Boss DM-3 Analog Delay

I matched one of the youtube demos which starts at max delay v. the programmable delay on a bass podxt, it's 310ms + or - 5ms.

Very easy, top notch, simple, u crazy cats know what i mean

THis is a really really nice sounding effect, now i know boss pedals normally get slammed and slayed. But analogue delay is something they really dow pwn!

I bought a MXR carbon copy, 2 weeks prior, i used to use a boss DD3, and i thought, analogue kicks and the mxr has a similar delay lenght, 600,

after playing the mxr, i thought, yeah this is a kickin sound, but its analogue, and digital has a place too,

digital is like, my guitar sound is a brick wall, and the top of the bricks and crumbling and corroding making a cool echo sound, and annalogue is like a whole bunch of people banging on the back of the wall not getting through and muffled, both are fantastic sounds, so now i use both, but seeing as i was keeping the DD3 on my board, i decided to feel free to get a shorter "more boutique pedal" being the boss dm3, i got it for about $200AUD on ebay, and instantly its sounds amazing. not as dark and warm sounding as the carbon copy, but its wierd, it sounds so good. much better with overdrive than the carbon copy.

dont get me wrong, i intended to resell the pedal i liked the least, but i think i might keep the carbon copy too, lend it to someone or put it in the sock draw, because its a really cool sounding pedal.

similar to the malleko 600 dark,
where as the DM3 is like a mallekko 300 bright.

why not do what i do, in a country where analogue delays arent in stores to try, be adventourous and buy a few, try them all sell what u dont want,

this this is second hand and at least 20 years old, looks loved, but works fine.

never needed it

i rate the sound of the pedal 10/10

sure the delays arent the longest, maybe about 320-400mms.

but anyone will love it.

worth getting it now before they go up in any more price!

It has only 3 knobs : Repeat Rate, Echo & Intensity. Simplicity is always the best to my opinion. Very easy to dial-in conventional delayed sounds, or single short-delay.

I mostly use the DM-3 for rehearsing at home with a '07 Fender Special Run Palo Esrito Telecaster (MIM) and a '79 Fender Princeton Reverb with boost switch, with a little touch of reverb.
Sometimes I connect an extra '65 Fender Deluxe Reverb to the direct output to create a bigger sound with the 2-output system that makes the DM-3 superior to the DM-2.
The DM-3 analog delay is very warm & clear sounding, not noisy at all and very pleasant to your ears, I think that's the main reason why this pedal has become so popular.

Boss compact pedals are build like a tank, I will use it at a gig without backup (only some extra rechargeable Ni-Mh 9V batteries and a battery charger).

Boss user manuals, schematics & additional information can be found on the net, so no problem for that.
I could even track the serial number 674400 of this DM-3 on www.bossarea.com, turns out that it was made in Japan in june 1986.
I bought this DM-3 on 03/17/08 and it didn't work at all, but I've been looking around for this pedal since the late eigthies when I started to play electric guitar, even then it was already difficult to find one, so I took the risk and bought it, took it home, removed the bottom plate and quickly noticed that 1 of the 2 wires connected to the pedal switch had a bad solder joint. Resoldered it, et voila, this baby works fine again.
I've never needed any customer support, I repair all my gear (amps, cables, guitars and effects) myself, if it would break I'll fix it again.

I play mostly blues & jazz, I like to cross the narrow line between these 2 music styles, my idols are Ronnie Earl, Anson Funderburgh, Duke Robillard, Jimmy & Stevie Ray Vaughan, Hollywood Fats, Junior Watson, Freddie King, Albert King, BB King, Albert Collins, Magic Sam, Earl Hooker, Robert Jr. Lockwood, Gatemouth Brown, Johnny Guitar Watson, T-Bone Walker, Lonnie Johnson, Jimmy Nolan, Wayne Bennett, Billy Butler, Tiny Grimes, Grant Green, Kenny Burrell, Wes Montgomery etc...
Basically for blues music you only need a Fender or Gibson electric guitar equipped with good pickups and with heavy strings for serious tone, a small Fender tube amp that you can crank with onboard Reverb & Tremolo (Fender Princeton Reverb or Fender Deluxe Reverb) & this DM-3 analog delay to add some warm delay sounds when needed, its the perfect match.
Started to play acoustic guitar along with blues records around 1986, after 1 year acoustic I made the switch to electric guitar and kept on playing the blues, later on jazzy blues or bluesy jazz.
Over the years I've collected a large collection of Silverface, Blackface & Tweed Fender amps, Fender Strats & Tele's, 1960 Gibson ES-330-TD (the same guitar Grant Green used in his early period, yeahhh)
For effects I only use the onboard Reverb & Tremolo on the Fender amps, Fender Vibratone, Fender Tube Reverb & finally a (Fender) Mender made by Hicks Electronics Corporation to add some real tube overdrive to my dual channel Fender tube amps.
If the DM-3 were stolen or lost I would get me another one asap.

