MXR Analog Delay

It's amazing what you can do with just three knobs!!!

Best analog delay pedal I've ever come across!!! And I've tried some very nice ones: Ibanez AD-9, Ibanez AD-80, DOD 680 Analog Delay, EH Deluxe Memory Man (vintage and new)... The MXR beats them all!!! ...In some aspects it even blows away things like Roland RE-201 and 501!!!
Warm, punchy, doesn't loose signal, self-oscillates to a fat mostruous evil growl which is just amazing!
The two versions of the pedal seems to be characterized by a darker sound of the first version (which was mono), opposed to a more open tone of the latter (which was stereo).
The second version is also plagued by the infamous Reticon 5101 chip which often fails and if it does you cannot find a replacement.
I own this second version, which has been modified with a modern chip but I'll discuss this below.
Another peculiar thing is a sort of interactive hi-pass frequency which will close the tone as the delay gets slower...so slap-back and short delays will have more high frequency than slow delays...which is nice because the slower you get the spookier the sound becomes!!! This is also a very clever way to avoid the typical noise issues of very long delay time...which by the way is another strenght of this green monster, which can go down to 500 or even 550 ms!!! ...better than even today's Deluxe Memory Man pedals (which claim to have 550 but just don't!!!).
OK, now there is Maxon who makes an analog delay which goes down to 900ms, but you think it will sound like this green monster? ...no way it can!!!

That's the problem with the second version of the pedal. That Reticon chip is cause of problems if it ceases to work.
Because it's impossible to find!
But somebody recently came up with a modification using a modern digital chip which, along with some other work, allows dead units to come back to life. And, more important thing, to sound like the old days! The digital chip in fact doesn't alter the tone of the delay, if the work is properly done.
I guess mine didn't had a properly done job, then, because along with the delay I also have a series of strange noises, especially at extreme settings: some high frequency disturbances when the delay time is max, and a kind of helicopter noise when the speed is slower, plus a certain hiss affecting the delayed signal.
I'm currently in process of trying to understand what was made wrong, but I can tell you that even in this condition, I just can't stop playing this thing!!!
It's just too good not to use it!!!
I guess i could even end up getting fond of all the noises as well!!! ;-)

I don't think so. This effect was made in the late 70's / early 80's...

I fell in love with this pedal the minute I plugged it in the amp! I think it's one of the best analog delay pedals ever!!!
I can't believe I've lived all these years without it!!!
In fact, I'm already looking for another one, possibly a mk I, so that I'll have both versions!!!

It's true what review a couple places down says. There are two versions of this pedal. One uses several bbd chips chained together and the other uses a very hard to find chip that is known to fail sometimes. The original version had no led and one output. Chips for the original version are easier to find and more reliable. I believe the sound is darker and spookier on the older version which is a matter of taste.

The pedal has a draw back: The mix knob cuts the dry signal as the wet signel is increased. It is however the swampiest most organic delay out there and has a pretty long delay time (500ms)

3 knobs, very easy to use, and fun to play around with!

ive tried it with my 2 fender amps (stage 112 and performer 1000) and it been used with my tele, strat, and jagmaster. when the effect is on its rather noisy (strange hissing sound) but once you get to playing you dont really notice it. the effect is very strong

this thing is built like a brick shit house. its a metal housing, painted green....industrial strength metal footswitch that has survived more than its share of stomps from my 300+ pound body frame. if it were tossed off the empire state building it would kill anyone underneath it, and still sound awesome. i highly suggest building a bomb shelter out of these.....they are more solid than 10 foot thick concrete.......ummmm.....its sturdy

hmmmmm, im guessing it was made in the 70s or 80s by the MXR of Rochester ny, near my home.....but they are long gone

i dont really use it for my playing....im more of a straight ahead guitar and amp kinda guy. effects arent my thing. but this thing is extremely fun to play with.

BUY VINTAGE EFFECTS AT YOUR OWN RISK!!! If you must have a vintage model, read on. Mine is an early '80's model. Features: rough paint (not smooth like '70's models); l.e.d.; input; one blendable dry/effect output (mono); one effect-only output (used in conjunction with out #1 for stereo); "delay" time knob; "mix" knob (for mono out); "regeneration" (effect duration)knob; a.c. cord (internal transformer); die cast (zinc?) casing.

