Rocktron Short Timer

nice simple lay out,bright blue led,low noise and great vintage delays

using mostly marshall heads in the ret send this is amazing,doesnt get in the way of the tone,very eric johnson.noise it minimal and if you use batterys i did 5 90min shows on one pp3!!!!lots of delay level available and very very musical,if you want clinical delays stay away

its rocktron,i own xtune deep blue hush intellipitch intelliverb and acouple of replitones rock solid dependability.i play all over europe with confidence

never needed in 12 years of ownership,my mates intellifex went down and they were great,very quick in sorting it out

playing classic rock ,using prs custom 24,lp custom,washburn custom154,varios levinson blades variax ibanez iceman,ovatoin custom balladeer,if the rocktron stuff needed replacing i would buy it again,im with them for life.48 years old and playing for38 of those im set in my ways!!!

Has the usual compliment of Level (adjusts the volume of the delay in the mix), Regeneration (adjusts number of repeats of the effect), and Time (adjusts delay time). Incredibly easy to use but could have used index markings on the dials for easy reference.

I use this with the following chain: Custom made fuzz face copy (with tone circuit and overdrive circuit filter), Modded Cry Baby wah, Custom Built "Stratoblaster" pedal (boost), Dynacomp, Ibanez Ts808 (modded for more bottom end), EH Small Stone, Rocktron Deep Blue Chorus, Rocktron Short Timer, Hot Rod Deville 212 (with Mercury Magnetics transformers. I play through various guitars ranging from a 1984 Strat, Tele, Godin LG SP-90.

This delay is DA BOMB! It is the most authentic sounding analog delay I've ever heard from a digital unit. Remember folks it is NOT supposed to sound like a regular digital delay. I love that analog delay sound where each progressive delay sounds slightly degraded compared to the last....it tends to sound more like a real room delay. This thing nails it. It has very short delay times compared to digital delays, hence the name "short timer" which suit my style perfectly. (Classic rock and in particular the sounds of David Gilmour of Pink Floyd).

I haven't had any noise introduced by the effect at all and the bypass is clean and doesn't suck tone.

It has been the go to delay on my board for three years now. No backup and no problems.

Never had to deal with them. No idea.

I play mostly classic rock with some 80's and 90's pop, punk, and even some reggae thrown in. Modern pop occasionally makes it in there too. What can I say, I'm 33 years old and have been playing since I was 14....you do the math.....I've tried a pedal or two along the way! For the money this thing is absolutely the best in the biz.

Pretty easy to use--each knob does what it is labelled. I love the Short/Shorter button--the "Shorter" effect is especially cool for people who don't want the ridiculous CHUNK-CHunk-chunk-chunk sound at the end of a palm muted note. This is not a unit for pointy-headed shred-metal guitarists.

The phrase "Digital Delay" should be removed from the unit--I think some of the people expressing dissatisfaction are expecting something more akin to a 80's Boss or Ibanez digital delay. This pedal isn't going to get you that kind of sound; the term "Vintage Delay" works much better. It doesn't sound EXACTLY like an old tape-delay Echoplex or whatever, but it's close enough and much more reliable (especially if you factor in the elimination of breaking/degrading tapes, etc.).

One person lamented how easily the knobs moved or got knocked out of adjusment. Here's a tip for any piece of equipment that has that problem (amp, guitar, effect, etc.):
(1) Remove the knob
(2) Put a small O-ring over the shaft of the potentiometer (put a real tight one that has to stretch to fit around the shaft); roll the O-ring all the way to the bottom of the shaft.
(3) Re-install the knob
The knob will have a little bit more friction, keeping it in the position desired.

The manual was cute--I didn't need it. I like the bright blue warning beacon--you can see if the pedal is on even halfway across the venue!

I am a recovering anti-Delay-ist.

For 17 years, I used no reverb or delay--I wanted my tone to be as dry as possible. Several reasons for this--
(1) most everybody was using the crazy metallic-toned digital delays when I started playing in the mid-to-late 80's; the combination of delay, chorus and the anemic tones of the day turned me off big-time.
(2) my first two amps either had a broken reverb tank (solid-state Gibson GA20) or no reverb function (tube-powered silverface Fender Bassman 10) at all, much less delay.
(3) a dry signal stands out more, and fattens up the song considerably.
Eventually, I realized that some (not all) songs needed the space that the proper amount of delay can provide. I went to several guitar shops and tried every delay effect pedal I could get my foot on: from cheap to expensive, from digital to analog, from vintage to modern technology...and I eventually found the ShortTimer. It fit in for what I wanted very well.
Price vs. Sound Quality vs. Reliability made this one a winner.