Not hard but not easy to get a good sound out of it, its 3 knobs but there are only 2 knobs that really need tweaking:

The 'Intensity' and the 'Echo' knobs really need to be fine tuned.

Great Sound! Freaking old thing made me smile when I played it! I usually play this thing by itself on my pedal board not really into mixing it with other effects but why would you want to? It sounds lovely alone. Anyway ONLY thing is that this thing sounds too FAST the repeat rate is set way too quick because I got mine all the way down and its still not enough but I have found that I still use it in all my songs that use delay anyway because the thing sound sick-like a reverb in the background or something...I know its analog but I think its just a great sounding delay...

Well I got mine used so I cant complain really but the AC adaptor jack in the back is a bit twitchy and dodgey of the power signal :(

but other than that its still tough

Im not too familiar with other delays just onboard delays ive tried on certain amps and I hate 'em but I got a Boss dd-3 which I love as well but compared to this it sounds sterile and lifeless but of course it cant get the same repeat rates so...Im using a fender HRD 212 and telecaster and it sounds pretty Hip for being a pedal they dont sell anymore so I'm glad I picked this up because before I was thinking the dd-3 was all I needed.

What a lovely surprise when I bought it on a whim

Has only three knobs but it will take some listening to get the sound just right. Its not hard, just that its also very easy ruin your tone with this.

Brilliant. Or maybe, NOT brilliant, which is the whole point. Warm sounding lo fi delay. Its analog, and that was exactly what I was looking for. Its great for thickening tone especially on distorted solos, but it sounds great in giving dimension to clean tones. It adds that creamy thickness to your sound. Its not the most versatile pedal, but you can make tons of crazy spaced out sounds by playing with the time knob when your guitar starts to feedback. Mine isn't noisy at all. Personally, I still can't believe that it took me this long to realize what my tone was missing, but then again these things aren't the easiest pedals to find anymore.

Mine looks like its been through a war. And it STILL works great. BOSS has a reputation for the sturdy make of their products and this one is a living testament being one of the pretty old models from the 80's when BOSS still made their pedals in Japan.

Besides, I don't know where to find back up for this if ever it should break.

These things haven't been manufactured since the last ice age, so you'll be lucky if they even recognize the model.

Looking around HC one can notice the influx of appreciation for these "vintage" analog pedals. Although I will never slag new technology ("Old is good, but old is old") there really is something special about these old geezers. I play hard rock, mostly compositions and have always wanted that extra thickness and dimension to my tone. That is exactly what the DM 3 gives me. It has a nice character that suits the older styles and it has the raw analog warmth that is so... I dunno, Rock N' Roll. Its not the most versatile pedal, but if you knew what you were looking for with an analog delay pedal then that shouldn't be surprising.

Soundwise its a great product, that is assuming you know what sound you want to get. If you're looking for long delays look elsewhere because this isn't it. These things are getting so ridiculously expensive in the used gear market. Supply and demand I guess. If you can find one cheap grab one. Happy hunting!

three knobs, big knobs too - what can really go wrong?

the quality of the sound is not why we all go gaga over the analog pedal is it? the dark, dubby, early edge/U2, king tubby bubbling delay is why the DM3 is the schizzle. A most musical pedal, there no need to eq the pedal its always just right - how many pedals can you say that about.Shes a nine because who really wants pristine anyway?

20 something years and still rocking - better than most people I know

never had to.

I also have a DM2, and tracked this lil baby down - these pedals are the final word on analog delay. I personal prfer these over the memory mans because the personality is always musical, always just right. These pedals are the bisness. If you can get one keep it.

Simple...3 knobs.

Primary guitars 1978 Hard-tail Strat and a Epiphone ES-335 Sheridan. I use a Musicman 2-12 HD-130 and a GK 250 ML through a Marshall 4-12 as my amps. I have a Tubeworks 901 overdrive with a 12ax7 tube in it in front of the DM-3. I also use a BF-2 Flanger and a DOD DFX-94 Digital delay for looong delays.