BUY A VINTAGE PEDAL WITH THE RETICON R5101 CHIP AT YOUR OWN RISK!!! Ahem. Bought on eBay for an excruciating sum. Never again... I initially used this lead brick with guitar for a couple of weeks and it sounded great; extremely similar to what I remebered of my buddy's Boss DM-2. It possessed (and, to some degree, still possesses) what I would term an "immediate" tone--something to which I believe people are referring when they mention the tone of analog effects. Other terms might be "buttery" and "organic". To me, this comparison of analog effects to digital is kind of like the difference between humbuckers and single coils. But, back to the "sound quality". One day, after a couple of weeks of ownership, I fired this baby up and noticed two important obstacles to its further effective usage. It was producing distortion at output, and the length of delay had subtantially diminished. I mean: NEARLY NOTHING. I e-mailed Analogman, with whom a great many of you are familiar, and he referred me to Howard Davis, the electronics engineer who designed most of the Electro Harmonix effects in the '70's. I sent the delay (doorstop) to Howard, and he identified the problem as beinga defective processor, the now infamous, reviled, and thoroughly unpredictable R5101. He had no luck locating a replacement, and could only adjust the settings of the other componentry to make this Martian turd moderately useable. And that is what it is now, merely and moderately "useable". Supposedly, in other generations of this effect, other chips were used to a more reliable end. CHECK BEFORE YOU BUY! I use this for bass now, for reverb. But for guitar, I shall pursue something more reliable and inexpensive. For the right price, maybe a Boss DM-2/3 or Maxon AD-80 for pedalboard space consciousness, or Electro Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man if I want to sacrifice real estate. Even if you're able to get your sweaty little hamfists one one of these, you bass players may want to avoid this thing, as it will vaporize your low end and make you angry. I use it with an MXR M-88 bass octave pedal to regain what I've lost. That is, when I feel like tempting my anger and pushing my patience. Anyway, so we have usable delay time under a quarter second. I'll say 10 before the breakdown, 5 afterwards.

Surely, you must have persevered through the entire category above. The newer Dunlop MXR stuff seems to be decent, and I think electronic technology has evolved enough to produce an effect that can last a few decades without trouble. But geez, how hard could it be to build sturdy stuff? There are hardly any moving parts! The other components (jacks, switch, pots, casing, cord, etc.) seem robust, but, obviously, my rating here will be averaged and not stellar.

MXR of Rochester, N.Y.--R.I.P.
MXR (Dunlop) of Benicia, CA.--alive and well. Seem to be decent, but no customer support for the fossils. And it is to the fossils that we now refer.

I think a lot of people secreting mucous at the mention of vintage effects are responding to more than merely the "tone" of the effects. Vibe (read: paint job), rarity, and their guitar heroes' usage of such products probably work on these individuals' subconsiousnesses at least as much as the professed love of the tone. I am in there too, so don't start to st-st-st-stammer an objection. Ha ha. Anyway, strangely, I have a Phase 90 from the same era that does not pull a Cookie Monster on my double-digit Hertz. What am I gonna do?

I love the fact that the knobs are big enough to turn with your. I use this to get an almost pitch shifting like sound turning between long and short delay times.

I use this pedal along with an Ibanez "potato Bug" soundtank digital delay. The difference is great. This box produces some of the most incredible feed back. It is also subtle enough not to muddy your mix.

I use it in every situation. It has it's own power supply built in. I am thinking of throwing a mod when I have time to test the voltage.

never had to

I play space rock and this pedal is the sh*t!!!!!! Gets your guitar really far out there. With the option of not coming back

Come on.. thre knobs, cannot get much easier.

I bought this hoping to get that nice Boss DM-2 sound I like. Well, it almost hits it on the head perfectly, but not quite. ANyways, for the price I paid, i cannot complain.

Its built like a freakin tank. Steel box, good switch, and knobs that could be changed if they broke off.

NA

I play mostly rockabilly and surf guitar with a little blues thrown in. My setup is currently: Peavey Predator Plus (i added a bone nut, 2 Texas Specials and a Pearly Gates), MXR analog delay, Big Muff (Want to get a Blue Tube), VooDoo Labs Tremelo, into a Music Man 65 head.
It does the job, I love the good slapback delay I can get. Also pretty fun to turn up the regen knob then start playing around with the delay time, it gets the most crazy squeals and such. I would try to find another one of these if some jerk stole it from me.
one last thing.. GO ANALOG!!!!!

3 Knobs...easy

The delay is warm and fat. I'm playing a Fender strat with EMG DG20 active pickups > BOSS CS-2 Compressor/Limiter > Ibanez TS-9 Tubescreamer (TS-808 Modded) > BOSS PH-1R Phaser > BOSS CE-2 Chorus > MXR Analog Delay > Fender Super Champ. The MXR is the perfect delay compliment to this setup and to my style of playing...mainly blues. For an analog delay this pedal really shines. I have taken my BOSS Digital Delay pedal out of my setup since the MXR has a smoother more organic sound.

This thing has been around for quite a while now. It is still tickin'!

Never had to contact them...this thing is SOLID!

I play blues/rock/psychedelic music and this pedal is WONDERFUL! It really adds goodness to my sound and has given me some inspiration. If you can part with the cash to pick one up I'd recommend it.

This thing sounds incredible. Very easy to get a cool sound without a manual. Although the manual contains some useful settings and presents everything in a straightforward manner, it's not really necessary. My only complaint (a minor one) is that the knobs (from l to r: delay, mix, and regeneration) should be calibrated so that settings for certain songs would be easier to find and remember.

