Ibanez AD3000 Professional Analog Delay and Multi-Flanger

Its all knobs, so pretty easy, but there's a lot of them and it would help if you've used a simpler delay unit before moving up to this.

Headroom LEDs look like an input VU, but they actually track the level of the wet signal so you can see if the repeats are clipping - Great! If they are, you just trim the sensitivity knob to clean them up. I never realised before, but clipping repeats are a big part of the "lo-fi" ness of Analogue delay. With this unit, you have the option of removing that from the equation.

Each modulation speed knob has two LEDs that flash alternately to indicate the current speed. Its handy and it adds vital Cylon Chic to this 1976 beauty.

Unlike other units in the wonderful AD series, the AD 3000 has TOTALLY SEPARATE flanger and delay sections, each with its own knobs, headroom LED, input and output. You can flange the delay, delay the flange, or process two entirely different signals.

Also, you have bass and treble tone controls for the delay, if you want to reduce the trademark analogue boomy bass or dull tops.

I use this on pretty much everything. Its in my all-analogue wacky rack along with resonance filters, sping reverb, vocoders, etc.

I also own (or am borrowing) Ibanez AD-80 and AD-99 pedals, the Ibanez AD-150 Time Machine and a Boss DM-2 pedal. I have had extended plays with a Roland Space Echo. I have three spring reverb units including a Fender and a studio rack unit.

This is the best delay I've ever heard. Not only that, its the best spatial processor. Better than all of the above.

It can sound like any of its AD cousins, but it can do a lot more besides. It will repeat for a very long time before decaying. When the repeats DO decay, they (usually) fade out politely instead of turning to mush. You can actually layer short phrases like you were Robert Fripp - something you'd normally associate with a tape echo or a digital unit.

This is practically an analogue sampler!

The killer knob here is the "delay time" knob. This lets you select your preferred tradeoff between delay time and repeat fidelity. There are 6 settings from 15ms / hi fi to 600ms / lo fi. 600ms is double the delay time you get on a regular analogue unit.

There are modulation controls on the delay channel! The effect is the same as you get when you have someone turn the delay time knob while you're playing - except its automated for your convenience! At first I was amazed that Ibanez was ackowledging such a weird psychedelic use of the unit, but then I realised that on a very short delay time, this feature is your ticket to sweet chorus and doubling effects.

The flanger channel has an "inv effect" out as well as an "effect" out, so its "stereo". The flanger is pretty subtle. I had trouble getting it go to the extremes of "bubbly" or "metallic". It seemed to mostly want to do smooth Leslie type sounds. I guess the idea is that its a studio unit that you could put just about anything through, and if you want a wacky flange sound, you'll use a guitar pedal.

All AD units have knobs that feel a little bit "loose" when you turn them, but they are otherwise all metal and built like tanks. This beasty has rack handles and weighs 10kg!

It has the signal path (not the actual schematic) printed on top, so if you have to get it serviced, the techie can figure out whats supposed to be going on in there.

Not applicable.

If I lost this I would cry, then look for another. Not sure if I'd find one though. I didnt even know there was such a thing as an AD-3000 til I saw this one on Ebay!

The only thing that would improve this unit would be if you could switch the Flanger channel to be a second delay channel for stereo delay!

This is my number one piece of gear. Analogue delay is the most inspiring effect, and I'm pretty sure this is the best analogue delay unit ever built.