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jefferyfreelance « Versatile Features in a Small Package »
Published on 05/10/15 at 03:25
Value For Money :
Excellent
Audience:
Anyone
Delay is quite possibly the most universal effect for guitarists used in different forms across all genres. When it came time to build my pedalboard I knew I had to have a delay pedal on there. I had become accustom to having multiple types of delays from my multi-effects devices I had owned. I knew I wanted to have plenty of options, but I wanted to keep it simple and small. The Flashback Delay by TC Electronic embodied everything I was looking for. The mini version was not available when I bought my delay, but I would not have gone for it since it was limited in its application. The X4 version was too large for my board, but it was tempting.
Line 6 offers some very nice delays that sound fantastic, but I don’t trust the build quality of the housings and switches of their effects. I didn’t want to buy the DL4, then spend the money to get it modified with better switches. Strymon builds very nice pedals, but the Brigadier and El Capistan were not the type of delays I was looking for and the Timeline seemed like over kill. The Timeline I believe works best in a rig that has midi control, and that was not the type of board I was building at the time.
The Flashback was the right size with the right type of delays. There is a wide range of delay types that are available in this small pedal, and they all sound very good. I use the mod, analog, slapback, and TonePrint, throughout my bands set. The TonePrint feature is an amazing addition that expands the capabilities of the pedal. There are four knobs to control- delay, feedback, FX level, and type. There is also a mini-switch that allows choosing between quarter note, dotted quarter note, and a combination of both, for use as the repeats of the delay.
It does not have a tap tempo in the traditional sense, instead it has audio tapping. It works by turning on the pedal and holding down the footswitch for about two seconds until the LED turns off. Strum the quarter notes, then release the switch and you are in tempo. A brilliant answer to keeping the pedal small and still having tap tempo. The looper function is good, but without the extra switches of the X2 I find I only use the looper at home and not at gigs.
There is a slight hum to the pedal, I believe this has to do with the fact I have it on buffered bypass. There is a dip switch on the inside of the pedal that allows you to switch between true and buffered bypass. It is the last pedal in my chain, and it is a good idea to have that pedal be buffered. I also like that the delays continue after I hit the footswitch to turn the pedal off, which sounds so much more natural than the hard stop of true bypass.
The TonePrints are so well crafted that I would prefer to have more slots for them on the type selector knob. Just like my Hall of Fame pedal, the Flashback eats batteries as a snack. I believe the processing power of the pedal, and all its capabilities is the reason for how fast it goes through batteries. I am not complaining about it, because I love what the pedal can do, it just is a fact of its operation that you need to plug it in.
The Flashback is a great and versatile pedal. A very good addition to any pedalboard with its small size. If you only use one type of delay, then the mini version may be the one you choose. If your delay use is more extensive, and you use a looper, then check out the X4. For my purposes the standard model works best with plenty of flexibility, and only requires a little bit of on-the-fly knob turning to keep up with my needs at a gig.
Line 6 offers some very nice delays that sound fantastic, but I don’t trust the build quality of the housings and switches of their effects. I didn’t want to buy the DL4, then spend the money to get it modified with better switches. Strymon builds very nice pedals, but the Brigadier and El Capistan were not the type of delays I was looking for and the Timeline seemed like over kill. The Timeline I believe works best in a rig that has midi control, and that was not the type of board I was building at the time.
The Flashback was the right size with the right type of delays. There is a wide range of delay types that are available in this small pedal, and they all sound very good. I use the mod, analog, slapback, and TonePrint, throughout my bands set. The TonePrint feature is an amazing addition that expands the capabilities of the pedal. There are four knobs to control- delay, feedback, FX level, and type. There is also a mini-switch that allows choosing between quarter note, dotted quarter note, and a combination of both, for use as the repeats of the delay.
It does not have a tap tempo in the traditional sense, instead it has audio tapping. It works by turning on the pedal and holding down the footswitch for about two seconds until the LED turns off. Strum the quarter notes, then release the switch and you are in tempo. A brilliant answer to keeping the pedal small and still having tap tempo. The looper function is good, but without the extra switches of the X2 I find I only use the looper at home and not at gigs.
There is a slight hum to the pedal, I believe this has to do with the fact I have it on buffered bypass. There is a dip switch on the inside of the pedal that allows you to switch between true and buffered bypass. It is the last pedal in my chain, and it is a good idea to have that pedal be buffered. I also like that the delays continue after I hit the footswitch to turn the pedal off, which sounds so much more natural than the hard stop of true bypass.
The TonePrints are so well crafted that I would prefer to have more slots for them on the type selector knob. Just like my Hall of Fame pedal, the Flashback eats batteries as a snack. I believe the processing power of the pedal, and all its capabilities is the reason for how fast it goes through batteries. I am not complaining about it, because I love what the pedal can do, it just is a fact of its operation that you need to plug it in.
The Flashback is a great and versatile pedal. A very good addition to any pedalboard with its small size. If you only use one type of delay, then the mini version may be the one you choose. If your delay use is more extensive, and you use a looper, then check out the X4. For my purposes the standard model works best with plenty of flexibility, and only requires a little bit of on-the-fly knob turning to keep up with my needs at a gig.