I love the smoothness of an Analog delay. The Digital delay is only used when I need really slow delays, and it sounds very sterile, and lacks the creaminess of the Boss DM-3.

To obtain a slower Delay with the DM-3, I took it apart and adjusted the pots inside. It does make the pedal a bit noisier, but you can find a compromise between delay length and noise.

Gives a GREAT early U2 sound.

Can't break it.

Contrary to above reviews, it doesn't eat batteries...especially compared to digital delays.

N/A

Would buy another on E-bayif it was stolen.

Like all BOSS pedals, it requires a rocket scientist to figure it out. Ever notice how simplicity and brilliance go hand-in-hand (BOSS, Les Pauls, Telecasters).

Works with any set-up, guitar (electric or accoustic) or bass (Bassists: try using it for Pink Floyd's "One of These Days"). Warm and quiet.
Telecaster / Les Paul Studio - SansAmp GT2 - DS-2 - CH-1 - DM-3 - whatever amp is in the practice studio/ direct into board at the club we play at occasionally.

This is why I am submitting this review. I have owned my DS-3 for 20 years and have never once had any problems with it. Have NEVER though about replacing it, certainly not with a digital delay. Oh, but it's hard to dust in between the dials.

Roland's web site is pretty helpful. For what little info that is still available on this pedal, go to the "About Boss" page and click on the "Compact Pedals History." However, as this pedal will probably be passed on to your grandchild(ren) as is (minus a few paint chips), customer support is not really an issue.

This is the first pedal I ever owned, so if it were stolen or lost, I would be terribly unreasonable. Plus, replacing it is next to impossible: they were discontinued in 1988 after only four years of production, which means that there are not that many of these babies around. If you can find one, get it - it has its own sound that has a warmth I have never heard from a digital delay.

This is about as easy to use as other delay pedals; the controls are self-explanatory.

I was a bit surprised by this unit. Tested with a 2x12 Marshall set to clean, the DM-3 sounded exactly like the digital delays of that era (80s). Ditto when a Boss overdrive or distortion was placed before it--very hi-fi.

Boss pedals are quite dependable. I wouldn't gig with it only because of a relative lack of delay time flexibility.

It's unfortunate that Boss hasn't made .pdfs of their owners manuals on their site; they're probably the only musical equipment manufacturer that hasn't.

A usable, workhorse unit that sounds digital in spite of it's analog circuitry. I suspect the earlier DM-2 might offer more of an analog 'warmth' and grit, but it's been a while since I've used one.

So easy a three year old could use it!

The DM3 gives a lovely dark dubby analog sound-not a particularly long delay.Not really why I bought it!-I do studio stuff,so I look for interesting pedals to mangle sounds with.This is orgasmic - wind up all the controls,wait for the feedback,then pull the left knob down slowly and wait for your poor guitar amps to make some FOUL noises!!!

It's a BOSS pedal.

There is none!-N/A

For the type of noises and squelchiness that I look for in equipment such as this,this is great.Not the most flexible delay pedal I've come across,but for the sheer horribleness that this thing produces,BUY IT!!!

3 knobs, very easy.

I play a number of guitars through too many effects that always end up coming out of my silverface pre-master volume twin reverb. Before I get started I would just like to say that anyone who compares analog delays to digital are complete idiots. They are two different effects. I wouldn't compare a flanger to a phaser and I'm not going to compare a digital delay to an analog delay. That being said let me talk about this fine crafted pedal. I own a couple of different delays and I like all of them for different reasons. First off the electro harmonix memory man's (both deluxe and regular) are fine quality pedals however they do get noisy but they also seem to have a longer delay time than the dm-3 as far as the ibanez analog pedals I would say they are more like the boss Dm-3. What sets these pedals apart, at least for me is the explosion sound that they all create. I have to say that the boss has the best and the most dramatic explosion. (if your not sure what I'm talking about go to your local guitar shop ask to try any anolog delay and play with the knobs.) as far as the actual delay sound it is very warm and smooth. The only draw back to this pedal is the price and finding one. I was lucky to get it at a guitar shop and was able to try it before I bough it but your probably more likely to see it on ebay I've seen them go for 100-200 dollars. It is because of this that I would suggest getting the line6 dl4 it models the dm-2 which is very similar to the dm-3, along with many other delays. and you can get it for around 200-250 used. But overall the dm-3 sounds great.

