DigiTech PDS-8000 EchoPlus

It offers more options than most delays, but if you're not a dunce it's fairly straight forward. The sampler/trigger takes a bit of working with to understand if you don't have the manual though.

Great sounds. It's not as thin and clean as most digital delays and has a very musical, almost analogue sound. The pitch bending stuff it does create tones I can't get from other pedals. When you start stacking layers of sounds it's other-worldly!

U2 and Pink Floyd taught me what I know about delays, and this pedal does that and much more. I'd like another one but they're a bit pricey right now. MUCH better than the other digitech PDS series delays I've had.

Gibson 335 -> Baby Blue OD -> PDS 8K -> t.c. G-force (modified to preamplify the guitar signal) - two amps (Fender Bassman, Gibson Ga-20). Has a FET-Buffer that sounds o.K., reasonably noisy.

Bill Frisell uses this one a lot (and the EH 16 sec. delay)

Eats a lot od batteries - I use it with a power supply

This is what makes this pedal so special, much more than just a reasonably good sounding 8 seconds delay: when you turn the dealy on, it immediately repeats what you have just played, then you can manually adjust the delay time and thus the speed of the delay over a range of two octaves!! This makes it a dangerous weapon in all kinds of improv situations - blows everybody away! I just wish it had reverse play...

The easiest and most usable mode is the "normal" setting (as opposed to the "sample" and "trigger" modes). Three time frames to choose from and each requires you to manually set the time - no tap tempos available here. This makes it a little difficult to synch up with a tempo or, when using the "hold" feature, hard to loop accurately and in time. It gets more difficult to fine tune your repeats as the delay time gets longer.

Overall though the layout is exceptionally easy - three main knobs and that's it. Tweak away, tweakers.

Outstanding digital sound quality through solid state and tube amps alike. Crystal clear initial repeats, subsequent repeats sound just a hair less clean each time which is a neat effect - maybe it's just not fading down the signal level? Anyway, it's digital without being harsh; it's very analog sounding in my opinion, especially on longer settings.

I've had a couple of these two-pedal Digitech units, bought them all used, and they're all in great working condition. I've had the EchoPlus for about three months and it's worked great and it arrived in great condition from Ebay.

Never dealt with Digitech, got to pass on this one.

An outstanding delay pedal with great looping potential because of the HUGE 8-second delay time. Simply awesome, especially when used in conjunction with another delay. Cool sound textures and simple features make this pedal a winner.

Real cool, you are only limited by your imagination.
Manual OK, I mostly try to figure stuff out by working with it.

Klein with z90's. Boss TU-2, Rat(small box), Boss RPS-10, PDS 8000, Lexicon LXP-1 and Victoria 35-310.

Quiet. Very sensitive to your touch. Doesn't color tone. Infinite hold. Sampler (don't use it).

Saw Frisell use one and I'd tried out EH 16 Sec Delay (cool but costly), etc. and this is just so intuitive and eacy to play with live. I run it though an effects loop and once I got everyones level dialed in it's off to wherever we think to go.

It is an old one, but not beat. No problems thus far.

I've gotten good tech support via email. I understand from others that DigiTech will rebuild the things reasonably. Hope I don't have to, but it's nice to know.

Mostly original stuff and jam based. Come from finger-style acoustic world. Perfect for what and how I play. Playing about 12 years. If it were stolen I'd find another, in fact I'll find another anyway, maybe use them together (never enough delay).

I love delay, probably my favorite effect. I like the way it allows you to layer tones and feel. This pedal (I play it off the floor with my hands) can calls for you to tweak while you play. I primarily use it as an 8 sec (or less) sampler/looper. You can adjust loop speed on the fly, which calls for everyone to stay on their toes.

My favorite.

I used this effect with no manual for years, it is a very user-friendly pedal and it's functions are clearly labeled.

This efect has been used for live performances, studio work at home and for just about every other possible thing. I have used it to sample remotely with the battery and taken it back to my studio area and used the loop in composition. (just don't unplug the input jack)
It sounds ok for a digital effect and has just enough bandwidth/ resolution dropout to make it cool.

The thing worked fine for about 5 years after I got it (second hand) it has been abused and loaned to not-so-carefull people in the past.
Currently mine is dead. It just died one day.

I have schematics for this pedal but can't remember where they came from, the key at the bottom leads me to believe that it is a copy of the original digitech documentation. I will attempt to fix it soon myself as the construction is neat and orderly. I have never talked to anyone at digitech about my problem but someone got me schematics so they can't be all that bad support-wise.

This was my favorite delay, long, dirty, easy to use and rugged. It can't compare to my tape echo but it was maintenance free. If I can't fix it I will get another if I can find one. 8 seconds is a long time, it has been extremely flexible in my setups both on and off stage. It can be both musical and noisy, or both at the same time. I would like to have two for experimenting with triggering and big strange polyrhythmic structures with a drum machine.

