NPD: Carbon Copy vs Flashback

monquixote

I am in a quandary as I now have both of the delay pedals I was considering for my board. 

I managed to pick up an Alter Ego for a good price a while back and I've just obtained a Carbon Copy in a trade.

I haven't had a chance to back to them yet, but I had a very cursory go with the Carbon Copy to get a few initial thoughts. 

My first impression is that it's very dark. It doesn't pop out of the mix at all so it's really good at providing some ambience on clean sounds, or as a rock solo delay. 

What I wouldn't choose it for would be 50's slapback or U2 type stuff (but not having tap tempo means that point is probably moot anyway). This was quite interesting because Jorge Tripps (who designed both) said he didn't see the point in the Aqua Puss being reissued when the Carbon Copy could do it all and more, but the Aqua Puss is way better for 50's slap back.

I gave the modulation mode a brief poke, but it had been set way wobblier than I'd ever use so I need to pop it open and pull the tweakers back a bit more before I offer an opinion. 

The Alter Ego is of course much more flexible, but I don't really like flexible as that equals live balls ups so it will be the one with the nicest sound that will win out. 

Interested to hear opinions from those that have tried both.

daveyh

monquixote said:

I haven't had a chance to back to them yet, but I had a very cursory go with the Carbon Copy to get a few initial thoughts. 

My first impression is that it's very dark. It doesn't pop out of the mix at all so it's really good at providing some ambience on clean sounds, or as a rock solo delay. 

That's exactly how I view mine

EricTheWeary

The CC sounded nice in isolation but the dark/ soft nature of it meant it got lost in a band mix as an 'effect.' The Flashback/ Hardwire approach for me means you have two pedals. The first is one you use at home/ recording for many different delays. The second is a one setting pedal for live use. I don't think the flexibility translates over to live well because it does mean some bending over and knob fiddling :-O , hence the X4 I guess. If this is primarily for live go with what sounds best and ignore the flexible nature of the Alter Ego

Moltisanti

the CC is lovely as a very subtle effect from my experience, sounds good with gain (in a loop) for lead stuff, but for anything more pronounced i prefer the hardwire

JCA2550

daveyh, I agree 100%,  Moltisanti I mostly agree. The Carbon Copy is my  go to small board "touch of ambient enhancement in front of an amp choice" and sounds great in a classic-rock lead setting, but, if I want make a feature of delays, echoes or grand statement style sounds the Flashback is soooooooooo versatile and does these brilliantly well, I bought a CC when they first came out to see what the TGP fuss was all about, liked it, sold it and bought another one which I still have. The Flashback was only knocked off the small pedal-board when I got hold of a Flashback x4 for the big board.

Summary; both great in heir own way, but if I had to pick just one it would be the Flashback, but I wouldn't, would I?

samzadgan

The carbon copy is dark...which is exactly why it never leaves my board...

digitalscream

I've got the Alter Ego myself - I only ever use it in modulated mode, because it really pops in a live mix well. I've used it as a chorus on occasion (the tri-chorus toneprint), but now it just stays in MOD mode...I find it works just as well for epic solos as it does for subtle clean picked bits.

monquixote

Had a bit more chance to play with the Carbon Copy today vs the Alter Ego. 

It's a tough one. I like the analog mode on the Alter Ego, but I find most of the modulated settings sound a bit fake and the knobs doing different things depending on the mode turns me off a bit.

The Carbon copy sounds lovely as it decays and the ranges of the pots are really well thought out. I can't decide if it is just a smidge too dark though. I popped it open and pulled back the modulation width tweaker which made that mode much more usable. I may pull it back yet more.

I'm still not sure I've found my perfect delay though I suspect it might be this:

http://www.jimdunlop.com/images/products/EchoPussAnalogDelay-11.png

dindude

I had a CC for a good while, really liked it, as you say it's dark and gives a good subtle delay. In the end the repeats just started to grate on me though, they started to sound a little like a dull thud. 

I bought a Delixe Memory man to try alongside at that point and it was game over for the CC, the DMM just sounded lush and bright and lovely in comparison. Unfortunately the DMM didn't quite have enough delay time or headroom for my needs. 

