


As such, the flat frequency response of a digital delay is probably closer to Jonny’s tape sound than the murky tone of mid-focused “analog” delays. The filtering on a Strymon Brigadier might sound more “authentic” than the DD7’s “analog” mode to some folks, but ultimately they both offer a dark, mid-focused delay sound in contrast to the crisp, clear sound of an unfiltered digital delay - that should be the main takeaway for a beginner.įor what it’s worth, Jonny maxes out the Baxandall EQ on his Space Echo, which results in a mid-scooped sound. At their core, they’re all digital delays with different filtering applied to get “vintage” sounds (almost always a combination of highpass and lowpass filtering, which results in a mid-focused delay sound). There are many digital pedals that emulate analog and tape delays. They do offer great sounds on some settings, but for a beginner it’s nothing that the DD7 can’t cover with its “analog” and “modulate” modes. They all suffer from the same limitations of relatively short delay times and increased noise as the delay time increases. Most boutique and clone “analog” delays use the same chip: the PT2399. But if you want to know why we didn’t recommend other delays, read on. You should probably stop reading now, go find a DD7, and focus on your playing. Some pedals offer tap tempo presets for different preset rhythms (triplets, dotted-eighths, etc), but those presets aren’t technically necessary – you can access those rhythms simply by tapping out the rhythm itself, as Jonny does with a dotted-quarter on performances of Identikit. That’s especially true if you learn to tap out different rhythms, as Jonny does on those two songs. Getting something with tap tempo can help improve your sense of rhythm if you’re a beginner.

Even though Jonny has never used these pedals, the clarity of a digital delay will work better for Jonny’s more recent style of using delays as counterpoint, compared to a lot of delays which are designed with warm ambience in mind. Some other good options are a used Boss DD5 (one of Ed’s favorite pedals, but less options than the DD7), or a used Boss DD20 (even more options than the DD7, but a little harder to find for low prices these days). Our recommendation is a used Boss DD7 along with a Boss FS-5U footswitch for tap tempo (or any cheap and compatible footswitch). If you like Identikit and Present Tense, you’ll want a delay with clarity and tap tempo. Hello, I'm looking to get my first delay pedal and my biggest inspiration would be jonny's playing and Graham coxon / Syd Barrett, what would you recommend as a cheap option or maybe a clone ? i love the playing on identikit or present tense for example
