Vox Delaylab Review/Appreciation thread

samzadgan

I got a Delaylab a few days ago in a deal I couldn't resist. I was looking for the flashback x4, or even a custom job...just wanted a pedal that had a 3 or 4 delay types in one box. I was down the road to the other options...but then, a deal came up on the delaylab which made it a lot cheaper than the others, and i took a gamble on it. 

The gamble paid off, and its a really good unit and easy to use. I have read some negative comments about the unit, and the things people talk about don't really bother me as I'm not that technical when it comes to using the delay...things like not being able to set the tap-tempo before you turn on the delay for example. 
The way i use delay is purely on slow clean passages where I want to add some atmosphere and fill up space. The ability of having these different delays at my feet is really great, and the option of being able to store 30 different delay sounds is mindblowingly amazing.
I have to admit, at first I thought i would not get along with this...I'm a simple man with a simple brain...I don't get digital and guitar gear with a screen and numbers goes over my head. But, I have to admit, this unit is very simple to use. The programming is very easy and calling up the programs is just as easy. 
So cutting to the chase...I've had it now for about half a week...and what i've learnt/done so far:
 - cycled through all the different types of delay...which can take as long or as short a time as you like. When you go to a new delay type it calls up the standard version of it, and ignores the knob settings. As soon as you move a knob then it starts to impact the settings.  
Pros: You hear an example of what that delay type sounds like
Cons: You get sudden change in the setting by moving a knob slightly the first time.
 - The other thing is the knobs like Intensity and Tone/Speed change in definition as you cycle through different delay types, so it does take time to work these out and get the balance right. In some cases I found that the Intensity didn't do anything, or maybe it was so subtle that i couldn't hear and audible difference. This isn't a problem, more of a learning curve.
 - After I cycled through i took some notes and decided on 9 different delay types. Progaming these took me about 30mins. Its very simple...you find the sound you want...click write, hit the bank foot switch, and click write again...even I get that!
 - Last night I had my first rehearsal session with it and it took a bit of getting use to. You have to plan ahead basically. What do i mean? If you have a delay sound that you like in Bank 1 and later in the song you want to use a delay sound in Bank 5 it can get a little fiddly changing banks with the footswitchs if you wait till that part comes up and change to bank 5. If however during the song, when you can manage it, you change the bank to Bank 5, then its no problems.

Thinking about the programming again, I would probably set Bank 1 as my standard go to delay types, that would be Reverb (which it does really well), analog delay and tape echo. Then for the other Banks I wouldn't program delays that I like, but I would base them on songs...so at the beginning of the song I would choose the bank and that would set.

end of part 1...

samzadgan

part 2...

As far as the delay sounds...the ones I like I can comment on below, but keeping in mind this is the first multi delay type pedal I have tried so, my benchmarks may be a little off. The delay pedals I have had in the past are the Carbon Copy and the Memory Boy.

- Reverb: You wouldn't look for verb on the delaylab but there is a delay setting in the ambient type. It needs a bit of taming but you can get nice reverb tones. Its good enough that I took off my Ghost Echo. I do use Reverb a lot of heavily distorted part and this work really well.

- Analog delay: Its good...not as good as my carbon copy...but, good enough. If this was the only delay it had to offer, i wouldn't have taken my carbon copy off the board.

- Tape Delay: I don't have previous experience with these, but for a novice ear like mine, it sounds really nice. There is a really good decay in the repeats and i like it for longer feedback.

Digital delay: I think it does this really well...and the added modulation is really funky and actually usable. The phaser setting adds phase to the repeats, which theoretically sounds horrible (to me anyway) but in practice, the phase effect is relatively subtle and its actually become one of my favourite delay types.

Ambient: This the one delay type I really wanted with the new unit, and the one on the box is perfect. Its long drawn out and spicy as you'd like it. The mix allows blending the input and repeats to almost have the same volume which i really like.

Reverse: This is just a bit of fun and not really useable for me...but pretty cool, with the added benefit of mixing forward and reverse in the same repeats.

Looper: This works really well. It has the right functions you would want with the added trigger switch which starts the loop from the start whenever you want. It also has 3 different Loop types, each with different delay types. 

Thats enough from me now...hope others can add more to this thread and we can learn from each others settings as well...

