The Boss DD-20 Giga Delay is a digital guitar effects pedal designed specifically for the delay effect. The unit provides up to 23 seconds of delay. The software programmed into the pedal features the following delay modes:
- SOS (sound on sound)
- Twist (nigh-useless)
- Warp (when you press the pedal it holds the original delayed sound until the pedal is released)
- Tape (fairly low-fidelity and with a pitch-altering warble effect which produces a nice chorus sound)
- Analog (lo-fi as hell and DELICIOUS)
- Standard
- Dual (gives you TWO echoes!)
- Pan (if used with a stereo amplifier, the delay effect comes out of the left and right sides and alternates)
- Smooth (smooth!)
- Modulate (gives a shimmery chorus effect)
- Reverse (you record short pieces and it reverses them)
There is also an effects volume knob, a feedback knob (to adjust how many repeats, from 0 to infiniti), a tone knob, and a delay time knob. The unit also has 4 presets, which can be programmed to the user's specifications.
Possibly the greatest thing about this unit is the delay time adjustment knob. When turned normally, it provides very fine, small adjustments. But when held down and turned, with each click (up to 10) the adjustment is larger. With the tape or analog modes selected and the feedback turned to full, adjusting the delay time provides very spacey and almost paranormal sound effects (rather similar to the sound of a Star Wars blaster). This makes it a fun toy for any of you fans of Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, although I will have you know, our hero Ted uses an old-school tape-running Echoplex.
You can also set the unit to analog with the delay at around 250ms, turn the effects volume down, the feedback all the way up, and use it to give you an ambient background sound. Another fun, slightly more obvious use for the unit is to adjust the delay time to about 420ms (coincidence?) and play a palm-muted D about every half-second or so. You will hear the intro to "Another Brick In The Wall, part II" by Pink Floyd.
All in all, this is a very fun, very versatile unit, and well worth the seemingly hefty price tag of $220 (U.S.). The only downside? The external power unit (Boss PSA adaptor) comes separately, and the damn thing sucks the life out of those batteries (6 AA, provided) in about 4 hours. |
