Is there anything special about Boss delays?

[Orvillain]

Not a trick question. Does anyone know anything about the inner workings of your typical Boss digital delay? I always find I am drawn to a Boss DD something or other, no matter how much I also use other stuff. There's just something about how huge they can sound, without detracting from your playing. Is this just the magic of pot tapers and weighting the parameters in a musical way, or is there more going on?

I know delay circuits often have a compander circuit within them, that can drastically affect the tone. When I compare my DD-8 or DD-500 on just pure standard digital delay mode, I get a lot more echoes out of it and a lot more of an "in YOUR FACCEEE!!!" feeling than I do say the Helix Simple Delay. I just don't know why, and it keeps me awake at night!!

 

[DrewJD82]

Those DD’s are just the sh*t, man. Tried and true and have just kept adding more cool sh*t as time has gone on. Roland/Boss has a good track record with delays, it’s in their fingers.

 

[FuzzyAce]

YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES!

 

[dk_ace]

I’d have to go dig it up, but there’s a lot that goes into what we perceive as a great delay sound. Helix simple delay doesn’t have a lot of that extra stuff, but other models do. Boss DD stuff has been killer and underrated for a long time.

D

 

[-BOOGIEMAN-]

Big fan of the Boss stuff…the Waza delay does what I want in a delay pedal…

 

[GuitarBilly]

They practically invented digital delay for guitar. So yeah it's the golden standard.

 

[JT]

Love Boss delay sounds

 

[Gearzilla]

Long chip.

 

[metropolis_4]

Like all Boss stuff, it just sits perfectly in a mix

 

[Orvillain]

Yeah, I just really adore the DD-8 and DD-500 I have. I was using the RV-500 today too, and it's glorious. Really underrated pedal.

 

[la szum]

DD-5 was my mnainstay for years, before I knew that the word "boutique" applied to effects pedals, and not just a Beastie Boys
album, or a women's clothing store.

 

[la szum]

Still wondering why they can't make a decent distortion pedal, though.



Boosts, overdrives, delays, reverbs. Got it. And no, don't give me Metal Zone and DS-1 nonsense.

 

[Orvillain]

My GigRig G3 should arrive within a week or two. Aside from being absolutely anal poor right now due to synth spendage over the last few months ... I'm also wondering whether I truly need to go off and spaff a load of cash on Strymon boxes. Sure, I love them. But with what I've got... I'm really really REALLY not missing the tones.

I can get most of my ambience from my DD-500, RV-500, MXR Reverb, DD-8, and DM-2w. Add a HX Stomp, and I'm probably good to go!

 

[FuzzyAce]

Still wondering why they can't make a decent distortion pedal, though.



Boosts, overdrives, delays, reverbs. Got it. And no, don't give me Metal Zone and DS-1 nonsense.

Well, the DS-1 is on countless albums. Metal Zone too.

Rig dependent

 

[Coalface1971]

Usually the highlight of Boss/Roland Multi FX, too. Have the Boss WAZA TAE and the delay in it is fantastic. TC 2290 was always meant to be the gold standard, but guys like Vai and EVH used the SDE-3000 when they could have used anything. have an SDE-330, and it will kick the TC D-two out of that rack when I get well again.

 

[hemmelight]

I mainly use a Keeley Halo, but i also have a MIJ DD3 (long chip) for when I want that sound. It really does sit in a mix perfectly when using higher gain sounds for lead.

 

[Eagle]

DD 500 is one of the best delays you can buy. Many people get lost in the parameters though and the presets are not the best .

 

[Orvillain]

So yeah, yesterday had a practice... and as much as I tweaked the delays and verbs in my Helix patches, I was just way more drawn to the DD500 and RV500. Gahhhhhhhh.

 

[itchyfingers]

Still wondering why they can't make a decent distortion pedal, though.



Boosts, overdrives, delays, reverbs. Got it. And no, don't give me Metal Zone and DS-1 nonsense.

Disclaimer - Boss fanboy here.

Just curious, when was the last time you tried a DS-1? It's most people's first pedal, and plugged into their first amp, yeah total bees in a box. But in front of a tube amp thats slightly breaking up? Killer pedal, and like Fuzzy Ace mentioned, its all over recordings we've heard a million times. Some other favorites of mine when it comes to Boss dirt:

SD-1 Super OverDrive - like an aggressive Tube Screamer
OD-3 OverDrive - responds to how you attack the strings, haven't met another pedal that feels so amp-like
FZ-2, FZ-3, FZ-1w Fuzz - killer fuzzes (Super Fuzz, Fuzz Face / Tonebender MK1.5, and the WAZA is a unique lil beast)
BD-2 Blues Driver - perfect low gain OD
JB-2 Angry Charlie - Marshall JCM in a box with a Blues Driver, tons of options

 

[spawnofthesith]

blues driver and SD-1 are undeniably iconic

Underrated high gain pedal: boss metalcore

not a distortion, but the FZ-2 is iconic as well



On topic: boss delays FTW