Neil Young said it best: "Sound is like water. Analog is a warm bucketful slowly poured over your head and digital is the same water, same bucket only this time it's ice cubes dumped quickly. I know which is more pleasing to me."
Analogue delay pedals spawn from a desire to re-create the sound of old tape echo units like the echoplex. The problem with old tape echo units is inherent in their low-fi design – they work using tape - which wears out, they are made with old components - which break, and they can be up to 50 years old - which makes getting any kind of servicing or parts a nightmare.
The MXR Carbon Copy Delay pedal features a completely analogue audio path for the ultimate in rich, warm delay – made only possible by old-school bucket brigade technology. This design boasts 600ms of delay time with optional modulation via a top-mounted switch and a simple, three-knob layout that controls Delay time, Mix (dry/wet blend), and Regen (delay repeats). In addition, the M169 pedal has two internal trim pots that offer user-adjustable width and rate control of the modulation for even more tonal options.
This all sounds great – but here is where the carbon copy really tops it. It’s small, meaning it doesn’t take up much room on your pedal board, and it is true bypass which means when it is off, the precious tone coming out of your guitar is left intact. But best of all it runs on 9vDC power. This is the most common power level to use on effects pedals and, we can tell you – if they all run on the same voltage it makes life SO much easier when you come to setting up for a gig. MOST (but by no means all) effects pedals run on 9vDC power, but try finding an analogue delay pedal that sounds better than this, which is 9vDC and fits in with the rest of your rig quite as easily. This is a winner.