I'm using a early-90s Fender Telecaster model with Lace Sensor pickups (humbucker in the bridge, single coil in the neck) through a Fender Princeton Chorus amplifier, with an ADA Flanger, a Dunlop CryBaby wah, and a USA-made Ross phaser/distortion unit in combo with the amp's built-in chorus. This effect complements many types of music like rockabilly "slapback" echo, Edge-like repeated rhythmic figures, and the ambient reggae-ified textures of Police-era Andy Summers (he actually used this pedal according to a June 1983 Musician magazine article). Like all original MXR pedals, this one produces some hum but not it's not as amplified as a vintage Electro-Harmonix. For all that warm organic delay, it's worth the sacrifice. The delay time is rather short compared to most echo units now on the market (330 ms is the longest delay time, most units today max out at around 2 seconds), so I plan on adding a Boss digital delay unit after the MXR in the signal chain to get double rhythm effects and longer echoes. It's a rather unique delay though, I really wish they reissued this one so everyone could hear how great it was. Everything from reverb and delay to pitch-bending to an almost chorus-like richness are all in this box.

I don't have enough cash for a really good backup (i.e., another analog delay), so I'll have to use the Boss DD-5 I hope to get as a less worthy backup if something goes wrong with this. That's a moot point though since MXRs are built to withstand more abuse than any musician could possibly give it in one lifetime. Highly dependable so far, very sturdy. The AC cord is kind of a bitch but at least I know it won't run out of juice.

Company's long since dead...what a shame. This company made some unbelievable pedals. They're right up there with E-H, Ross, and ADA stuff in my opinion.

I like to play anything really but I have a strange affinity for more rhythmic stuff, so the delay is definitely a good addition to any rhythm guitarist's sonic palette. Lead guitarists may not have an easier time with it, unless they plan on using it for a rockabilly-type sound (which it's perfect for). I just wish the delay times were longer, but other than that it's a great pedal, but expensive as hell. They are quite hard to find as compared to the other MXR pedals, but if you find one and it's JUST within your means, pick it up. If you dig making bizarre sounds and rhythm-based textural playing, you won't regret it.

It takes some patience, depending on the effect you are trying to create. The manual is breif but then again it was made in the 70's, so it is a simple unit overall. It very easy to get good sound.

If you have been using a digital delay like a BOSS DD-3 or similar model, this pedal doesn't sound exactly like it. You need some chorus, like the Micro Chorus pedal or the Stereo Chorus both by MXR, to get a bigger stadium feel. If that's what you want for sound. I use a Fender Fat Strat with a non-floating Floyd Rose with either a Peavey 5150 Combo or a Marshall JTM30 Combo and when you drop the bar down, way down, the effect fades and seems to disappear, unless you have a little chorus with it. I would never get rid of my BOSS DD-3 because it does different stuff. I loved this analog delay so much, I bought another one. I like this pedal for the Randy Rhoades setup and for the vintage Eddie Van Halen sound.

100% no pedal I can think of is more rugged.

N/A they are out of production and the original company is defunct.

I love blues, metal and hard rock, among others. This pedal fits many styles. I also have an MXR Micro Chorus, MXR 10 Band EQ, MXR Phase 90, MXR Noise Gate/Line Driver, Dunlop Dallas Arbeiter Fuzz Face, BOSS DD-3, Dunlop 535Q Wah Pedal and a ZOOM 505 Multi FX Processor. If it was stolen I'd be set 'cause I bought another for a spare in case it got lost or stolen. I love the warmth. I wish it had the battery feature the newer MXR pedals have instead of the AC cord. Also, if it had an LED light but thats best with a battery so you don't wear it out. Yes, it helps me make music, but it's not a nessicity. Lastly, I wish Jim Dunlop would start making all the old MXR pedals again, not just a select few. BUY IT!!! If you can sill find one. I have seen the sell for over $200.00 (US) and most are happy to pay. I found both of mine for $150.00 each. One with the manual. Anybody want copies of the manual, email me, I'll scan and email or color photocopy the thing and send it to you for what ever the cost is.

If you can operate a lollipop, you can figure out this pedal. Just remember that the knob labeled "regen" is short for regeneration, or feedback.

I would give this a rating of 12 or 15, but it does have one small drawback- it creates some RF hum. Otherwise, this is the best sounding piece of equipment I have ever touched. There isn't an instrument that doesn't sound good through it, and I've tried them all. It even makes my PSR-47 synth sound good, which says alot. It has the ability to create (or heavily emphasize) certain harmonics of the note you're playing, depending on how long the delay is set for. The farther to the right the delay function is set, the lower the harmonic that is created. Unbelievable. Great for swelling walls of low-pitched feedback that bypass your ears and go straight to the cerebellum, but also does standard slap-back, and the such.

Since this pedal broke on me, i like it better. Apparently, there is some lack of grounding, as touching different parts of the pedal while you sustain a note or use feedback creates different overtones. If i run across another is good condition, I'll piack it up just to guarantee I'll have a working MXR delay in 2020.

This is the only effect that is truly an instrument unto itself. If you're into making new/interesting/outrageous sounds, you need this pedal like oxygen. End of story. Unforunately, you can expect to pay up to $200 for a good specimen, but worth every cent.