I would gig without a back up. I don't know who has money for these backups.

no need they don't make them any more.

well worth the buy if you can find it.

No manual needed to get pretty nice sound, just three knobs!

Hey, it`s analog, so what you mean ? Quality is as high as can be, only MemoryMan by E.H. sounds better i heared, nature warm fat sound, never get from digital one (know what writing, own DD-3 and RV-5 too).
Anyway delay time isn`t very high (about 450ms), it`s absolutly "coool" oh, warm :-) Pitty that Boss doen`t make analog delay, chorus, etc. yet :(

Hey, did you see Boss stomp boxes, the are indestructible!!! Hm, on some distortion i had to change switch, anyway ... this one is still OK!

Don`t needed it, all service make I own, so ... dunno :)

Great analog stuff, warm sound, BBD (CCD) electronic, see MODEZERO archiv here: http://www.modezero.com/boss-dm3.htm

Quite easy to get a good sound, hell - its a Delay pedal!

I was quite impressed, the hype about the warm anolog sound is very true. I have a vintage Ibanez digital delay which sounds great also but didn't get that same vibe as this. So anyways heres the deal, what you make up for in that sound department you loose in the time of this pedal, being anolog it doesn't have a very long delay at all.

I bought mine used, but in pristine condition, the last owner of this pedal took very good care of it as i couldn't even find a scratch on it! as for everything else, yeh fine, no switch trouble, no excess noise etc ...

I've only had one boss pedal ever fail me in my life, but it was repaired & never failed me since. Touch wood nothing happens to this one!

If you can get your hands on one i would advise you to grab it... they are getting harder to come-by & i really lucked out at getting this one...

3 knobs, man simple!
Got it New Unused from E-Bay.
20 + years old and never used!!!
Mint in Box, with Instructions and pocket dictionary.

sound quality is very good, some fuzziness, but music that is
digital,- played - processed - listened to, hurts the human ear.
Tube sound and analog gives a bit of distortion which is easy on the
ye ol ear drum.
Amp is a 68 Silverface- confirmed!Blackface electronics Deluxe Reverb!!!
As far as my favorite sounds- Les Paul and Chet Atkins have yet to be
Topped as guitar players - sound etc. So Natural check em out!
I don't like too many effects for they tend to stray away from natural sound and clarity becomes a problem.

I have owned several Boss pedals. All very reliable!
You can't really kill 'em unless maybe they fall in the water

I play thru a 68 Fender Deluxe Reverb- N.O.S. 6V6Gs 1940s Westinghouse
power tubes- N.O.S Mullard 12AT7s - and RCA 12AX7As tube compliments.
Left Handed - 1982 Yamaha SBG 1000L, a dream to play, very good sound from this guitar. Affordable Quality!
Boss DM-3 is a perfect match for my style of playing!!!
Been playing since 1966, started on a Gibson SG Junior.
Bought a Minty Yamaha No. 150 Classical off E-bay, Solid Spruce top-Rosewood back and sides- an excellent player.
If it were lost or stolen, I'd definatley get another.

Couldn't be easier. 3 controls for Repeat Rate (Delay Time), Echo (Wet/Dry Mix) and Intensity (Regeneration) Bought used w/o manual but didn't need one. Direct output also available for dry signal.

Using this with a '52 Reissue Telecaster and a Vox AC15. With just this box and a small amount of spring reverb from the AC15 and it's a gorgeous tone-the DM-3 gives a nice warm slapback or slightly longer delay for solos without getting muddy. Noise is acceptable to me-not modern digital quiet by any means, but not too hissy either.

No problems. Being a Boss pedal, and especially a Japanese made one I can rely on it and use it without a backup. This pedal looks like it was used fairly heavily before I bought it and it's still solid.

Haven't dealt with support

I play alt-country and power-pop styles and this pedal gives me a nice thickening effect without reverb mud as well as the classic slapback and slightly longer delays. Anything else (like long delays timed to the tune-longer than this pedal's 300 ms limit) I leave to the sound man/woman. I would definitely buy this pedal again. Get a AC adapter though, it eats 9 volts (not surprised)

simple as 1-2-3 to use, dont need a manual.

had a dd3 previous, digital delay sounded cold and processed alongside the dm3, dd3 promptly sold on. has a beautiful warmth and stunning sounding decay. pity these arent made no more.

so far so good

never spoke to boss

boss dm3 is the business

real easy. play with this pedal and it will reward you. don't just set it and leave it. you need to use this in the studio and live settings, but don't just leave it sitting there.

very nice. kind of limited, but it is nice at giving you the old analog sound.

not as good some similar priced analog delays

typical boss pedal.

who knows, why would you need it.

way overpriced, you rarely see this pedal under $100, and i was desperate for it, when i bought this one. i sold it later for $80 i think to friend. either way, i wanted some better rackmount analog delays, and reverb units that aren't as popular, but get much better sounds. this one is way too popular for you to get yr money worth.