I haven't had the problem with noise that some people commented on (and I hate a hissy pedal). My signal chain is quite long, and noise will inevitably occur...but the Short-Timer didn't add any significant amount. I will admit that I have a Rocktron HUSH pedal at the end of my chain (for both noise reduction and feedback prevention, in the case of my harmonicas), but the Short-Timer doesn't add any problems even with the HUSH turned off. Some people who complain about noise are often using a crappy old patch cable or are turning on too many pedals at once.
My setup is as follows:
62RI Fender Stratocaster (w/Pete Biltoft Vintage Vibe SP90 pickups);
Vintage-Styled hecho-en-Mexico Fender Telecaster (maple fretboard, Mighty Mite P90 in neck position, stock vintage-styled Tele bridge pickup);
1980 G&L F-100 (rosewood fretboard, two coil- and phase-tapped humbuckers);
Also, I play Lee Oskar and Hohner harmonicas through a vintage 1940's Astatic A200 microphone (plugged into the effects board)

Boss TU2 Tuner, Ibanez TS9 reissue TubeScreamer, vintage block-logo MXR Phase 90, Boss RT20 Rotary Ensemble (Leslie cabinet simulator), Dunlop JH2S Jimi Hendrix Classic Fuzz, Dunlop Crybaby (self-modded), Danelectro Daddy-O overdrive, DOD FX40B Equalizer (for added punch against the signal loss), Rocktron Short-Timer and HUSH pedals, then a Morley ABY pedal out to the Normal and Bright channels of a 1963RI Fender Vibroverb (greatest re-issue amp ever in the history of forever). All the pedals are mounted on and powered by a Furman SPB8 pedalboard.

I admit that this is a lot of pedals, but I use each one judiciously; the EQ and HUSH are the only ones that are turned on all the time--the rest are set for maximum tone and texture, especially with the variety of music my group(s) play.

I am very happy with this pedal--it sounds great in my setup.

I have had no problems with either of my Rocktron pedals--I do wish they were a bit smaller--real estate on pedalboards is mighty expensive.

I never had to talk to the company--which means their products have given me no trouble, which means they get a 10. The best customer support is the one you don't ever have to use.

I play guitar/vox/harp/slide guitar with a Texas Roadhouse Music (blues + rock + Outlaw Country-look the definition up in Wikipedia) group called the SCREAMIN' ARMADILLOS. An audience member described us as ZZ Top and the Fabulous Thunderbirds touring with Waylon Jennings.
I also play with a second (studio only) group called Cowboy Gypsies (similar influences but with a more mellow Americana/Texicana style).
This pedal complements my playing style perfectly.
I would buy this pedal again. The only thing I don't like about it is the size--Rocktron really needs to cut down the size of all their pedals.

Couldnt be easier to use. The only problems with use are that the nobs turn way too easily and the blue indicator light is blinding. I thought people here were just being whiners about the bright blue light, but try and play it in a dark place and you cant see anything else and when the too easy to turn knobs get knocked off of your settings, you won't know it. I had to put a piece of masking tape over it and you can still see it. I deducted 2 points for these ridiculous features. The housing is very nice and rugged, would make a nice home for a real pedal.

I wanted one good sound - old slapback echo. I couldnt see spending $200 on a decent analog delay for that sound. Now I realize I should have because sound wise, this thing is an absolute hunk of shit. Two problems:
1) It's noisy. I don't mean a little noisy, it's noisy like there is something wrong with it. Maybe Roctron wants to sell their "Hush" pedal, I don't know. Anything but the lowest settings give you a ridiculous hum.
2) It sucks your tone dry, even when its off. I might as well play a solid state amp with this pedal because thats what it makes my tube amps sound like (whether its with EL 84's, 6L6's or the 7868's in my vintage Ampeg). I don't get how anyone could think this thing has any use at all. The one good sound I was looking for is totally negated by the fact that it sterilizes the warm tube tone I get out of my amps. I could not be more disappointed in this pedal and should have spent the $200 instead of wasting my time with this doorstop.

Very durable. The switches seem solid. It eats 9v batteries in a matter of minutes. Power supply is a must.

They seem like good guys, but I have not dealt with them.

I've been playing long enough to know what good tone is and when I've wasted my money. I bought this one because I am cheap. Unless you're playing pointless space music in your Mom's basement, this thing sucks. Without a doubt, this is the worst gear related purchase I've ever made. I read the reviews here and hoped the negative ones were wrong. They were dead on. A noisy tone sucking piece of junk.
If you are looking for one of these on ebay, please ignore this review because that is where this one will wind up.

