (see above; you have to change patches a couple times to totally wipe the memory buffer & lose the regeneration) can make for some weird moments onstage. I'll keep experimenting, there may be a simpler way to work around this.

The DD-20 has plenty features, I especially am digging the looper and the way you can kind of drop delay bombs with the "soft-bypass" switch . I give Boss props for designing a stompbox that doesn't totally shred the incoming signal also.

that said, the delay itself is not all that hip sounding. It's not bad for a $200 pedal, but I don't like the way the delays regenerate or trail off- and it doesn't sound particularly strong or convincing to me the way a higher-end digital unit does. The modeling and equalization they did approximates the sound of an analog rig to an extent- but the vibe really isn't anything special.
delay pedals should make all the girls want to go home and jump their boyfriends! you know what I mean? Otherwise, there's no real point.
Again, for the two hundred + bucks, it's a decent value.
And this box may have been specially designed for the register and impedence of a guitarist's setup - the sound issue may be less crucial for some of the guitarists out there. But I have a fair idea of what the pedal wants to do- I'm driving it with a mic pre, going for a huge, big fat juicy sound, looking to get something sexy out of the box and it just hasn't been happening. I'm probably gonna sell this and check out the H&K Replex or the Maxon AD-990 when it comes out.

This will not be the easiest pedal to get up and going with. Give yourself a few days to really learn it, before you plug it in with your band. Learn at home time. Once you know it though, it is simple enough to change on the fly. There are pedals far harder to master (Try the UD stomp for example; a programming nightmare).

It sounds wonderful, and the tones are very much like the effects they are claiming to be. The reviewer who mentioned noise must be using some other pedal, or just configuring it wrong. I run this on the FX loop of my Vibro-King; the amp is all tube, and tends to take any noisy devices and play hell on my sound. This thing is silent as a mouse. Not a whisper. The delays are adjustable from vintage analog or tape sounding types (with the modulation you can make even more tapish style delays) to pristine digitals. I think the standard mode sounds wonderful.

Some of the people reviewing the pedal cite as faults what is really their misunderstanding of how an effect works. If you choose reverse delay on any pedal, if you do not have the mix set so the effect is 100% of the sound, you will still hear your original guitar line. Come on guys! Think about it.

The manual could be clearer, but it does the job. The pedal is a keeper, sound is the best I've tried (I am notorious for going through delay pedals).

No idea. It's a boss - I suspect it would be reliable, they have been making them for years.

BTW - Interesting to note, other than the CE-1, this is the only Boss pedal I have ever bought and liked (as in kept). I usually don't buy their stuff - the effects are usually too limited in control, and cheesy sounding duplicates of the good ones. This pedal is a definite exception - it is a stellar delay.

I am not goint to move my score down and penalize them for not making this pedal easy enough for a barbarian to use ;-)

YOU MUST READ THE MANUAL. THAT IS UP TO YOU.

Other than that caveat, I simply haven't heard a better delay outside of a decent recording studio. This tops any rack units currently slopped out by GC by a wide margin.

Read the manual to find out the depth of this pedal. As far as just picking a delay, tapping the tempo, and getting what you want, it is pretty simple.

Super quiet. The delays are beautifuls. I don't have much use for the warp or twist function but everything else is useful.

TO EVERYONE THAT THINKS YOU HAVE TO HEAR YOUR ORIGINAL SIGNAL WITH THE REVERSE DELAY. TURN YOUR EFFECT KNOB ALL THE WAY TO THE RIGHT. THIS WILL GIVE YOU THE REVERSE DELAY ONLY!

The analog patch is dead on. Best digital copy I've heard.

Smooth is well . . . smoth.

The modulated delay are warm and funky.

Best pedal I've bought this year (and I have wayyyyyy too many pedals)

I've only had it a month but seems as sturdy as any other Boss pedal.

Great pedal, I give it a 9 just because the warp and twist modes could have been used for something more useful, but overall, what it does, it does great!

A little baffled at first, but the manual is pretty clear and I now find it very easy to adjust my settings. Its quite easy to get a good sound, and a little bit of extra work will get you a great sound.

Only problem arises when changing to a different patch - the delay time appears but not the other settings. Just means you need to know exactly what each patch is before using it.

Really should have included the adaptor - another #20, but I talked them down to #15.

I originally was using this between guitar and amp. It sounded good, but was a little noisy. Got a couple of new leads the other day and have been using it in the effects loop. A lot quieter and sounds better. The other advantage is that the repeats still have a distorted tone to them, rather than if it was before the preamp in which case they would sound cleaner when the are programmed quieter.

All the different styles are good, with modulation being a favourite. Warp and Twist are a little OTT and couldn't be used more than once in a set.

If you are after revesre, it works best between the guitar and amp - that way you will only hear the reverse if required. In the loop you get the forward guitar first and then the reverse repeat. It takes a little getting used to but does sound good when used lo-fi.

Favourite thing at the moment. If you set up the 1st patch for a 300ms infinite repeat and volume swell a chord, you can change to the second patch while you get a sustained chord from the first. Put a little delay (450ms) on the 2nd patch. Playing 'Eastern' sounding parts sounds really good.

Only gripe is that the repeats always fade in volume. Brian May style solo harmonies (ala Brighton Rock) don't sound quite right. He uses two pedals for this set to 800ms and 1600ms. They are both the same volume when he plays, but not when I do. Only a small problem.

When I first got this there was some problem with the pedal - on a few occasions I wasn't getting a delay, but instead a strange 'metallic pipe' sound. Only happened a couple of times, and never again. I'll see if that develops into anything.

Never dealt with BOSS. The shop I bought this from are friendy guys, but in a different part of the country from me. I was totally taken in by the spiel the guy in the shop gave me, and when he started playing U2 I was sold. I'm so easily convinced. Still, he was right.

This is a great pedal. It is my first delay pedal and I chose it over the cheaper DD-6. Most options and sound better. I also looked at Digitech but have heard that a lot of them are breaking down.

I haven't fully exploited all the potential of this pedal, but think it is capable of really changing how you play.