This is real easy. 3 knobs. pretty standard.

Sound is warm fuzzy analog. I will use the dm3 or a dm2 or way huge aqua puss after my filter, distortion and modulation fx. I run a PRS hollowbody II->Musitronics Octave Divider->Teese RMC 3 wah->TS808->Ibanez Super Tube->Electro Harmonix Zipper->Ross Grey Compressor->mxr script phase 90->Arion Chorus->Ernie Ball Volumne Pedal->DM2->DM2->Boss DD5->1966 Fender Deluxe Reverb. oooh oooh oooh. Tone out the arse! You can check out samples at <a href="http://www.freshlybaked.com/pedals">Randtronics</a> and check out my band <a href="http://www.freshlybaked.com/">Freshly Baked</a>
I like to play a lot of styles. This is great for dubbing in reggae and psychedelic as well as country slapback.

I have beaten boss effects for many years. I am sure if i put it on the train tracks it may bust.

I have dealt with roland over the years for my various guitar synths. It is a dark bottomless pit somewhere in LA.

Groovy. Fun for dub style reggae. just twist the knobs ...brrrrrrwweeeeeeeiiiiiiingggggggghhhhhaaaaaaaaavvrrrrrrrwahwahwahwah... I also use a way huge aqua puss and a Ibanez AD9 from time to time as well as the boss DM2

Three knobs...

The best delay/echo that I've heard besides the AD-9 and Electro Harmonix Memory Man...

She is almost 20 years old and still kickin'...

I called them about receiving manuals for some other pedals that I had purchased used and they were pretty unhelpful...

Great pedal if you can find one...They are selling for around $150, so this really was a score for me...

well. . . its an analog delay. its not rocket science, but then again, i think that any pedal has at least a couple of bad sounds in it. this one, is pretty cool though. three knobs that are labeled differently from other boss delay pedals. i don't remember the names now, but the one of the left controls delay time, the one in the middle controls the volume level of the repeats, and the one on the right controls the number of repeats.

my set up is really lame. . . well, at least my amp is. anyway, i play a fender tornado through a fender frontman 25r at the moment. as soon as i get a job, i am getting a new amp and probably a couple new guitars. anyway, i use several other boss pedals in between. . . a ce-2, a bf-2, a sd-1, a ph-1r, a dd-3, and an ibanez cp-9 compressor. the best combination that i have achieved so far is using the compressor to give a nice clean boost, into the ce-2 for some moderate chorus at a low rate, into the ph-1r set at a mid-depth and less-than-mid speed, then into the dm-3 for some spaciousness (about 4-5 repeats with the time set near 12 o'clock). this is very thick and sludge-y. as far as the sound quality. . . well, its pretty good. there is a very noticeable hiss present when the pedal in in my chain (whether it is engaged or bypassed). this is tolerable for now.

well, i hope so. this thing cost enough. i've has a few other boss pedals that have partially died on me to only later be miraculously be resurrected by me unknowingly (i fixed my sd-1 by simply unscrewing one of the little screws underneath that holds the bottom plate in place).

huh? i buy most everything used, so i doubt that i am covered here. i try to rely on the alt.guitar.effects people and good ol' harmony central for my support issues.

its my first analog delay, so i am a bit reserved about giving this thing a stellar review. the hissing i get from this thing (once again, it hisses even when it is disengaged but still in my signal line. . . even with batteries) is a little annoying. however, since it is an "analog delay," some noise is to be expected. what style of music do i play? well, i haven't completely settled into one genre yet. i think when i do, it will be along the lines of power/noise pop. i love my bloody valentine and slowdive, but i don't know if i have the talent to achieve what they have musically. anyway, as a final piece of advice, if you use this thing with a boss power adaptor, you truly have to get the older ACA-style plug. i tried it with the PSA for a second out of curiosity, and the most annoying, high pitched, droning noise errupted from my amp. i literally dove down to snatch the power cord from the pedal in an attempt to prevent it from melting. i don't think any damage was done, but it sounded really horrible while i was conducting my experiment. ..

