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Looper's Delight
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Your pricing comparison is incorrect. The Delaylab is approx $220 USD. The X4 is approx $249 USD. Not counting the cost of a TC Ditto. Just watched demos of both on YouTube by Pro Guitar. Both seem like fairly decent units for the cost. Sent from Yahoo! Mail on Android |
I got a email from Vox yesterday: "Try out a Delaylab and we'll give you a free tuner". too good an opportunity to miss, so went down to the local Vox dealer to confound the shop staff and do exactly that. So, the delaylab as a looper:- Given that this was done in a noisy music shop with no manual, a random amp and a new guitar (without strap) which hadn't been set up. 1) It *doesn't* have a feedback control as implied in the manual, just one loop algorithm where the loop does fade slightly on overdub at a preset rate. - - - 2) Selecting any algorithm calls up a factory preset, particularly annoying when you select the one "loop with fade" algorithm which is paired with an awful sounding delay with cheap reverb. - - - 3) There are two other algorithms with looping, but both have 100% feedback. Possibly one of those has a usable delay...but when you switch to the "fading loop" you call up that dreadful reverby setting ( and have to turn a knob to get rid of it every time) - - - 4) Each delay mode, including the one with looper has 3 algorithms. The only way to see which algorithm you're in in to press a select button...which changes it and calls up factory presets. - 5) Loop functions are Rec/Dub, PLay/Stop/(hold to Clear), Reverse, Re-trigger. 6) You can Re-trigger while overdubbing, but you can't reverse. 7) Procedure to replace a loop with a newly recorded one is Stop, longpressStop, Rec 8) Tap tempo delays aren't possible while looping. - 9) I think there's some kind of metronome type sync mode that I didn't try. As a looper compared to DL4 1) Re-trigger doesn't force you into one-shot mode. + 2) No Half Speed - - 3) With the DL4 I could straight away work arrangements that combined the onboard delay with the looper. This *may* be possible with the delaylab, but I didn't manage it. - - As a delay 1) Tap time possible. + 2) When changing delay time some algorithms do pitch bend like the DL4 (not like changing tape speed!) + 3) Some algorithms allowed you to start with a short delay and tap in a multiply ( up to 4S ) + + 4) Real fun was had with a delay with pitch shift in the feedback loop. but note that while a shift of a 4th up worked quite well the 5th up sounded a bit rough and the octave up was unusable. (i.e. that's like those cheap pitch shifters from over a decade ago). + and overall: It's much bigger than you'd think. About 50% larger than DL4 in all dimensions. The Delaylab does have savable presets, so it's possible that with a bit of effort it would get more user friendly. I couldn't really assess the sound quality, but didn't notice anything bad, and didn't notice analog type impressiveness either. From the manual, there are ways to make the sound continuous when switching preset, with the 4 secs of delay available there might be some very neat tricks workable to anyone with a bit of persistence. (e.g. switching briefly to a much shorter delay for stutter action)... but this isn't confirmed. Summary: It's a very poor DL4 clone, for the price of a TC Flashback *plus* a TC-Ditto. It doesn't have the immediate ease of use that made the DL4 so popular. The large footprint is the final nail in the coffin. I really didn't want to write such a negative review, and would welcome it if someone could make this device work for them. Right...now lets see if they send the free Tuner. andy butler |