Analog Man ARDX20
The Analog Man ARDX20 is a highly regarded analog delay pedal widely praised for its warm, organic sound and versatile range of features. In this article, we will look closer at the ARDX20's design, sound, and functionality to better understand why it is such a popular choice among guitarists and other musicians.
If you are unsure of the differences between analog, digital, oil drum, and tape echo, please read my Brief but Complete Overview of Delay.
I found my way to the Analog Man ARDX20 while searching for a genuine Bucket Brigade Device (BBD) delay. Unfortunately, I was not satisfied with digital emulations that chop off some high-end to mimic the tonality of analog echo.
I was also disappointed with other "analog" echoes on the market, such as the MXR Carbon Copy, which had an underwhelming tone to my ears and reliability issues.
I prefer boutique builders for their attention to tone and build quality, which led me to Analog Man. Analog Mike has quite a high standard for quality control in tone and durability.
I was excited to see an Analog Man BBD delay based on the original Maxon circuit.
Sound
Why use an analog delay such as the Analog Man ARDX20, deciding on your choice of delay concerns the music you're making and the gear you're using.
Many guitarists prefer the sound of analog BBD-style delay because the repeats are not as brittle as with many digital delays. In addition, the softer repeats can pair well with bright guitars and amps.
Analog delays can provide ambiance without the repeats being too percussive or dominant. Digital delay repeats stand out. A clean guitar into a clean amp with digital echo can sound harsh. Using an analog delay such as the ARDX20 can warm up your sound.
I gig with analog delays a lot. Clean amps are typical in backlines for venues. Often of the Fender variety. The problem with modern production Fender amps (even the reissues) is they sound brittle. It takes effort to get them to sound suitable.
I usually use a pedal as a preamp to warm the tone and soften the sharp transients. Then I make sure I use an analog delay. Care must be taken with your signal chain to ensure you're not emphasizing the frequencies you're trying to contain.
When guitars are trying to troubleshoot their tone issues, they often overlook how the delay contributes to the tonality of your instrument.
Feedback
One great feature of the ARDX20 is that the infinite repeats don't spike in volume, allowing you to create beds of swirling sound. Some delays can spike in volume when you raise the feedback knob to the point of feedback. The ARDX20 is excellent for ambient soundscapes.
Even when using the ARDX20 for a simple slapback, it excels. Some may say that a delay doesn't matter for a slapback, but I beg to differ. A lackluster delay for a slapback will yield a thinner, narrow sound.
Try using a generic digital echo for a slapback and compare that to an actual BBD analog delay. You will notice a difference in tone, with the analog delay sounding thicker.
A few pedals always appear on my pedalboard when I go to a gig: a tuner, a drive pedal, a fuzz pedal, and a delay or reverb.
A completely dry sound is required for some gigs, such as playing with former James Brown bassist Fred Thomas.
However, some "space" is desired for most gigs, whether it be a short delay, spring reverb, or lush long delay scapes.
The delay pedal I reach for the most is the Analog Man ARDX20.
Cabs have become quite expensive in NYC, so these days, I'm traveling with a more compact pedalboard. The ARDX20 gives me two channels of delay and warmth, covering a lot of ground for a small pedalboard. It's not a mini pedal, but it has a lot of functions.
I prefer a few pedals that do something great rather than more in a mini format that doesn't create as great a sound. As I've mentioned before in my articles, I'm tone-forward.
I usually match pedals to my gig, so I don't have a static pedalboard setup. Instead, I switched based on the project.
Sessions
These days, most artists come to me to record guitars as it's hard to find a studio with a similar sizeable collection of guitars, effects, and amps.
In my studio, I have five delays that I may use: a mix of analog, tape, and digital echos, each specially picked to do specific jobs. A studio is where you can take advantage of nuances in each circuit's design.
Durability
Analog Man pedals are built to last. The wires are hand-soldered with through-hole components, ensuring that you won't have to throw away the pedal if a repair ever needs to be done.
I've known a few people who have had quality control issues with the MXR Carbon Copy. I'm not trying to throw shade. MXR offers a delay at a lower price point accessible to more players; there is nothing wrong with that. However, the quality is different from the ARDX, and the Carbon Copy isn't necessarily designed to last 30 years.
So, if you're looking for a long-term relationship, Analog Man products are the way to go.
From the Analog Man website: The ARDX20 is made with through-hole components, using wires and normal pots/jacks/switches, allowing anyone to fix it with standard parts. Many mass-produced pedals use robot-installed SMT components or proprietary impossible-to-replace parts.
Features:
36ms-60ms delay times
True Bypass
An effects loop for processing the delay-only signal with modulation, fuzz, or anything you can imagine, which is fabulous for sound designing.
You can use an expression pedal to control the delay time.
You can connect the optional Amaze1 footswitch from Analog Man to control additional parameters such as tap tempo and modulation.
The newer flat version of the Analog Man ARDX20 has an internal dark switch to reduce the high end on the repeats. The dark switch also reduces the normal analog delay white noise when running into a high-gain device, which amplifies noise.
