Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man Mk4

Well, this is an analog delay pedal. Everything is analog; no digital connections or midi. You basically have analog delay and some modulation that can be added in. Your knobs include delay time, feedback, mix, level, chorus/ vibrato level, a chorus/ vibrato toggle switch, a power switch, stomp switch, and input jack, direct out jack, and echo out jack.

UTILIZATION

Getting good sounds is pretty easy. Without going into the actual sounds, there is a little bit of a learning curve as far as how to set the level and mix knobs. The pedal likes to overload a little, but that is somewhat characteristic of the pedal itself. This can be avoided with less hot pickups. It's a very simple pedal overall.

SOUND QUALITY

Ok, so sound quality! This is where it is at for analog delay. Nobody else does the Memory Man like a real Memory Man. Just lush, organic, clear, warm analog delay. Nothing else comes close. Really what sells this pedal to me is the modulation effect. It sounds so good! You can dial in very subtle chorus or vibrato, or you can take it over the top! Your tone is gonna be affected a little, but in a very musical way. With EH pedals, there is always going to be somewhat of a give and take, but the end result is usually well worth the compromise.

OVERALL OPINION

I love this pedal! My only gripes are that it is sensitive to hot pickups and that it is huge! They have discontinued the model I own, and I doubt the new ones sound the same. But I still love it. If something were to happen to it, I would have to snag another one. This isn't a pedal I use all of the time, but it is one of those pedals that I have grown to need in certain circumstances. I should add that I own lots of other delay pedals, but this one is one that is very special.

This is an all analog echo with a very useful modulation section

1/4" in, out, and dry output

takes a 24volt power supply

UTILIZATION

This pedal is a about as simple as it gets. All analog knob turning goodness just plug in your cables, set your mix, delay time, and you're off

SOUND QUALITY

The sound of this pedal is absolutely amazing. I own a lot of delays and this big box is right up there with the best of them. The repeats have this beautiful decay that allows the delay to sit perfectly in the song. Most digital delays and some analog have to be perfectly set with the tempo of the song to sound good but the memory man just blends in no matter what. Of course you can also get crazy with the repeats and get yourself into self oscillation or the wonderful sound of being right on the verge of oscillation.

I have not found a delay with a better sounding modulation section. The subtle movement you can get in the repeats just makes the effect that much more thick. It is so much more natural sounding then adding a chorus pedal to your sound. More extreme settings get you into sea-sickness territory. Not really all that useable but it's fun anyway

OVERALL OPINION

For real analog echo it's hard to beat this pedal. There are others with more options and longer delay times but the simplicity of this is part of the charm. The only downside for some would be the power supply, size, and the older models have an always on preamp. Most of my other pedals take standard 9v power so having one wall wart is not a big issue and the size of the pedal allows you to control some of the knobs with your feet while you play.

If these were not rising in price I would definitely buy another one to keep as a spare. The newer offerings from Electro harmonix just don't have the sound this big box does

This is a new find for me, a great analog delay pedal! It has a 1/4" and two outputs, one with a wet signal and one dry. It has no midi connections, can't be edited on a Mac or PC, and is not rackable as it's a pedal. I've used in on guitar but it could definitely be used on vocals or bass or keys if connected right.

UTILIZATION

This pedal is really easy to use, and has a number of knobs to help control and shape the sound. There is a blend knob which helps blend or separate the dry signal that enters the pedal from the processed signal. The level knob controls the volume of the delay that comes in the mix. The feedback knob controls how long the delay will repeat, or feed back. The chorus/vibrato pedal controls the amount of those effects in the mix, and the depth knob controls the rate of modulation. The delay knob controls the delay time, or speed of the delay. I bought it used and didn't get a manual, so I don't know how effective the manual is.

SOUND QUALITY

I mainly use this pedal with electric guitar, but I've tried it on keys as well, and it works great in either context. The amp does color the sound pretty well, but I don't think it's too drastic. A delay unit, in my opinion, is supposed to color the sound pretty heavily. I really like the sounds that you can get out of this amp. The tones range from a beefy slapback delay to a cavernous wall of noise. Heavy manipulation of the knobs can allow for some really exotic and crazy sounds as well. The range of this thing is pretty great, and unlike a lot of digital delays it doesn't end up swallowing your whole signal. One thing I will mention is the fact that the pedal does have a preamp that colors the sound, but I generally haven't had an issue where this has been a bad thing. I

OVERALL OPINION

I love the purity of the delay on this thing. Almost any analog delay is preferable to digital in my book, but this pedal really steps above and beyond. I think that it's a bit pricey for a delay, usually around $300, so it's definitely an investment. If you absolutely need a delay pedal and don't have that kind of money, look elsewhere, but if you're willing to save up for the best, go for this.

The Electro Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man is an analog effect pedal that has an echo, chorus and vibrato effect. It has 1/4 inch inputs and outputs and also has a 1/4 inch echo out for sending the echo to a separate amp. It is not rackable as it is a stomp box.

UTILIZATION

The Deluxe Memory Man is easy to use and the parameters are easy to manipulate. It has parameters for overall level, blend, feedback, delay and chorus-vibrato. There is also a switch for changing between either chorus or vibrato and dictates what the chorus-vibrato knob controls. It is very easy to get a great sound out of this - whether you are looking for delay, chorus or vibrato. I've never needed to use the manual, nor had access to one.

SOUND QUALITY

The sound quality of this pedal is its best feature. The delay is extremely warm and you can some pretty awesome different delay tones from this. I also really like the chorus and vibrato, but the delay is the best feature on this pedal. I have only used this pedal with guitar - mostly a Schecter Ultra III and a '76 Fender Twin Reverb. I love the delay tone I get from this set up as it unlike most other delays I have used.

OVERALL OPINION

I've been using the Deluxe Memory Man for about three years. The best part of this pedal is the overall tone quality. I also have a Line 6 DL-4, and the delay on this is better than any of the delays on the DL-4 in my opinion. The DL-4 can create a wider variety of sounds, but the overall tone quality of the Memory Man is much better in my opinion. The price isn't the cheapest, but this pedal is made extremely well and should give you a great tone for a long time if you treat it right. While the chorus and the vibrato are also very usable, the delay on this is unbelievable and is the best part of the pedal.