Moved to a Diamond Memory Lane Jr and have been very happy for around two years with this. Amazing delay. A simple but powerful (like you I hate too many options).

I'm a complete Anolog hound, every effect type I've tried I end up with anolog instead of digital on preference of sound, the only exception being delay, there are so many good digital ones that going the anolog route is too much of a compromise for me.

I reckon you should keep searching, there are loads if great delay pedals out there, just need to find the one that suits you.

hubobulous

Given that you like the Velvet so much, perhaps taking a look at Wampler's offerings might be an idea, though you may have already done that

ThePrettyDamned

Have you tried the visual sound axle grease?

It uses a digital chip, but it behaves like an analogue delay - including oscillation.

Repeats are dark, but not as dark as the carbon copy, and it's not a "modelled" delay.

Doesn't have modulation, but I think @mike_l is an owner - he could clarify.

I wouldn't be exaggerating if I said it was one of the best sounding delay pedals I've heard. I'd take it over a carbon copy.

mike_l

The Axle Grease does do wobbly. To the point of insanity.

Gagaryn

El Cap is worth a try too.

richardhomer

I have a CC and think it is a good sounding pedal when you want the delays to 'blend' with the sound you are using.

As others have said, the repeats are fairly dull - and possibly a little 'grey' sounding, if that makes sense? They somehow lack tonal 'colour' - but usable for short to medium delays - and livened up by a small amount of modulation dialled.

For more general use, I actually find the analogue setting on my Boss DD7 works better.

ThePrettyDamned

mike_l;348875" said:

The Axle Grease does do wobbly. To the point of insanity.

Awesome

I'm quite sad I don't own one - I was offered one at an excellent price new but I wanted tap tempo.

I barely use tap tempo!

monquixote

Delay is a bit of an odd one for me because I'm not really a delay person. 

I always have one on my board because it's something I feel like I should have and I like it when others use it and when I listen to demos, but often for me I find that my perception of the notes pinging around puts me off when I'm playing.

The reason I keep persevering is that I didn't like compression until I had the SP and I couldn't find a Fuzz that worked for me live until I had the Velvet. It may of course just be that I just don't need a delay.

In the past I've had a:

Memory Boy which I loved and wished I hadn't sold. It was perfect for lovely ambient wobbles on clean sounds. 

Deep Blue - Again a digital with analogue simulation. I liked it and used it for a while 

Aqua Puss - Probably the best sounding delay, but delay time is very short and no mod

Zoom G3 - I've still got it and it has some excellent delays. but too big to be on my board.

Things I'd like to try in future:

DMM - My all time favorite sound, but expensive, big and unreliable.

El Cap - Again big and probably overkill

Echo Puss - Fixes my issues with the Aqua Puss so possibly the one for me.

Wampler Faux Analogue - Tone control appeals, but again no mod and is actually digital.

Any other suggestions?

digitalscream

Zoom MS70CDR. Brilliant pedal, sounds amazing, loads of great models. Only problem is that the user interface is worse than terrible, and to use it like a normal pedal requires a workaround that feels way too much like a hack.

monquixote

digitalscream said:

Zoom MS70CDR. Brilliant pedal, sounds amazing, loads of great models. Only problem is that the user interface is worse than terrible, and to use it like a normal pedal requires a workaround that feels way too much like a hack.

Yeah that takes it out of contention for me. 

Ideally I want something with three knobs (though the set and forget internal pots on the CC are useful)

Anything with a complex workflow will result in me not using it.

Drew_TNBD

I didn't like the cc. Sounded kinda cheap to me... Quite noisy too. I recommend the malekko analog delay. Used to have two of them and they were great

samzadgan

Drew_fx said:

I didn't like the cc. Sounded kinda cheap to me... Quite noisy too. I recommend the malekko analog delay. Used to have two of them and they were great

yeah...im thinking about those...speacially the smaller ones...2 in the place of 1!

Majorscale

Own a CC and a T-Rex Replica. I recently went on a pointless mission to replace the CC with the latest flavour of the month...so far the CC has successfully fended off a Flashback and a Diamond Memory Lane Jr!!!! I guess I like it's darkness...