FX96 Echo FX

I utilize analog delay about 90% of the time ever since I brought a Boss DM3 last year. Analog Delays just have this dimensional, spatial sound to them that sounds like a recorded guitar tone...full and damn near stereo(especially w/a fast slap back repeat). My Boss ran into some problems and I scored this Gem for $42 on the Ebay. My ears and mind are back in happy land once again w/ my tone. The pedal takes a little off my high end clean signal when off, but I use it so often, barely an issue. It is said to give 600ms of delay or so, which is nearly double of many of many analog delays. i find it's max repeat setting more then proficient, and I never run short of drawing out a phrase or two. I have to mention the great self oscillation this pedal does as well. you "trip" it into oscill. when the repeats are FULLY turned..set your time amount and away it will go. turn the repeats slightly down to avoid the sound getting TOO huge  and then start tweaking your time knob, boosting the repeats to keep it going. I do this in a couple original dub reggae tracks my band performs and it's a Show Stopper! all that and you can add some gritty sonic dirt on the repeats...that's a TEN!

I brought it used, looking well taken care of. The switch is the normal "huh?" DOD switch, but this one feels sturdier then my DOD FX 25B Env. Filter(I have used that one pretty often...but at least it still works) I have no worries about the casing or its sturdiness...this are made to be played. I WILL say my output jack is a lil fussy...which can cause that shitty crackle we guitarists just LOVE! A little compressed air and a new right angle plug keeps it in check, but I may swap the jacks before I start touring..

Four knobs: Mix(Dry Signal and Delay Effect) Delay(Delay Time) Repeats and Quality(Clean to "dirty" tape Simulation..slight decay distortion when cranked) The Quality knob is the real stellar part of this design. When at Zero all is clean on the repeats...turn up a 1/4, a little analog fizziness, towards 12 and above, an almost distorting decay shows on the fading repeats...Very very unique! My Boss DM-3, awesome as it is, can't do that!(and is nearly triple what I paid for the DOD) ** Also, you need this knob at least a 1/4 up Clockwise if you are looking to get into self-oscillation (that's Y we use Analog Delay HELLO!!!) it gets an 8 b/c you need to really tweak according to your set up/ playing style(as you should with ANY effect)but get your ideal delay sound and learn the ratio of the Time (Delay) knob(it's pretty sensitive, and that's useful!)and you will be very pleased

Ehhh...nah...Harmony Central and Google is my customer support

You can score this between 40-70 US Dollars. That's outstanding in the high price world of coveted delay. Boss DM2's fetch $200+, DM3 $150-180, Electro Harmonix Del. Memory Man...about the same range. I've played through all three and am fortunate to have a DM3(still in repair...shit)..yet this DOD pedal is just as useful, has nearly the same good fidelity sound(2nd only to the boss' sweet mellow decay....very organic!) and has an additional "tape quality" simulation that is inspiring...like a cool "dirt" pedal for distortion/OD sounds...it gives a lo-fi touch that no other pedal has. If lost/stolen/broken, i'd buy 2 more before they disappear or fly up in price, like the DOD FX90. There is only ONE pedal price/soundwise I would jump on if I had to replace this, and that would be the Malekko 616 Analog Delay. At around $130-150 US Dollars, it has a nice long delay time, a buffer switch and modulation switches to tweak in some weirdness. but hey, that's about DOUBLE what I paid :)

Superior quality for the cost. I am running this with about 7 other pedals. I experience no loss of tone or volume when pedal is on or off. I am playing it through a vox ac-30 and a les paul jr. with p-90. You can really get a nice slapback delay with just the right amount of warmth and decay thanks to the tape knob. The tape knob allows you to get a decent clean delay, and when turned up, it gives it just right dirtiness. I played it in comparison with an Ibanez Ad-80 and there is definitely a difference. This pedal can actually sound cleaner while still providing the warm tape like decay. While the ad-80 has a great sound, this pedal can do similar things and a little more. I would say i prefer the cleanliness of this pedal for a live pedal board, however , in the studio the ad-80 cannot be beat.

very solid except the plastic foot switch. I have another dod pedal of the same build which has experienced a bit of hootenany in its day, and it still remains solid.

the beauty of the pedal lies in its simplicity. Its easy to get many good sounds. It takes a good ear to get a great sound, but it can be done.