I use my delay to fatten up my sound. I never liked digital anything, so this pedal is what I recommend. It is super easy to use. I play a strat and a les paul into a 100W marshall JMP. I use a metal zone and the DM-3. That's it end of story. All I need.

Yeah, it's a little noisy but who can tell when your playing whole lotta love with my marshall on like 8. I like heavy classic kind of stuff. Hendrix, Zepplen, Rush, Sabbath etc... I use a 1987 '62 reissue strat into a marshall 100W JMP tube head with just the DM-3 and the metal zone. That's it! The holy grail as far as I'm concerned. I also have 2 gibson les paul customs that you would think I play all the time but I don't. I break them out every now and then. I think this delay is all you need.

Boss doesn't make an anolog delay anymore. What a shame. I bought mine used years ago and never had any problems.

Not Applicable.

I don't have time to waste trying out all kinds of equipment. When I decided to get a delay, I asked around to other guitarists who I knew and most said to go with the DM-3. The best advise I could give to someone looking for a quality sound is go with a JMP or JCM800 marshall 100W, use one cabinet or two depending on your situation. Use a good guitar i.e.- there are many strats to choose from but many that sound different and a lot that don't stay in tune. A good strat will stay in tune. I have one so I know. Les paul is a sure bet too. If you can't afford at least a standard wait until you have enough $ it will be something you will have your entire life. I would get another DM-3 if I lost mine, but I see them around for like over $100.00. Ouch!!

Very simple to use, only rate, echo and intensity knobs. It's easy to get a great sound out of first go. I havent even bothered looking at the instruction booklet yet.

The sound quality is great compared to Digital Delays of the same era, even better than most of the ones that are available now. I think it's better than the DM-2, it seems to have better control and it's far easier to get the sound your after. I've been putting it through my Peavy practise amp and it sound just dandy with a Boss EQ pedal and should do me until I find a Space Echo.

I dont think I've had a boss pedal break on me yet.

n/a

It's a pretty versatile delay, I think you could use it for just about anything in it's delay time. I've yet to crank it out of my Fender Bassman 4x10' but it sound fine to me. I wouldnt hesitate recommending it to someone who's keen for a good analouge delay.

Three knobs (repeat rate, echo, intensity). One foot switch. An LED indicator. Compared to a Boss DD-5 or a rackmount delay this is a much welcome piece of cake.

Like many these days, I wanted an analog delay to warm up my sound. I was using digital delays without putting much thought into the sound I was getting. Eventually, I started paying more attention to my tone and found myself adjusting the high freq cut on the digital delay to simulate an analog machine. I found this pedal in a used shop for $45 and thought I'd pick it up. It's very quiet and produces much less noise than, say, an Electro Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man (which I also now own). The delay repeats went up to about 350 milliseconds, however with the longer delay times the repeats get very buzzy sounding. There is a trim pot on the circuit board that controls the delay time. I adjusted it to where, at its maximum setting, the repeate rate knob gives you about 300 milliseconds. So, basically I traded some delay time for a little bit less buzzy distorted repeats. Of course, the whole point of analog delay is that it's NOT a pristine sound. But at higher settings the quality of the delay repeats was a little too fuzzy for my tastes. At moderate settings or for a quick, slap-back effect, there is none of the buzziness and it's very warm. I did a side by side comparison with one of the new Ibanez AD99 Analog Delays and the DM-3 had a much stronger and warmer output.

Boss pedals last foever. Maybe get an ACA adapter to avoid battery changes.

Eventually, I got an EH Deluxe Memory Man, which goes up to 550 milliseconds and is smoother and cleaner than the DM-3, but is still warm and natural. My intent was to sell the Boss, but it has it's own unique sound and I think it does slap-back echo a little nicer than the EHDMM. Plus it can run on a battery and is more compact/portable than the Mem. Man. And when I look at the price I paid compared to what these are going for on the web, I feel like I got quite a bargain. I think I'll keep it! :-) If you want a good analog delay in a compact package it's hard to beat the DM-3

It is very user friendly, very easy to experiment with. It only has 3 knobs for intensity, echo level, and repeat rate . It is not a fancy pedal like the boss dd-3 or dd-5. But don't let the simplicity fool you, you can get a variety of delay sounds.

