This is the delay pedal I never thought I would replace. The one with few features, but amazing sound quality. Finally, I found that the Damage Control Timeline, at least to my ears, matched it in sound, but outdid it in features. (You can check out the Timeline demo videos here to compare:
http://guitarforworship.wordpress.com/2008/09/15/damage-control-timeline-review-and-demo/
So I sold my Replica. At one time or another, I’ve owned 5 of these. Same pedal. Just 5 different ones. And the one in these demo videos I’ve owned for 3 days….and now it’s up on e-bay. Don’t ask. It’s this crazy sickness that it seems only guitar players contract. (Some of you are doing the fist to your chest pump twice thing right now letting you know that you are also a guitarist with this sickness and in firm agreement with me. I appreciate the sentiment. Just don’t do the fist bump thing….it’s awkward.)
Anyway, the Replica is a killer digital delay pedal that keeps your dry signal completely analog. And the best thing about this pedal is the depth or ‘weight’ of the sound of the repeated notes. It sounds so natural. The brown switch is really cool to get a darker, more analog-sounding tone out of this pedal, and the subdivision switch allows you to tap quarter notes and get back out triplet/dotted eighth U2/Police-sounding delays.
Plus, it actually says on the pedal itself, ‘Handcrafted in Denmark’. So it’s perfect for us boutique snobs. We don’t have to make up something crazy about the pedal no one’s heard about before. Oh no. ‘Handmade’ and ‘Denmark’ are actually written on the pedal itself. Good times.
So here’s the videos, complete with my video card that can’t last more than 4 minutes at a time, and my obviously professional lighting skills.
Demo 1:
Demo 2:
If you’re looking for a simple delay that does the basics, this might be the best sounding one out there. Plus, John Mayer uses it, so that gives it even more awesome.
Splendid.
Karl.
nice! I’ve always though the replica was cool, but I’ve never owned one. How does the MIDI work, does it just sync with a tempo?
Yep. That’s exactly it, as far as I know…it lets it’s own tempo be set by any external midi tempo source. I’ve never tried it, actually. But I would assume it works. hehe
That pedal sounds gorgeous. Why can’t pedals like this and the Memory Lane come with more preset buttons? I know it’s a boutique delay pedal no-no but it makes no sense have sounds that great with no preset access!
You got it – the MIDI jack allows you to sync the pedal with a MIDI clock, which is most useful in the studio.
I know, seriously. And I was all stoked about the Memory Lane 2 which is supposed to have 2 channels, but then I realized that only one channel is settable with the tap tempo. And T-Rex is just starting to dabble in boutique pedals with presets, but the only one they have done thus far is an overdrive called the Spindoctor and it’s $900 bucks! Ya…..not so much for me.
I know Eventide, Damade Control, and TC Electronics hav delved into the preset world. Didn’t you say you had a Timefactor? How are you liking it?
“Why can’t pedals like this and the Memory Lane come with more preset buttons?” — blogsology
first thing that comes to mind is cost. without the presets, they are already expensive. i also have not seen a lot of good analog pedals with presets, maybe a handful.
Memory Lane is analog, presets are digital. I can’t think of any analog delays with presets.
Hi Karl,
Had some questions on the subdivision mode… I can’t seem to replicate your second demo video on the dotted 8th sound. And when I push the subdivision button in and out, it doesn’t seem to do anything different at least not to my ears. Is there some trick I’m missing here? The manual really didn’t explain things in detail, so I’m kind of at a lost.
Thanks Karl!
Rhoy and Mike–lol Whoa, guess I missed these comments a while ago. But ya, the only analog pedals with presets I can think of are the Dimaond Memory Lane 2 (with only 1 other ‘kinda’ preset), and the T-Rex Spin Doctor (but it’s an overdrive). Technology just needs to ctach up to us tone freaks.
hehe
Jonathan–ya, the Replica is odd that way. Once you push the subdivision button, you have to re-tap the tempo. Then you’ll get dotted 8ths/triplets. Same thing if you want to go back to quarter notes. Once you push the subdivision button again, you have to again re-tap the tempo; then you’ll have quarters again. Kind of weird, I know.
Karl,
Ok, so to make sure… in and out of subdivision mode I need to re-tap into it? Otherwise it stays at which ever mode it was in before? Wow, I wish there was a led letting you know which side it’s going through… But I’m willing to deal with that, this thing is soooooooooo awesome. I love the tone on the replica, I think I’ve made a good choice! But I’ll be on the look out for your Timeline to appear on TGP’s emporium page. haha. Thank you for all your help!
Jonathan,
No problem. And yep, you’ve got it right. The subdivision button doesn’t switch the tempo; it switches the mechanism for if the tap switch gives you quarters or dotted eighths. So once you hit the button, you have to re-tap the tempo to get the new subdivision setting.
And ya…the tone of the Replica is insane. So weighty.
I have not found another digital delay that sounds as….undigital yet clear as the Replica. Thanks to Karl’s review, that’s one of the delays on my board. Money well spent….for a change.
Could you buy a Gabriel Voxer V18 and do a review on it?
http://gabtone.com/V18.htm
I’m living vicariously through your posts..
Mark–totally agree. Fantastic sounding delay.
Chris–lol I would love to! I’m taking donations…if everyone pitched in a couple bucks, maybe I could do a review of the Voxer…and, uh, have a new amp.
hehe
But honestly, I will try. I believe Tomlin’s guitarist is using the Voxer currently, and he may have some videos of it on youtube or Frequency Worship. But I will try!
Guys,
Can anybody that has one of these help me?
I think that my subdivision switch may be broken. I am suffering from the subdivision issue – done all the right things etc – finally got in contact with T-Rex who asked me if the subdivision switch stays in like the brown switch?
Mine does not!
I replied to them – no response. Now I don’t know whether the thing should stay in like the brown switch – or bounce straight up – as my unit does.
Can anybody with a working unit tell me. Should subdivision stay pushed in – or should it bounce back up.
Thanks a million.
Hey JH,
Yep, yours is broken. The subdivision switch should stay down when you push it in. Luckily, T-Rex is usually great with customer service. They’ve fixed Replica’s for me twice. Just gotta use USPS to ship it back to them. Fedex makes you sell your children to pay for the shipping to Denmark.
Cheers!! Hope it all works out.
Thanks Karl
That explains everything. Thing was driving me crazy.
JH
Hey JH,
Just recently got my Replica repaired (Whole lot of repairin’ goin’ on here. Hmmmm. Excellent delay though.) and depending on where you purchased it from, I sent mine to a place in California and they sent me out a new one. Round trip 6 days. Not bad from Central Illinois.
JH–No worries!
Mark–really? Sweet. I think they’ve spread out a bit now. My Replica episodes were a few years ago. And ya…great delay, but very picky about power, and maybe just a bit fragile.