Unlike many that have posted here, I find it very easy to get the sound I am looking for. Having said that, perhaps it is because I am an old school guy and play old school stuff. You just have to be careful when you push it a bit because it does have a tendancy to run away. But, that is easily controlled.

Yes, I get pretty close to the sound of my 1968 (or around there) tape loop Wem CopyCat, which is cool because I don't have to change tape loops after every set. I get subtle slap back that is very much Nokie Edwards sound (The Ventures) as well as the Astronauts, and others from the day. My original echo is a Wem CopyCat tape loop, and I play entirely vitage gear, a '64 Strat, '58 Teli, '62 Fender reverb tank that I bought in '62, and all through a '61 Fender Bandmaster with a single JBL D-130F in the cab. I do a lot of slap back stuff and surf echo in what I do which is mostly surf music and rockabilly. Yes, I was born and raised in Calif. during the time. I think it is a great unit for the price and for digital.

Only had it a littly while. Can't say about reliability. I have Wem as a backup whil gigging, but so far I haven't plugged it in. Haven't missed it. And I certainly don't miss making up tape loops and changing them after every set.

No experience in this area. Thank God.

To answer the questions in order:
I play lots of styles, including surf, blues, you name it. I also use the slap back with a ShoBud double 10 pedal steel guitar.
I have been playing for...I guess about 45 years. Only 20 or so of that was professional, though.
As far as my other gear, see above.
I would buy it again.
My favorite feature is its tone (for digital) and ease of use.
It helps my music and I think it is a great value.

One knob for two different delay times in general: Rather short and even shorter.
Three parameters to be set for general volume, delay time fine adjustment and regeneration.
Quite easy to use, but with the exception of the the regen knob:
If you turn it up to greater than about 2/3, it not only generates endless repeats (unlike other delays) it keeps on getting louder and louder and louder until ...?! ... Until you turn the knob back. So what is that supposed to be ?

Maybe that is intentional, but it sounds like an old tape echo or an analog delay, although it uses digital circuits.
It doesn`t sound "digital" at all, meaning that already the first echo you hear is of significantly lesser sound quality than the original input and the following ones get even worse very quickly.
The pedal then produces considerable hiss which unfortunately sounds crappy and non-musical, compared to real old tape devices.
I think that the box`s printed label saying "digital delay" is misleading for most players, as they will definitely not get what can usually be expected from a digital echo unit: Crystal clear echo sound even until maybe after the 30st repeat or so.
With this box it`s entirely different and that is even more surprising since the delays are relatively short.
It sounds "low-fi" and old-fashioned but yet cannot compare with real vintage gear, but I bet there are people who`ll find it pleasant.
It may be considered some sort of bizarre rarity, and the weird regeneration knob which is capable of blasting your amp just adds to it.

Rock-solid and dependable.

For people who like to have the sound of an old echo device from the time before delays went digital, this is it !
For most of the people who want an ordinary digital delay sound, it will be mostly disappointing.
Difficult to evaluate: ??t is very good at sounding bad :-)

I don't like this pedal at all....to be brutally honest. I find myself mucking around with it non-stop trying to get a semi-reasonable sound out of it.

It could be just my personal taste but this pedal is hard work.

Controls are:LEVEL, REGENERATION, TIME & SHORT/SHORTER selector...plus the footswitch itself.

My rig is: Epiphone Ace Frehley Les Paul, Epiphone Les Paul Studio, Ibanez Lawsuits (1974 Flying V, 1977 Double Neck 6/12), Ibanez PS10, Karina Gold Top Les Paul fed into >Rocktron Short Timer> Marshall DSL100 stack (2 4x12 cabs)with the following in the effects loop MXR Dynacomp> MXR Distortion +> MXR Phase 90. I find the effects loop works well with my MXR pedals.

The sound I get out of this unit is not pleasing to my ears PERIOD. I kind of think it's quite lo-fi and very busy sounding. I can't seem to get it to even come close to what I want out of a delay pedal. I want to have the best of both worlds....I want to be able to choose a vintage lo-fi tape style echo and a crystal clear digitally precise delay. This unit does not give me what I want so I am going to turn to an Ibanez DE7 and see how that one stacks up.

Although this was a gift, the price was NZ$139. It should have been less than NZ$50 because it is not really very musical....unless you want an aimless, busy, undefined style of echo effect.

I tried it in my Marshalls effects loop and the effect basically disappeared....there was nothing but a foggy load of mud, oozing it's way out of my two Marshall 4 x 12 cabs! I thought my Marshall had soiled herself but it was just the Rocktron crap running down her leg....thank god!

Using it before my amp was the only option and even that was not good enough.