Drew_TNBD

Reverse: This is just a bit of fun and not really useable for me...but pretty cool, with the added benefit of mixing forward and reverse in the same repeats.

Wait... WHAT... ???

Are you saying it will give you a reversed delay and a regular delay at the same time? If so, I'm selling my Flashback X4 and getting one of these. If you're not 100% sure what I mean, check the first minute or so of this song:
http://bridgedisaster.co.uk/track/wake

Shark_Eyes

Just to add to this, with the ambient setting there's a shimmer setting in which you can add the depth up or down, in octaves/semitones. It's surprisingly useful, I manged an organ type sound with full depth and quick speed.

I might start adding some of the experiments I did with it to my soundcloud, if there's any interest.

Drew_TNBD

Holy shit... yeah, according to the manual the reverse modes have the tone/speed knob as a mix between forwards delay and reverse delay. So.... presumably then, at 12:00 you get 50/50 mix and presumably both delays have the same timing? I need to hear this in action....

This is only the feature that I've been banging on about for years; nagging TC Electronics and Boss to do something like it.

If someone can, please post a clip. Try and get close to the intro to that track I posted.

Drew_TNBD

Jesus this thing is a beast!


How the hell did I just overlook this bit of kit??! I think I really want one now. Don't really care about shimmer, I'm so sick of hearing that sound. But the analog modes sound really nice, the ambient ones, and the whole reverse+forward thing in the reverse modes is basically the ultimate as far as I am concerned!

Shark_Eyes

@Drew_fx, if you want I should be able to record something simple for you tonight. Won't be top notch quality, but should give you an idea.

Also, you can add an assignable expression pedal to any of the variables and set highs and lows, so you should be able to nudge it into the nearly oscillation parts you've got going on in there.

Drew_TNBD

Shark_Eyes said:

@Drew_fx, if you want I should be able to record something simple for you tonight. Won't be top notch quality, but should give you an idea.

That'd be lovely dude! Just three chords, slowly played like.... high feedback, mix around 30%... and then maybe the tone/speed knob in a few different positions? Be very interested to hear!

samzadgan

@drew_fx thats exactly how it works...the knob on zero is forward...on 10 is reverse....everything in between is blend.

Drew_TNBD

I think I'm basically sold already.

samzadgan

Its funny man...i almost bought the flashback x4 three times and it didnt pan out. When i saw the price of this i chanced it...worked out to be the better decision i think.

I don't know why they discontinued it though....seems strange...maybe not enough margin or low sales.

Drew_TNBD

samzadgan said:

I don't know why they discontinued it though....seems strange...maybe not enough margin or low sales.

Probably lots of bellends like me just writing them off because it's Vox. I don't know why, but I just assosciate them with old men in flannel shirts!!

ThePrettyDamned

Might look into getting on based on this review. Reverse 50/50 normal sounds awesome!

Drew_TNBD

Okay, well a belated birthday Amazon gift code (literally in the last 10 minutes!) from work has forced my hand; ordered from Amazon for £95, including delivery for tomorrow.

samzadgan

Congrats...id be interested in your a/b review of the two units.

hugbot

You can get a really trippy one which is something like reverse + forward + DMM modulation I remember.

Also the dual delay options are great too. Thats where this unit shines over the X4 I reckon.

meltedbuzzbox

How did I miss this pedal?

it looks awesome. It seems to be warmer sounding unlike the TC stuff which is very sterile (at least thats what I think of my alter ego). 

I am guessing it runs off of 9v too?

samzadgan

meltedbuzzbox said:

How did I miss this pedal?

it looks awesome. It seems to be warmer sounding unlike the TC stuff which is very sterile (at least thats what I think of my alter ego). 

I am guessing it runs off of 9v too?

yep...although it takes something like 200mA.

it also has a tone knob and in some of the delay types thats what it does, it adds highs or lows to the repeats.

meltedbuzzbox

man you are not helping....

Do you know if it does the same sound as a Mr Black Downward Spiral? @samzadgan

samzadgan

ill have to check it out...but it does pitch-shifting on repeats, and you can play with the octaves or pitch to get various levels of shifting.

check out this review...at 10:16 he goes through the pitch shift delay...

meltedbuzzbox

oh it does it!!!

I am go annoyed I missed this before. 

Looks like I am going in for one!