Vox Delaylab- very mini review

[Scott Hansen <evanpeewee@gmail.com>]

Andy-thanks for the mini review-miracle you could sit at a music store and get to test out all the features like that.
i've never felt that comfortable doing that at any of my local stores!!!! when the delaylab came out i was hoping for
some features-well mainly the delays ability to varispeed...someone on TGP got one right away and posted a review
of it, and i asked him if it would do it, and he said no. although your comments that some of the delays have the ability
peaks my interest. the funny thing when this unit was going to come out and i of course heard about the mini looper coming
out, i honestly thought-why don't you just rework the vox looper a little better. it had the ability to slow down or speed up the
loop, but it was just one of the options you could assign the pedal function-i thought why not just put the speed option
in a knob that is always available to manipulate? i guess no one likes to mess w/ their loops. it's the same static loops for most folks...
i just don't get it.
oh well.

that said-i'm back to my setup that has a pigtronix echolution and a digitech dl8 -those honestly serve my needs just fine.
s---



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