As digital effects started gaining ground, many analog pedals went by the wayside but in recent years there has been a resurgence in interest in good analog pedals. The MXR M169 Carbon Copy Analog Delay pedal is one of those that has risen in popularity as a result of this renewed interest.
Professional and amateur guitar players looking for that vintage analog warmth in their sound, have been turning to the MXR M169 Carbon Copy Analog Delay stompbox to deliver. This retro-style delay in common with other old-school pedals utilizes 'bucket brigade devices' (BBDs) a reference to the 60's technology it is based on. Using capacitance the analogue signal is stored then passed along to the next in a line of capacitors one step at time based on the delay time. A good analogy is a chain of people passing buckets of water to put out a fire.
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- Pure analog design for classic, warm, vintage tones
- Compact
- Not as good clarity or as long delay time as DSPs
Most popular delay, flanger and chorus pedals achieve their classic sounds with BBDs, with many fans insisting that the digital signal processors (DSPs) that replaced BBDs are not able to produce desirable warm tones. Of course, BBDs can't achieve the crystal clarity of tone and delay times that DSPs can, so it's a case of deciding what you are looking for most in a delay pedal. Regardless, the MXR M169 Carbon Copy Analog Delay pedal has a delay time ranging from 20 to 600 ms, very commendable for an analog delay. It’s also really flexible, allowing you to go from short slap back sounds right through to decaying echoes. In spite of its compactness, the MXR M169 Carbon Copy Analog Delay pedal sports three knobs on its front face. "Regen" adjusts number of repeats, "Mix" varies the presence of the delay sound in the mix and obvioulsy "Delay" adjusts the delay time. There is also a "Mod" button "Mod" that switches on pitch modulation of the signal to give a subtle chorus-like effect reminiscent of the small variations in speed typical of a tape echo device's warble or flutter. Opening the unit gives access to two trim pots that can be used to adjust the width and rate of the modulation using a small screwdriver.
The MXR M169 Carbon Copy Analog Delay pedal also incorporates a true, hard-wire, bypass footswitch and can be run from a 9V battery or suitable power supply.
A great, compact pedal that adds a warm delay and via the mix control can make it very subtle without harshness, so it becomes very flexible being useful for everything from Rockabilly style slap-back to full-on Gilmouresque echoes. The MXR M169 Carbon Copy Analog Delay pedal is fully deserving of its popularity.
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