Total Recall: Five Essential Programmable Delay Pedals
From EHX to TC Electronic, here are five essential programmable delay pedals.
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Lots of big names over the years have relied on Eventide, from Brian May, Eddie Van Halen and Steve Vai to Robert Fripp, John Petrucci and Adrian Belew. The cool thing about the TimeFactor, however, is that it — for the first time — collects all those guys' sought-after delay effects into one good-looking pedal.
The TimeFactor offers 10 effects: DigitalDelay; VintageDelay; TapeEcho; ModDelay; DuckedDelay; BandDelay; FilterPong; MultiTap; Reverse; and Looper. Some of these might be self-explanatory (for instance, if you're forming a Gene Vincent tribute band, head for the VintageDelay or TapeEcho). As for some of the others, Reverse provides a psychedelic-sounding backwards effect; Mod Delay adds chorus-style modulation effects; DuckedDelay lowers the level of the repeats when you’re playing, and brings them back to their normal level when you stop playing; Looper offers up to 12 seconds of looping with dubbing and speed control.
Even though this pedal might seem a little overwhelming at first, getting the tone you're after is pretty easy. The top row of controls includes main mix, delay 1&2 time, delay 1&2 feedback, delay 1&2 balance. The tier of controls let you make changes corresponding to the particular type of delay you're using.
Here's Paul Riario's video review of the TimeFactor from 2008.
MSRP: $399 | Learn more about this pedal here.

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SteveDallman
January 15, 2013 at 2:33pm
"Essential" describes something one needs and can't do without. Breathing is essential. Owning an expensive effects pedal is never so. I have many fine delays and echos. None cost me more than $100, and most were far less. None were or are "essential."
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jeepjones85
January 15, 2013 at 1:50pm
Don't for get the Boss DD-20 ! It's amazing and a little better priced than the time line lol
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Electric Ring
September 12, 2012 at 7:36pm
Totally agree on the article title, I actually clicked through to see what the article was really about. Any one of these delays should serve one well though.
Despite the poorly worded title, I think this is THE list of pedal delays for guitarists who are serious about delay. If the standard digital delays by the well known maker are limiting for your needs, you should try one of these.
I personally have had no desire to change delays since buying a timefactor several years ago. Delays and tones are spot on, even for the out of the box presets. Relatively easy to use for a pedal as well, does everything I want plus some. The computer software for managing your delay setting library is weak, but it is usable and works. Eventide did a wonderful job on the timefactor. For me that is the only essential delay pedal I need.
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mahly
September 12, 2012 at 1:07pm
Not sure what your definition of ESSENTIAL is, but I certainly don't need $2000 worth of delay pedals.
Any ONE of those would be nice, but honestly, I don't NEED anything more than a simple Digitech/boss/ Behringer delay.














