Here is a comparison between two popular analog delay pedals, the MXR Carbon Copy and the Seymour Duncan Vapor Trail. Both pedals provide excellent analog delay sounds. The Carbon Copy has slightly darker repeats that ‘blend in’ a bit more; the Vapor Trail repeats are still warm but also have some nice shimmer. Both give you nice vintage delay sounds. The Vapor Trail has some additional features like delay modulation knobs on the front of the pedal (as opposed to the Carbon Copy’s internal trim pots) and a delay time knob that flashes in sync with the delay length, however I don’t really miss these things on the Carbon Copy. Overall, either would make a great “go-to” analog delay pedal.
This demo was recorded with a Fender MIM Strat (w/ Texas Special pickups) and a Fender Champ II (Rivera, with Eminence Ragin’ Cajun speaker) amp miked with a Sennheiser e906 dynamic microphone.
After demoing the Soul Food against other pedals and hitting some of the (relatively) higher gain sounds, I thought it would be good to do a video focusing on the Soul Food’s clean – or cleanish – side. It’s a transparent overdrive to begin with, and thus a great option for those looking to add just a small amount of fine grit.
This demo was recorded with a Fender MIM Strat (w/ Texas Special pickups) and a Fender Champ II (Rivera, with Eminence Ragin’ Cajun speaker) amp miked with a Sennheiser e906 dynamic microphone.
Here is my demo & review of the Hoof Fuzz from Earthquaker Devices. Touted by Earthquaker as their flagship pedal, this fuzz is based on the ‘green Russian Big Muff’ used by such players as Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys. (His guitar tech started Earthquaker.) Featuring a pair of shaggy hooves on the front of the pedal, this thick and wooly fuzz is appropriately named. It has interactive tone controls that allow you to scoop/boost the mids, a super bright LED, and a really loud level knob. As with many pedals from EQD, you can get this high quality boutique pedal at an affordable price – even less used. It’s a fun pedal – a good first fuzz or a good all purpose fuzz.
This demo was recorded with a Fender MIM Strat (w/ Texas Special pickups) and a Fender Champ II (Rivera, with Eminence Ragin’ Cajun speaker) amp miked with a Sennheiser e906 dynamic microphone.
This is a two part video about the differences between analog and digital delay. Part one discusses the general differences between analog and digital delay effects. Part two compares popular analog & digital delay pedals: the MXR Carbon Copy vs the TC Electronic Flashback.
In terms of sound, analog delays tend to sound warm and round. The repeats loose some definition and clarity, however there is generally more body and texture to the repeats. In general, analog delay works well when there is more space in the mix and you’re not running a bunch of other effects. It’s perfect for anything from classic slapback sounds to spacey classic rock. Analog delay can round out a brighter sounding guitar and amp.
Digital repeats do not have the high-end roll-off of analog and generally sound crisper and clearer. (You also tend to get longer delay times and more features with a digital pedal.) Digital delay works well with other pedals and is also the delay of choice for acoustic guitar. The clean, clear repeats sit well in the mix because they don’t have as much body / girth as the repeats on an analog delay.
It should also be noted that there is some overlap between these sounds, with some analog units more on the clear/crisp side (like Seymour Duncan’s Vapor Trail) and some digital delays more on the warm/round side. Some digital delays can produce a convincing analog sound and let you do some things you couldn’t normally do with an analog pedal, however the simplest way to get an analog sound is with an analog delay pedal. Really I recommend owning one of each if you have the means (provided you like delay; also note, they are readily available used). In addition to being useful in different contexts, it can also be fun to run the two delay pedals together. (Maybe I’ll do that in another video one day.)
For the sound demo in part two, I compare the MXR Carbon Copy with the TC Electronic Flashback. Really, this is not meant to show you everything the pedals can do, but to give you a taste of the different sounds that are commonly used – namely a short-to-medium delay to add body. (I do play around with some weird sounds for a bit though.) The Flashback especially is a fairly versatile pedal, however I will focus on the Analog / Tape / LoFi settings, which still sound ‘digital’ in comparison with the Carbon Copy.
The playlist embedded below has both parts of the demo.
This demo was recorded with a Fender MIM Strat (w/ Texas Special pickups) and a Fender Champ II (Rivera, with Eminence Ragin’ Cajun speaker) amp miked with a Sennheiser e906 dynamic microphone.
Here is my three part demo of the TC Electronic Trinity Reverb T2. The “T2” means this is the second version of the pedal, which comes loaded with nothing but ambient reverb presets. (The first version had a mix of ambient sounds and stock Hall of Fame presets.) The presets are mostly based on church / cathedral and long plate type algorithms that feature unusual modulation of the reverb. Some of the sounds are nice and lush; others are just plain weird. In fact, at least half of the settings are a little ‘too much’ for my taste, but there are several that I do like. And while I demo a few short room / slap back sounds, this pedal really excels at long, washy reverb sounds. People who are into ambient sounds, shoegaze, worship music, etc. will probably like this pedal. Yet, also keep in mind that you can get some nice ambient sounds from the Hall of Fame pedal’s stock church and modulated settings, as well as the tone print slot. This is a 3 part demo (because it’s the Trinity, of course), where parts one and two explore stock settings on the dial. Part 3 compares the T2 to the ambient sounds you can get from the Hall of Fame stock settings plus the Sigur Rós tone print, and also pairs the T2 with the TC Electronic Alter Ego V2 (the T2’s sister analog / tape delay pedal). The playlist embed below has all three parts of the demo.
