Best Digital Delay Unit for U2 Sound...

[jem7vwh]

So- I'm a closet U2 fan, always have been.

Lately I decided to work on songs like "Bad" and "Where the Streets Have No Name" and found that the Edge has really distinctive delay.

He'll typically use at least 2 kinds of delay- short clustered repeats and a long echo too.

I know he uses KORG SDD-3000s, but they fetch about $700 or more on auction and they are no longer made new. He also uses TC Electronics 2290s, but those are even more expensive.

Anyone have any recommendations for great delay gear? The only rule is that it has to allow you to dial in the exact amount of delay you want, for instance 372ms.

[gmeanie]

I don't know about U2 but i really liked the boss-DD3.

[rgr]

Roland SDEs are nice for old school digital delays. The 3500 still brings pretty big bucks but the 1000s can be had pretty reasonable, if 1 sec of delay is enough.

Roger

[jem7vwh]

Originally Posted by gmeanie

I don't know about U2 but i really liked the boss-DD3.

I have the DD-3.... it's ok but the sound quality is very questionable and it doesn't allow me to specifically get the delay time I want.. It gives you a knob and you have to guess..

I need to see the exact amount of delay time.

[adamcbest]

i have a dd20.. it's probably not the greatest sound uality.. but it allows you to tap to tempo, but also pick what beat the delay would go on based on the tempo you are tapping if that makes sense.. for example if you know "lifting shadows off a dream" by DT. i have my delay set to that.. but i can tap to any tempo and still have the delay i want to get that kinda bounce back effect. i know U2 has a bunch of that kinda jumping around delays.. hope that made sense

[Phillip]

Edge was using (or still use) Visual Sound H2O. It is very nice sounding unit (but price is high around 150 pounds). It is doublepedal, chorus and delay, it is vintage voiced (like on older U2 records). But I am not sure ,if you can set the delay time you want. It has short-long switch and knob for gentlier setting.

[jem7vwh]

Originally Posted by Phillip

Edge was using (or still use) Visual Sound H2O. It is very nice sounding unit (but price is high around 150 pounds). It is doublepedal, chorus and delay, it is vintage voiced (like on older U2 records). But I am not sure ,if you can set the delay time you want. It has short-long switch and knob for gentlier setting.

The good thing is that I have a pretty good idea of his setup:

Strat or Tele into KORG SDD-3000 for short delay into another KORG SDD-3000 for a longer delay. He also uses a ton of other outboard gear on occasion- even an Eventide harmonizer. But the key to getting his cascading sound is to be able to specifiy exactly how much delay time you want- so I'm not considering anything that won't let me do that.

[jemaholic]

I'm not a huge fan of Bono due to his politics - but I respect the talent in the band - every picture of The Edge I've seen shows him playing a Gibson Explorer -right from the early days....

[fyrie]

I hear what you are saying about Bono and politics. At least now he's officially swore off campaigning for specific people/parties. He's now just going to direct that energy at political causes (aids, debt relief etc...). It makes him much more tolerable IMHO.

[eviltwin]

hmmm...turning into a politcal thread? not sure why, anyway, getting back to Edge:

No need to be a closet U2 fan, there are millions of us . You may find some info on this on specific U2 forums (like interference http://forum.interference.com/f259.html)

I've got to admit that most guitarists on those kinds of forums are not in the same league as jemsite when it comes to GAS. Many of the options discussed would fall in at the low end of gear, nothing wrong with a cheap solution, but it would only get you to about 50% of what is possible.

If you look at some of U2's videos you will see Edge's most famous guitars in action. He tends to use most of those in the studio as well as live, IIRC:
R!ckenbacker 6string (slide in Mysterious ways)
assortment of Str@ts ("blackie" in New Year's Day)
L&s Paul (cream colored LP Custom in the Fly, customized "Mirror ball" LP in Discotheque)
Explorer (70s reissue, I will follow)
assortment of semi hollowbodied ES335 type guitars.

List from interference:
-> '67 Fireglo Rickenbacker 330-12
-> '66 Cream Fender Telecaster
-> '66 Lake Placid Blue Fender Telecaster
-> '66 Maple Rickenbacker 330-12
-> '62 Epiphone Sunburst Casino
-> '63 Gretsch 6122 Walnut Country Gentleman
-> '65 Gibson Pelham Blue SG
-> '75 Gibson Cream Les Paul Std with Custom Bridge Pickup
-> '73 Fender Black Strat with Custom Bridge Pickup
-> '76 Gibson Natural Explorer
-> '62 Fender Sunburst Strat with Custom Bridge Pickup
-> '61 Gibson Sunburst ES-335TD
-> '?? Gibson blonde 'Pete Townshend" J-200 Acoustic w. Fishman Bridge Transducer
-> Two custom Line 6 Variax Acoustic Guitars
check http://forum.interference.com/t136075.html for more

I think he has some kind of deal with Fernandez (sustainer http://www.fernandesguitars.com/menu.htm and he used to be with Hiwatt http://www.hiwatt.com/) as well as Line6 http://www.line6.com/artists/202 but does't limit himself to their gear.

His early delay sound is an Electro Harmonix Memory Man
Later he swithed to the above mentioned Korg (I think Vai used them too in those days)
For Achtung Baby, the edge used a Korg A1. I have a Digitech GSP2101 which does about everything the A1 does plus it includes a twintube preamp section. Delays go from 1ms to 5sec (10s with Dual Processor) everything is completely transparent (24/48bit) programmable, loopable, linkable, controllable incl continous controller. Look for either one used, but not many people will want to part with them. They're that good!
The successor to the GSP2101 is a floor mounted GNX unit (http://www.digitech.com/products/gnx4.htm)
You may also want to check out the awesome Boss GT-Pro (http://www.bosscorp.co.jp/products/en/GT-Pro/demos.html) both are both are 800-900 US$, I think.

You are right in looking for a unit programmable to the millisecond, the trick in Edge's sound is locking a delay with the tempo, a tap delay may work, but not for a live show. You need to be able to make as many presets as you have songs in your setlist. A pedal won't let you do that, even some rack units are limited. This is one of the reasons why Edge uses this custom thing http://www.line6.com/news/general/122

[Astrocreep]

Originally Posted by eviltwin

You are right in looking for a unit programmable to the millisecond, the trick in Edge's sound is locking a delay with the tempo, a tap delay may work, but not for a live show. You need to be able to make as many presets as you have songs in your setlist. A pedal won't let you do that, even some rack units are limited. This is one of the reasons why Edge uses this custom thing http://www.line6.com/news/general/122

Umm... I thought the DM was a distortion modeller?