Line Level Stomp Box Delay

[jorhay1]

A client of mine is going to Italy to do a show.

His music is piano based Instrumental music.

Part of 'his sound' is from a Memory Man style Mod Delay plug-in.

He wants to buy a pedal and bring it to make sure he has his sound.

Whatevs.

He doesn't want to bring a rack because the guy has traveled around the world

most of his life playing music, and he thinks he will be hassled by customs if it's a rack,

but if it's small and in a pedal format, he thinks it will be cool.

 

Does anyone know a stompbox or desktop Mod Delay can take Line Level?

 

The DL4 iz hi-Z or Instrument as is the Time Factor.

[MikeRivers]

There isn't much difference between instrument level and line level. He should pick out a box that has the sound he wants, try it connected as he plans to, and see if the input and output level controls have sufficient range, and the box has low enough noise, to work in the application.

 

Is he using an electronic piano? Is he bringing his own PA system (probably not if he doesn't want to bring a rack mount unit)? Is he using hired or venue PA systems on his tour? If he is, why not simply specify the kind of delay that he needs?

 

[WRGKMC]

Many electric keyboards today have variable output levels that can be adjusted to drive line level, Instrument level, all the way up to headphone level by simply by adjusting the output volume. Yamaha, Casio, Korg and many others use this multifunction output which is adaptable to driving anything from a DAW to an amp to a PA input. Knowing what keyboard he uses would be the thing you need to know.

 

If the memory man is overdriven by a line level input modifying the pedal to add a resistor using a switch would be a very simple mod.

 

Or he could just use a 3 or 6db attenuator to drop the keyboard level down to instrument level to feed the pedal. You can buy those for about $5 at parts express.

 

[UstadKhanAli]

Pigtronix Echolution is the finest analog delay pedal I've ever heard, and accepts line level as well as instrument level. I use it for both guitar and studio work all the time, as it is extremely clean. It's gorgeous sounding, extremely flexible and variable, and has this amazing three-dimensional sound that I have not heard in any other delay pedal. I cannot recommend this pedal enough.

[jorhay1]

All great posts. Thanks guys.

[UstadKhanAli]

Sure. I hope it works out well for you.

 

If you cannot afford/find the Pigtronix, I would be surprised if the Eventide delay pedal (which is not analog, IIRC) is supposed to be an excellent pedal, and I would be shocked if that didn't allow for line level.

 

The Pigtronix is fully programmable, but is analog, and has tap tempo and a bunch of other bad-ass stuff. The first version is more "sound designer" friendly, with its array of toggle switches that you can manipulate in real time. I prefer that to the second one, but the second one stores presets. Most "normal" musicians will probably prefer the second version.

[jorhay1]

It does. I was wrong. The Eventide has a switch.

And many such as the EH SMM, Pigtronix, and DL8 can take levels up to line.

He is hyped on the Echolution2 Dlx. Wow! great box!

We're contacting the sound co. in Italy to see if they can insert it into the board,

or if they might have a unit we can put on the rider.

No midi clock, he doesn't want to tap on stage, so it looks like I'm going to Italy to be a "Tempo Tapper". lol

 

[Zooey]

You probably want to find the hardware that sounds most like what he used to. To me, it sounds like he is either using the stock plug-ins in Pro Tools (which do not have analog emulation) or he's using the TDM plug-in called "Echo Farm."

 

If you could break him of his aversion to rack gear, he could pick up a Line 6 Echo Pro (long discontinued, so unlikely to cause problems with customs). That would get him stereo line level inputs, the exact same DSP algorithms found in Echo Farm, and MIDI sync. You'd have to find one used, but it could be cheaper than the Pigtronix box.

 

I think your chances of getting a European venue to find and acquire a Pigtronix stomp box are just about nil. You can get a DL4 anywhere in the world, though, and it will sound 90% the same as the Echo Pro, but without the bells and whistles.