It is also really noisey...loads of HISSSS and the ocasional wild POP when switching it on or off...great for destroying your gear with wild, random and uncontrollable acoustics that drive everyone insane and make you look like a total jack-ass on stage!

The only sound I got out of it that was semi-reasonable was by palm-muting with a bit of overdrive on my DSL 100 crunch chanel.

As this was a gift and I only had it for a short time (excuse the pun!!)....who knows!

None needed after 1 week.

You should expect exactly what this pedal is called...SHORT TIMER...what this means is, within a SHORT TIME you will either throw it in the garbage can or hopefully unload it to some poor unsuspecting new-comer!

Seriously people...this unit is only good for your dumpster...it is no good for your effects line up.

I bit tricky adjusting the LEVEL, REGENERATION and TIME levels but only three knobs. I only found one setting that was really all that pleasing. Pretty much a mid level for everything.

Sound quality is not too good but then it isn't a $300 pedal, so, initially, I was okay with the sound of the thing.

Here is where everything seems to fall to pieces, RELIABILITY. The light in the pedal worked for the first two times I used it. I put it away for a couple of months and when I attempted to use again in a studio setting to see if I might be able to gig with it, BLAM. It just stopped working properly. I have not been able to get it to work on any of my amps. Looks like I might be opening her up to see if I can see what might have "snapped."

Since this is only a $69 pedal, I really am not going to bother with customer support. I just won't be using any Rocktron pedals again any time soon. This one gets tossed.

Given the pedal is only a few months old and only has about one hour of play through her AND has quite working, I would have to rate the pedal, OVERALL, pretty LOW.

Simple as nothing. Just plug in and play! Three different knobs. One for delay level, delay repetition and one for delay time. Just a few tweaks to change the sound you're looking for. No need to read the manual.

I play an unusual guitar called Starfield Cabriolet SJ(Limited edition). The sound character of the guitar is pretty much a blend of a telecaster and a Les Paul. (Two humbuckers). The amp I use is a Peavey Classic 30 watts all tube. The effects chain I use is a Ibanez/Rocktron elephant compressor from the guitar to the amp's input. In order from start to end in the effects loop I use a Korg stage tuner, Rocktron short timer, Ibanez TS7, Jim Dunlop Cry Baby. When using the short timer alone with compressor it's no noise at all. Of course if you use the TS7 along with the short timer you will get a noisier signal. Not a problem though. It's simply a grreat delay pedal resembling an analog echo in a quiet way. I use it mainly as an ambience "raiser" and a longer time setting for soloing.

The construction seems solid and I would defenitely rely on it. Feel no need to have a backup.

Haven't had any reason yet..

I play mainly rock music with roots in the sixties and seventies. (The Band, Juicy Lucy, Clapton, Faces etc). I'm not a professional but have played in different bands for over 20 years and from time to time in a project studio. It's a great delay pedal, almost organic. The best I've ever had!
I feel no need at all to change..

Rocktron Short Time digital delay pedal. Three knobs with a "short" and "shorter" switch. Large green metal case with plastic bits on the input and output jacks. Really simple to use and difficult to get a bad sound. According to the manual, this unit was designed to sound warm and analog.

First off, let me say I am reluctant to give any product a perfect 10. This unit really deserves a perfect score. In a word, the Short Timer sounds WARM. Actually, it's so warm that it sounds slightly lo-fi -- in a vintage sort of way. I have never before heard a digital pedal as analog-sounding as this one!

I tried the Digitech DigiDelay at my local music store before I bought the Short Timer. The only thing that impressed me about the Digitech was the length of the delay. The sound was typically cold -- even on the supposedly warm "tape delay" setting.

I use the Short Timer for short slapback delays in lieu of reverb. I bought this pedal to use occasionally as an effect with the 50's Fender Esquire RI. Much to my surprise, I use the pedal 100% of the time.

The pedal in slapback mode is not noisy at all. Please note that in order to get a Pink Floyd "The Wall" sound, you must turn all three knobs up almost all the way. This increases noise. I never use the pedal in this way so noise is not a factor for me.

I do hear the pop when the unit is enabled, but it?s no big deal because I keep the pedal on all the time.

I don't like the plastic bits on the input and output jacks. I use an adapter and so I keep the pedal plugged in on my pedal board. It's probably not a good idea to plug the unit in frequently.

Otherwise, the Short Timer seems pretty solid.

This is a great unit for slapback delays. And at an amazing price! I might look into other Rocktron pedals.

I have been playing guitar seriously since 1989. I'm currently into a more 50's sound with my 50's Esquire RI and the small, all-tube Fender Pro Junior.

I would buy another if it was lost or stolen. I don't think I've ever said that about another pedal before.