First of all, there's nothing wrong with delays, my friend, unless a soundman is burying live vocals with one. It is a useful effect that can be an instrument itself. Most effects just take a phrase and make it sound funny, shitty or cool, like flangers or phase shifters.
Delays allow you to play parts that are impossible without them. Think David Gilmour, Andy Summers, or The Edge. That can be good or bad, but no matter, the effect is needed to do percussive multi-tap stuff.

Second, check out the search function because we've done this one before, including the bypass question.

Third, the Boss DD6 and the Line 6 DL4 will do what you need. I'd recommend the DL4 because the Boss unit is too small to do everything easily. One switch to handle bypass, looping, tap tempo, etc?
The Line 6 isn't much more and it offers you three presets, or it can be used as a great looper. You can play a phrase, build a loop, then cut it to half speed and/or run it backwards.
A great trick is to play a phrase, reverse it, then mimic the reversed phrase, so the same melody is play both forwards and backwards at the same time. The envelopes sound cool overlapped. Then, drop it to half speed at the end of the song.

Unlike the Boss, you can do different *types* of delays with the Line 6. I use mine with one band that I play with, and it's set to 330ms Digital Delay, 250ms "Analog" Delay, and a very convincing Tape Echo.
Very nice.

The Boss is very nice, a little cheaper and doesn't take up much room, however.

-A

benadrian wrote:http://www.line6.com/tonecore/echoPark.html

That line 6 delay pedal actuall has a tails on/off switch.

Oh yeah, a friend of mine has this. Less Swiss-Army-knife than the DL4, but still a nice delay if you can't do the DL4.

posting to say that I have an old copicat tape delay that I am completely in love with. hate digital delays but there's something about the decay of sound quality as the delay repeats that makes it sound really organic.

Cheers folks, very helpful indeed. Much appreciated. You are all gentlemen and scholars.

Alex, of course the delay she has a wide range of positive uses, depending on application - I was merely being glib. Badly. Apologies for not searching though. I slap myself on the wrist.

The line 6 sounds interesting - I hadn't considered it before due to the negative connotations of 'digital modelling', but I guess the difference between trying to model a whole amp, and modeling various little delay circuits, many of which are digital in the first place, is pretty huge. Yes?

Enough wittering on, I shall seek out these pedals and try.... thanks again.

benadrian wrote:http://www.line6.com/tonecore/echoPark.html

That line 6 delay pedal actuall has a tails on/off switch.

Ben

Have you ever used the Line 6 Verbzilla with the same trails function? I met a guy who had one, but he said the pedal, on the whole, was pretty crappy. He got it though for the "octo" function that he likes a lot. On paper it seems like a cool idea, but I'm afraid that it'd come out sounding cheesy like a lot of the stuff Line 6 makes. Any experience with the Verbzilla?

readysetrawk wrote:Have you ever used the Line 6 Verbzilla with the same trails function? I met a guy who had one, but he said the pedal, on the whole, was pretty crappy. He got it though for the "octo" function that he likes a lot. On paper it seems like a cool idea, but I'm afraid that it'd come out sounding cheesy like a lot of the stuff Line 6 makes. Any experience with the Verbzilla?

I have no experience first hand. I've heard a few review from people and it's generally said that it's great for shoegaze and ambient stuff. However, if you want a more standard reverb sound in a pedal, the EH Holy Grail seems to be the easiest and most popular choice.

Ben Adrian

mattr wrote:The line 6 sounds interesting - I hadn't considered it before due to the negative connotations of 'digital modelling', but I guess the difference between trying to model a whole amp, and modeling various little delay circuits, many of which are digital in the first place, is pretty huge. Yes?

Well, yes and no. I think people get way too precious about the analog vs. analog modelling thing.
Analog sounds great because it sounds sort of crappy. It's low res sound.
If you are recording a record, some subtlties might come through, but if you are playing 150dB in a rock club, I assure you, nobody will say "Oh PLEASE, that is SUCH a modeled sound."

I like the Line6 because it does everything pretty well. The alternative is to spend $200 on a real analog, plus $100-150 on a digital, and then you've spent the same money that could have gottne you the Line6, but you don't have looping, reverse, and all of the other cool things the Line6 does.

Usually, when I record and need a digital, I use an old MXR, but the Line6 covers all the bases nicely if you're only getting one thing.

Best of luck.

-A

Modelling delay isn't something to really fear, because most delay circuits are digital anyhow... right now I'm debating between going for a DL4/DD-20 (more versatility, looping) vs. say a Deluxe Memory Man (badass sound but less options)