This demo was recorded with a Fender MIM Strat (w/ Texas Special pickups) and a Fender Champ II (Rivera, with Eminence Ragin’ Cajun speaker) amp miked with a Sennheiser e906 dynamic microphone.
Here is a demo and review of the Vapor Trail Analog Delay from Seymour Duncan. There are a lot of analog delays on the market now, and this one really stands out with its unique features and easy usability. Features I like include: battery door on the back and delay modulation controls on the top – you don’t need to unscrew the back to get to either; bright blue led; flashing led inside clear delay knob. Overall, this has a nice clear sound – it’s a little brighter than MXR Carbon Copy, but still has analog warmth. In the demo, I try the clean sound first and then pair it with the Hoof Fuzz from Earthquaker devices.
This demo was recorded with a Fender MIM Strat (w/ Texas Special pickups, Ernie Ball Classic Rock-n-Roll nickel strings) and a Fender Champ II (Rivera, with Eminence Ragin’ Cajun speaker) amp miked with a Sennheiser e906 dynamic microphone.
This video compares the Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer to the electro-harmonix East River Drive. The TS9 is a well known commodity; the East River Drive is a clone of the TS808 circuit designed in conjunction with Analog Mike of Analog Man fame. The East River Drive’s 808 style circuit means it has a slightly smoother sound and a little less gain than the TS9. Overall, though, the two pedals sound similar. Both have the JRC chip and come in green. The East River has nice graphics, a nice green led, is true bypass, and is less expensive. Also, my version said “Made in NYC, USA.” The Ibanez pedal is made in Japan, has easier access to the battery, and has heftier construction than the East River Drive. The led on the TS9 is not very bright, though.
This demo was recorded with a Fender MIM Strat (w/ Texas Special pickups, Ernie Ball Classic Rock-n-Roll nickel strings) and a Fender Champ II (Rivera, with Eminence Ragin’ Cajun speaker) amp miked with a Sennheiser e906 dynamic microphone. Also note, the Tube Screamer has the JRC 4558D chip.
Here is my demo and review of the Park Fuzz by Earthquaker Devices. The pedal is a reissue of the original Park Fuzz pedal, which apparently dates to the 1960’s (not the 70’s, as mentioned in the video).
Park is a recently resurrected brand that used to be owned by Jim Marshall (no affiliation with the current Marshall amp company though), and the reissue has been designed and manufactured by the fuzz dudes at the Earthquaker facility in sunny Akron, Ohio. The pedal has germanium transistors and the warm (though sometimes finicky, often beloved) sounds they produce. Though I don’t have an original Park to compare it to, the pedal sounds like a good vintage style fuzz that can be appreciated on its own merits. The form factor of the pedal is smaller than the original, and is similar to other Earthquaker pedals with top-mounted jacks (i.e. the Hoof Fuzz), although the knobs are different. The pedal has a really nice blue finish, and appears generally well built like other Earthquaker pedals. Overall, this would be a good option if you’re looking for a quality, American made boutique germanium fuzz.
This demo was recorded with a Fender MIM Strat (w/ Texas Special pickups, Ernie Ball Classic Rock-n-Roll nickel strings) and a Fender Champ II (Rivera, with Eminence Ragin’ Cajun speaker) amp miked with a Sennheiser e906 dynamic microphone.
This demo compares two popular clones (Klones) of the Klon Centaur, the Electro-Harmonix Soul Food and the J. Rockett Archer. I already talked some about the Soul Food when I compared it to the Tube Screamer (link below), and so here I spend a little time looking at the Archer. J. Rockett built the first 1,500 KTR pedals for Klon, so they are familiar with the Klon’s build quality and design attributes. Rather than try to figure out which one sounds more like a Klon, however, my goal here is to evaluate the pedals on their own merits… and both of these pedals offer similar yet slightly different flavors of transparent overdrive. Compared to each other, the Soul Food is a little brighter, a little more cutting, and has more clarity. The Archer is warmer/darker, thicker, and has a little more hair/grit on the gain.
This demo was recorded with a Fender MIM Strat (w/ Texas Special pickups, Fender Original Bullet pure nickel strings) and a Fender Champ II (Rivera) amp miked with a Sennheiser e906 dynamic microphone.
The demo and comparison with the Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer and the Electro-Harmonix Soul Food is here.
Here is my review and demo of the Sweet Baby overdrive pedal from Joyo. An inexpensive clone of the Sweet Honey overdrive from Mad Professor, I prefer to evaluate this pedal on its own merits. The Sweet Baby specializes in low gain overdrive that is perfect for pushing a tube amp on the verge of breakup. The overdrive is mostly smooth and, well, sweet. Higher settings on the drive knob gave some mild grit – though this typical Fender characteristic could be coming from my amp in part. Maxing out the drive and volume gives you a sustaining lead tone, though chords are a bit fizzy. I’ve found the settings are better somewhere ‘in the middle,’ where you still get a smooth, sining lead tone and chords have a nice crunch. In general, I prefer buying pedals a step up in price point (especially used) as I find you get better build quality and (usually) better sound, but there’s no denying that some of these clone pedals sound surprisingly good for being in the rock bottom price point category.
This demo was recorded with a Fender MIM Strat (w/ Texas Special pickups, Fender Original Bullet pure nickel strings) and a Fender Champ II (Rivera) amp miked with a Sennheiser e906 dynamic microphone.