I gave it a 5 because the delay effect is real easy to use, set the slider where you want it (8 sec, 2 sec, or mls)and then set the dial. You get a real wide range of delay. Now the sample mode is real tricky. I don't have the manual (Got this pedal with some other stuff for a REALLLY GOOOOD price, and the guy didn't have the manual) so I don't know if that helps. If anyone out there knows how to work the sample email me (Given2Flye@aol.com)

Right now I'm running it with an Ibanez guitar through a peavey amp. I'm trying to figure out best placement but right now it's Echoplus, Tubescreamer, Crybaby 535Q into amp. The sound is good. It's does sound kinda digital but not too bad. I prefer a real quick slapback delay and it nails it. Try playing the "More Than A Feeling" chorus with slapback. Real fun. If you turn the effect knob all the way up you get a real slow delay. You can get a cool "Chariots of Fire" sound.

Seems real solid. I'd gig w/o a backup just because it doesn't make it's way into my sound very much (punk doesn't fit with delay!!!)

I haven't dealt with them but I should to get a manual

If it were stolen, I wouldn't cry. I'm actually interested in trading it. Great pedal but it just doesn't do something that is conventional for me.

this pedal is the most simple unit for sampling available. If you find one, get it! The long samples take a bit of time getting in riddim', because you don't know when the repeat is coming, but, on the longest setting, I find it simple to start at the shortest sampling speed, loop it, and slow it down. Then, you'll have an intuitive sense for when the repeat is comming. Or, play one note, and wait 8 seconds for it to come around before adding more. I have used the external trigger option, which is nice if you have a drum machine or an accoustic drum trigger to hook it up to. You can make your sample play every 4 bars, for instance, and it will repeat even if it is a longer sample than the set interval. Most satanic of all, you can tweek the speed of the sample or loop in real time, allowing you tape loop-type control unattainable in otherwise superior rackmounts like the Jamman! I added a larger pot on the speed control to facilitate fine tuning, as well as the ability to control speed with my foot, and I recommend this to anyone hoping to use this unit. The repeat is about 6, the mix goes all the way to pure delay, and the speed is from chorus to 8 seconds! You can capture a phrase in delay mode and automatically begin looping it using the sample pedal. You can bypass this loop, and then allow it to appear using the bypass pedal. The possibilities are enless, and allow you to write songs on the fly, practice soloing, and basically get wicked. The psychological effects of repetition are only now beginning to be understood, and this little box can help you in your journey!!

I've used this in various applications, and find it to have resonably good sound in live settings. Drench this in reverb and/or tubes for studio use, only because it's digital, and feels about as warm as the North Atlantic. It's more about control, and how spontaneous improvisation over looped samples can be so easily achieved, than sound quality, so the noisiness of the long sample time can be excused.

True story: I dropped a beer IN IT, ripped off both pedals and had them repaired with duct tape holding cigarette butts to the contacts, took it apart completely twice, dropped it down a flight of stairs, left it plugged in and looping for a full month, and had a spider lay eggs inside it. Guess what. It still works fine.

I haven't tried and I probably won't, seeing as it is now completely unrecognizably hidden behind about a quarter inch of black and white spiralled paint.

I can't say enough about this, so I won't even try. This fits any style of music, because you can use it as a compositional tool even if it never sees a stage. If you want to turn heads (where's the other guitarist?) it's great as a super secret ultimate stage weapon. Otherwise, it's great for both the demented and the whimsical, a tool for cultivating both dreams and nightmares. Enjoy.

it's a complicated pedal. the knobs are tiny, the footswtiches take some getting used to (i wear a size 15D), and the normal/sample/trigger switch isn't the most obvious thing in the world, but stick with it. eight seconds of delay time is a good incentive. this is an extremely useful pedal.

bandwidth is a bit limited at full length, but not so limited it matters. looping is a piece of cake, and i used this pedal on stage for a few years. the echo plus also allows the user to trigger, that is, to play a sample once. GREAT for the repeating "a" in "are you experienced" or the "Bflat\F\G\E" motif in "shine on you crazy diamond".

backup? i don't need no stinking backup.(and you could be a leetle more polite)

shortly after i bought the PDS8000 (used), the fine tune knob fell apart, and like a fool, i opened it up. it fell apart on my lap. i put the parts in the box and took it to a digitech dealer, who in turn shipped it to the factory. less than 2 weeks later, i got it back, completely reassembled, for less than $20, including tax and shipping. i guess they write it off as research. God bless digitech and everyone who works for them. 11 out of 10.

unless i get a boomerang, i can't imagine ever getting rid of this. fripp/eno-type loops, regular slapback, primitive sampling, and more, believe me. an e-bow, an echo plus, and a chorus amp, and you'll terrify the neighbors for years.