Currently, I am using a Fender Am. std. strat and a Marshall vs265 amp. I use the dm-3 with along with a boss ge-7 equalizer and a ns-2 noise supressor through the effects loop of the amp. It isn't noisy when playing through the clean channel. It sounds much better through the overdrive channel. I began experimenting with the analog delay after listening to Eric Johnson and Santana. I wanted to emulate some of Johnson's sounds for which he uses MXR and echoplex delays. This was a cheaper alternative and the quality of the sound is excellent. I owned a Boss dd-3 and I replaced it with the dm-3. The dm-3 has more 'character' and is much warmer than the dd-3. It makes a wonderful slapback delay

It is very reliable. Never had aproblem a problem with any boss pedals I have owned in the past..

Never dealt with them, so no opinion.

I play instrumental rock/jazz. Also some latin-blues-rock a-la Santana. I found that analog delay was what I needed to improve the tonal qualities of my overall sound. Something that the dd-3 didn't provide. I highly recommend the dm-3 for the music I play. The sad thing is that it is not manufactured anymore and it is getting expensive so browse the web!

A simple 3-knob analog delay. All knobs are labeled accurately :-} I've used it for "huge rolling space" sounds, and rockabilly slapback. While the quality of sound decays quickly with multiple repeats, it does create a cool, vast-sounding sound scape (which is why I like analogs).

Having ran it w/ a Heartfield RR, a Crybaby, and a Laney AOR 50 thru a Randall 4x12, I found it great for psychedelic soundscapes and Jimmy Page-type noises. As the battery aged I found I had to crank the volume knob (on the effect) a little further, and it got a bit hissy as well. It had a fairly healthy appetite for batteries when used in this fashion as well. With a tele and Vibroverb or Vox AC30, and the delay set only to fairly tight slapback I found battery life greatly extended. This is perhaps the best delay I've used for slapback as it sounds quite "natural" for that form of music (i.e.-real analog sounding-like an old record). While I give it a ten, it's for its' great NON-pristine sound quality.

I've had this thing since around '88, and have used/abused it on the road and in the studio on a regular basis since then and it hasn't given me any trouble what-so-ever. I keep looking at the Dan-Echo ads and drooling (I do that without the ads as well), but I really don't see a reason to replace this thing yet.

As I've seen w/ most Boss reviews-NEVER USED 'EM.

I currently play roots rock/rockabilly/honkytonk and use this thing strictly for slapback. Previously I used it as echo unit, noise generator, freakish soundscape tool (think Daniel Lanois/Sonic Youth) and all around uglytool. I've always used it w/ a Fender type guitar and tube amps. It plays well w/ other effects and is quite versatile. I find the decaying sound quality far more useful/fun than an infinite and clean repeat as found on a digital effect. If it ever dies I'll probably look at other boxes, as variety is the spice of life (and I don't think they make this anymore-thus any that I buy will already be "old"). There seems to be several new analog delays coming out, so there may be better ones, but if I find one that's NOS somewhere, I'd definitely buy it too. If analog delays float yer boat but you can only afford one-get a DM3.

3 knobs - "repeat rate" is the delay time, decreasing as you turn it clockwise, which is opposite the DM-2 (or any other one I have used), "echo" is the wet/dry mix, but it never seems to get all the way to completely wet, "intensity" is the feedback control, once again never quite going to the infinite "whoo-whoo" of the DM-2. It also has a "direct out" jack for dry output. Nothing hard to understand.

Real quiet. I also have a DM-2, which has the same clean, natural delay as this pedal, but much stronger. I keep the "echo" knob about 9:00 on the Dm-2, and I have to put the DM-3 at 2:00 to reach the same level. Of course, this is probably because of the individual qualities of the specific pedals I own. I really can't tell any difference between the two effects. They both sound great!

It's a BOSS

Sounds great, use it all the time, I have a DM-2 for backup, but I've never used it in that capacity. Analog sounds so much better than digital that I want to puke when I hear a digital delay.

3 knob analog delay.

I find that, contrary to popular belief, that analog stomp boxes are actually quieter than the digital ones. Sound is similar to the venerable DM-2, but this unit has longer maximum delay time. I have a DM-2 - they do sound different. This is a little brighter. If analog is what you want, it's hard to go wrong with this unit.

Bought is used. Works great. Boss is bullet-proof.

Never tried. Bought it used, so who cares?

Personally, I like the DM-2 a bit better (just a bit warmer).