I play experimental, alternative, shoegazey kind of music and this pedal was a great compliment to my sound. It provides the short dirty delay much better than newer digital pedals (line 6 mm4, boss gigadelay). Its perfect in combination with distortions, which enhance the grittiness. I feel great about the purchase and I would recommend it to those seeking an alternative to the Ibanez ad-80 or other more expensive analog delays.

at first i wasnt sure if it was the right pedal for me, but after figuring out how to use it properly i now love it, i think it sounds fantastic. i had tried a marshall echohead previously (a digital echo/delay pedal) and i hated it. no personality or life in it at all. the echo sound i have been searching for is something like the old wem copicat sound (an old tape echo device), and i have managed to dial in a real nice version of it on this dod pedal. you cant expect this pedal (or any pedal) to be exactly the same as a real echo tape unit, but this pedal does a really good job in its own way. the sound i get is thick, full of life, and a bit magical.. ..that's analog for you! i have no interest in any other echo pedal now, this is the one for me and im happy. id seriously actually rather have this than a real wem copicat device, for sheer size and convenience. this pedal is not noisy but only use a QUALITY adapter (like boss PSA), NOT any old adapter, and AVOID batteries with this pedal). i use this pedal with a marshall JCM900 valve amp combo and a gibson SG. the old valve sound of my amp and the analog sound of this pedal (plus quality gibson humbucker pickups) all work beautifully together. there is an adjustable trim pot inside this pedal and it allows you do make the delay time longer. the problem here though is, if you set it too long, then the echoing notes are all distorted and messed up (both in pitch and overall sound). that might work for some wierd experimental hippy band, but definately not for my needs. assuming you are like me then, i figured out the best way to adjust the trim pot so your sounds are mostly always USEABLE (assuming you dont max out all the knows though!). get your pedal running but have the back off the pedal so you can adjust the trim pot quickly and easily. you need to put the mix knob straight up at 12 o clock. put the delay knob on max. put the repeat knob on max, and put the quality knob straight up at 12 o clock. now hit a string on your guitar and mute it quickly. you will hear the notes start to repeat (assuming your trim pot is currently set reasonably well!). ok, let the echoing sound stop/stop it, and now turn the trim pot a bit, and repeat the process. what you are aiming for is so that you eventually find a point with your trim pot where you have quite a long delay time between echoes, but the echoing notes are NOT messing up/distorting as they fade away. when you find that point, your trim pot (in my opinion) is set just right. that's all there is to it. after i set my trim pot up this way, i tried the example pedal sound settings in the dod manual on their website, and my sounds sounded just like dod had described. so, i'm assuming that setting the trim pot using my method gives you an end result similar to dod factory settings for this pedal.

it seems well built, although i dont like the footswitch much. it feels a bit 'spongy' when pressed. the pedal looks great, it's fairly heavy compared to my boss pedals, as well as wider. feels good and solid. has a rubber base like with boss pedals. adapter input is on the side of the pedal, i really wish it was on the back instead!!

i was lucky and got one for just 15 GBP (30 dollars) on ebay. This is an ANALOG echo/delay pedal. Very different from a digital sound. I have the newer version which does not have tape reels drawn on its casing, and comes with an adjustable trim pot inside (more on that later). im using mine with a boss psa 9v adapter (regulated and smoothed) as i hear that batteries are pointless in this pedal as they wont last any time at all, and affect the sound in a bad way when not at max strength. note: if using an adapter dont use a cheap one, ..trust me! At first the pedal was confusing but after a while i started to figure out exactly what the knobs do. there are four knobs. the first knob is the MIX(level) knob, which controls the 'loudness' of the repeats/echo. the second knob is the DELAY TIME knob, which controls the time in milliseconds between each echo. the third knob is the REPEAT knob, which controls the number of repeats, and the fourth knob is the QUALITY knob which seems to be like a filter and affects the overall 'tone' of the echo (it also seems to affect the overall echo effect in other ways, it's best to just experiment yourself with that knob rather than me try to explain it). The manual for this pedal is available from the DOD website, and is a good read. the manual contains some example sound settings and they work well.

i have not dealt with dod. their website seems ok and contains user manuals.

although i'm not highly experienced with analog delay/echo pedals, im very happy with my purchase, and im not gonna go on an obsessive search trying other echo pedals and wasting money. my dod pedal does what i want (an old analog tape echo device type of sound) and it does it very well! it took me a while to find the right settings for me using this pedal, but i got there in the end. it is quite a versatile pedal so you really should learn how to use it fully before deciding if you like it. i think this pedal is special and i'm glad i didn't have to buy some overpriced, overrated, ego driven boutique crap!