[How-To] simulate FX-Loop on DD-3, DD-7, DD-20 (wet/dry delays). Create your own Dispatch Master!

Branshen

The Boss DD-3, DD-7, DD-20 and Ibanez DE-7 are all capable of outputting 2 separate wet/dry signals. This allows users to effect only the delay signal and essentially create and FX loop for the delays. 

This tutorial will work with any delay pedal with separate wet/dry outputs. At the end of the chain, you will need a pedal that's capable of combining the 2 signals back to mono. Any stereo to mono pedal will work fine, e.g. Boss LS-2, RC-1.

What this allows you to do is you can morph the delay signal of your delay pedal with any other FX that you have. You can add modulation (i.e. Chorus, Vibrato, Phaser, Tremolo), reverb (ala Dispatch master), Distortion/EQ pedals (to sculpt your delay sound or add grit). 

The possibilities are endless. I've added the Jam Waterfall (in Vibrato mode) and Hall of fame to my delay signal and it sounds excellent!

FaCow

MY BIG FAT DISPATCH MASTER

I made a gizmo to do this after reading your post. I used a passive summing box (stereo->mono). There is therefore an ever so slight volume drop after recombining the signal but you can make up for it with a clean boost pedal or turning the amp up another 2-3% etc. To take this project  further I will make an active sumbox with no volume loss. 

http://imgur.com/a/JDkxo

In these pictures I send a cable from my 4 channel looper to a dd500 with the outputs as:

A - dry only

B-wet only

I send A and B to two separate supermoon reverbs: standard on the dry (direct guitar) signal and chrome on the wet (delay line). I then recombine the two and send the signal back into my channel looper.

http://i.imgur.com/Zu7781Y.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/lfzMrkG.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/qzzPjL6.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/lC8DYYb.jpg

Now I owned an EQD dispatch master for  a LONG time and loved it but had to sell it to fund one of the supermoons. I always wished for a dispatch master with tap tempo and it seems they are soon releasing the avalanche run pedal. This current experiment sounds amazing so I may not need it, I eagerly await the demos though.

TLDR: DD500 with a separate supermoon on the wet and dry signals. FX Loop faked.

Cookiemonster

Well that is am amazing read. And would save me an amp change. Not sure the deluxe memory man 550tt can do it though ?

Cookiemonster

Oh and jealous of the supermoons

FaCow

@Cookiemonster The 550tt would be pretty good and a lot simpler to use to get the ambient idea that I am outlining here. 

You can just whack a supermoon in the effects loop on the 550tt to reverberate-ify the repeats. If you want the dry to be somewhat reverbish also then you would have one reverb in the effects loop of the 550tt on a medium setting and then a reverb pedal after the 550tt on a more subtle (lower) setting. That way both the direct guitar and repeats would have reverb applied but the repeats would be more reverbed.

Branshen

@Facow ;I'm glad someone managed to put this post to use! Thanks for the thorough rundown of your version of the set-up. I like the usage of 2 separate reverb pedals for the wet and dry. I've just listened to some demoes of the Supermoon Chrome and it sounds ideal to be added onto trails, very nice and ambient with a touch of modulation.

@Cookiemonster as Facow has mentioned, the 550TT would be able to do this very easily. It was designed with an actual effects loop, so all you need is your modulation/reverb pedal, the 550TT and a couple of patch cables.

Just put the FX pedal between the Send and Return of the 550TT and you're set! No need for any combinator pedal. 

Branshen

@FaCow Since you're using a DD-500, there is one more thing you could try out. I see you have the tape mode loaded. Try out analog and digital delay modes. The warmer, more lo-fi decay of analog mode combined with reverb gives a very smooth, non-intrusive ambient wash, whereas the fidelity of digital allows the characteristics of the reverb shine through.

I never used digital delay before this but it works really well in this application. 

Cookiemonster

I have a pitchfork in the loop today. And a zoom cdr on way so I will put that in the loop as well

Branshen

Thought I'd bump this up again in case anyone hasn't seen it..

I've neglected this idea since getting the catalinbread echorec, which is a delay with filter+modulation. The dispatch master (reverb on delay trails) is a really cool pedal too, so I really should spend some time and try to emulate that.