DD-20 lack of clarity

andyg_prs

Hi,

I just got a DD-20. I had been using a DD-7 with an EV5 expression pedal but it was taking up a lot of space on my board and I was basically just using a lower mix / 3 repeats of a 500ms delay or a higher mix with multiple repeats for some solos.

Trouble is the DD-20 doesn't sound nearly as clear/crisp on the repeats when using gain (pedal in front of the amp, or the amp's drive channel).

I run my delays in the loop and I've tried changing the level of the pedal from -20dB to +4dB as is suggested.

Is this just a characteristic of the pedal?  It's not distorted...it's just not as clear...

I should say I also got the DD-20 as I like the ease of being able to programme in a delay like 197ms for set pieces like Nuno's Flight of the Wounded Bumblee....feel free to throw alternatives at me.....although I bet what gets mentioned is £400+!

Thanks,
Andy

Kebabkid

Take a look at the Providence Chrono Delay on the classifieds for £150. Great and good quality delay giving you 2 presets at any one time and it shows the time in ms if you so wish and small-ish footprint. New, they're close to £300.

Quite a few demos on YT
http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/97526/fs-providence-chrono-delay-dly-4#latest

english_bob

Which mode do you have it set to? Some (eg. analogue) will be inherently less clear sounding than others. 

You don't mention what amp you're using, or how much gain. If you're going from a very clean sound to one with a lot of distortion (your avatar looks like a flyer for a metal gig, so I suspect you are) you might just have to dial in different presets for the dirty sounds- probably with fewer repeats, and perhaps with the effects level turned down. Big, lush delays with lots of repeats sound great with cleaner tones, but it all becomes a bit too much with distortion too.

andyg_prs

Hi,  I'm using the "Standard" mode at the 12 o' clock position which is supposed to be straight digital delay I believe. 

I play in a prog rock/metal band....but also in a reggae band so aware of the clean/high gain issue....generally I find putting the delay in the loop deals with the difference in effect intensity with/without gain. 

This is a straight comparison of a DD-7 with a DD-20 used in exactly the same way.  That said, I do need to give the thing more of a chance....it was my first impression.... 

Btw I use an Engl Ironball that does everything from warm clean to absolute filth!  The Bright Onion pedal is the boost/channel selector and on the clean selection it has a loop function.  That is fed into the Wobo looper (!) such that I can preselect either the EQ to scoop the clean for a more Fender-like sound......or the Plexitone for a more.....well Plexi-like gain....and of course both or neither....I find it to be a very flexible set up

english_bob

That does sound pretty flexible

It may be that the DD-20 just isn't for you- there isn't a huge range of control over how it sounds in any mode. I would definitely stick with it for a bit though.

FWIW, the Boss DD-500 has a hugely powerful EQ that would almost certainly allow you to get a delay sound that works with all your tones. It's also twice the price of the DD-20 used, considerably more complicated and less like the Boss stompbox delays.

clarkefan

I noticed something similar from from DD-3 to DD-7, to DD-20.  Each step felt a hair less clear. At first.

I stuck with the 20, and recently tried the 3 again. Yes I felt the difference was still there, only this time the 3 sounded thin in comparison, I much prefer the 20. Sold the 3.

The 20 is very user friendly, lots of easy to access options, without paralysis

andyg_prs

clarkefan said:

I noticed something similar from from DD-3 to DD-7, to DD-20.  Each step felt a hair less clear. At first.

I stuck with the 20, and recently tried the 3 again. Yes I felt the difference was still there, only this time the 3 sounded thin in comparison, I much prefer the 20. Sold the 3.

The 20 is very user friendly, lots of easy to access options, without paralysis

Feel free to share any favourite settings   The reggae keys player uses a Space Echo and I notice the DD-20 has a Space Echo setting, so that could be fun!

Flanging_Fred

One thing that might need bearing in mind is that the DD-20 was released in 2003 and was more of a contemporary of the DD-6.   When the DD7 came out in 2008 I remember forum chat over on Harmony Central saying that people thought that it was clearer and with an improved analogue mode over the DD-20 (which a lot of people had at the time). 

clarkefan

andyg_prs said:

clarkefan said:

I noticed something similar from from DD-3 to DD-7, to DD-20.  Each step felt a hair less clear. At first.

I stuck with the 20, and recently tried the 3 again. Yes I felt the difference was still there, only this time the 3 sounded thin in comparison, I much prefer the 20. Sold the 3.

The 20 is very user friendly, lots of easy to access options, without paralysis

Feel free to share any favourite settings   The reggae keys player uses a Space Echo and I notice the DD-20 has a Space Echo setting, so that could be fun!

I found some links I'll dig out later, haven't tried them myself yet but they look interesting. Still playing with presets and also the tone control which are both new to me

One thing you might try is putting a volume pedal in the fx loop before the 20, you can drop the level going into the 20 with then turn up the power amp to compensate. Or a pedal with a vol control, or one of those volume boxes (basically a vol pot in a box).

It could be the lack of clarity is distortion cos the signal is too strong for the 20 and overloading it so it's clipping.  I had that with the 3 and the 7 and even the 20 on the +4 dbu setting.  Volume box sorted that

professorben

I've a Flashback X 4 which has some pristine delays on it.
Tap tempo and memories.
Looper too.
Im selling it.


For money.

Mostly.