BOSS DD-500 Digital Delay Pedal Review by Sweetwater
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.พ. 2025
- Mitch Gallagher gives a thorough overview of the BOSS DD-500 Digital Delay pedal. Packed with 12 distinctive, fully-editable delay modes, the Boss DD-500 digital delay pedal provides you with unlimited creative possibilities. The DD-500 also gives you a graphic display that’s incredibly easy to follow while performing and editing, onboard patch memories for storing your favorite effect configurations, a phrase looper for creating mind-blowing layered performances, and customizable control settings for real-time expression.
After the video, get the BOSS DD-500 delay pedal here: www.sweetwater....
Sweetwater's Guitars and Gear, Vol. 133
@3:00 THANK YOU! One thing that plagues some delay pedals with looping functions is not being able to access more than one delay type or not being able to use the delay functions with the loop function.. the later was true of the BOSS DD20 Gigadelay - it had somewhere around 23 sec of looping time, but the only way to access any of the delays was after you had thrown in a loop to play on top of. A quirky setup that forced you to work with it to often great results, but still not like what you can do with this one and some of them (mine included) had bad power overage protectors and fried a week after the factory warranty was up - something. I have experienced a few times with BOSS pedals ... which I will never learn any lesson from and will always be a fan and user.
He stop talking and start playing in less than 10 seconds. I LIKE THIS DEMO.
+Lance Rambert not to mention the playing and sound quality are great too
+RIG RIG RIG Gear Demo fancy seeing you here.. haha yes agreed with you, btw rig rig rig udah bikin demo pedal ini belum sih?
Nothing like a nice modulated delay…..very inspiring. Nice review!
beautiful its just golden i love it i gotta buy one next month
This guys loop skillz are next level
💀
damn this guy lost a ton of weight good job bro
Oh Frikn Krap! My main complaint about the DD20 (besides it crapping out 5 years and a week after the 5 year warranty due to the common power overage flaw some of them shipped out with, leaving me to pay to have it opened up and looked at) was the fact that you could not access any of the delay voicing while in looping mode. BOSS delays have a signature tone that aren't necessarily bad but seem to lack a certain level of authenticity when it comes to simulating some of the older tapes and bb style units. I replaced the DD20 with a TC Electronic Triple Delay (and a DittoX2 dedicated for looping) which is hard to even compare. They both have some big cons that almost eclipse the pros, but the biggest difference is in the actual voicing of the delays. I've used BOSS delays since 1985, but never really had the ear to distinguish nuances in tone and time until some independent companies started coming up. MOOG's analog delay plug in also taught me in an early version of pro tools what delay should be, wether analog or digital or both. But the biggest and craziest thing that is really worth checking out if for no other reason than to expand your knowledge and ear for delay is TC Electronic's Tone Print Authoring Application ... of course one of the triple delay's cons is the lack of available patch storage with 3 +1, when in reality you probably need at least 10 if not more.
For the ability to use 2 delay voices while looping and the amount of space for writing and storing patches/presets this is something I really think would be useful for what I'm doing. So .... will you give me one for free? C'mon!!
I'm really intrigued by this, the ability to have two independent delay types is really cool. I mainly play synthesizers these days though, how does the DD-500 handle hotter line level signals?
AJ Gapsquez i was just wondering that myself, wanting to know how a moog runing thru this would sound. really think of getting this over the line 6 DL6.
AJ Gapsquez Boss UK said it'd handle line level signals fine. I'll wait until the manual gets released to have it confirmed.
rss313 its a few dollars more, has midi and usb i/o, way more memory...as long as you like the way it sounds the boss seems like a no-brainer ; )
AJ Gapsquez What is a "hotter line signal"? Thanks in advance :)
Torwalk, i work mainly with synthesizers, and their volume levels are typically louder than guitar. especially modular synthesizers, their volume levels can be around ten times that of a guitar.
when we use two type of delay simultaneously, will the tap tempo apply to both delay that are engage? I really need to know this please
Orbsee i'd imagine you have the option to have it do that or not. There seem to be a lot of tweaking options in the menus and i'd be VERY surprised if they didn't set it up so you could have both be synced to the same tap tempo
+Orbsee you can do 2 delays controlled by tap tempo but with different subdivisions. Example: tap the tempo at 144BPM and one delay is an "analog" set to 1/8 notes and the other is a "tape" delay set to 1/4 notes, they would both react to whatever tempo you tap in.
many thanks!!
Can someone Answer this Question ? On the DD-500 can you Assign / Attach an External Boss FS-6 Dual Foot switch, and use it for Control & Tap Tempo ( thereby ) using Foot switch's A, B & C strictly for ( 3 ) Patch's ? Thanks.
Yes..yes you can.
can one control the delay time with the xp pedal ? very in depth demo , thank you . sweetewater does such a fantastic job all the way around . really like this company as they are pro's . after 11:30 - artifacts ?
No artifacts. He had a bitcrusher setting active from the previous demonstration.
do you know to keep the same tempo when the patches changes? in the nova system is called global time. any trick about it?
the new update of this pedal comes with it
I have a DD-20 and DD-3 and had my heart set on a Strymon TimeLine next, but I may go with the DD-500. It is very flexible, and has MIDI, and I'm building a MIDI controlled rig now. I think $300 is reasonable for all it offers.
Kinda a noob at midi, could you please explain to me how a midi rig works in terms of effects pedals/ guitar etc? It'd be much appreciated!
Jacob Morales Hi! Unfortunately I never connected my pedals as MIDI. Some of them have such features, but most do not (only the Strymon ones - the BigSky, the Timeline and the Mobius). Recently I lost patience with construction works in the neighborhood (lots of dust everywhere ...) and kept ALL my "boutique pedals" back in their boxes. I'm currently using only a Boss GT-100 pedalboard to practice daily... I think MIDI connections are more appropriate to keyboards and less useful for guitars and effects pedals (distortions, overdrives, flangers, fuzzes, choruses, whammies, vibes etc. - none of them "WiFi") - but that's a personal opinion. Sorry if I can't help you on this matter. Have you ever tried to post your doubts on www.gilmourish.com? Take a look, also, at this page: www.premierguitar.com/articles/Using_Pedals_And_Maintaining_Good_Tone.
Sure, MIDI is a communication between MIDI equipped devices. It transfers no audio data. It just allows devices/pedals/racks to make changes all at the same time.
With the click of one button, you can have all the linked devices change patches instead of pressing a switch on each device. It just makes life easier, and changes faster.
It can be used for other things too like real time parameter changes, or virtual/digital instrument control, but in a guitar context, it's mostly used like I said.
I like this guy
it'd be more helpful if you turned up the depth or mix so we can hear it better Mitch!
Midi over USB from your DAW on the USB on the back of the DD500... spat out my cream soda laughing at that
Hi, is it possible to have a 380ms on right channel and a 506ms on the left?
Thank's :-)
I have a question. Sorry if it's already been asked and answered, but can you do 100% wet effects on on this pedal? For example, if I want to use the modulation for a vibrato, or if I want to use the slow delay as a slow gear swell effect, can I do that?
+Shoe Pedals I'm pretty sure you can have only the wet signal without any dry guitar mixed in. Check the video at 13:16 and you'll hear and see Mitch doing swells or that slow gear effect without using any volume control.
Does this pedal also have a phaser built in?
Aristowi it has one option called 'Filter' which allows you to put a phaser-like tone over the repeats
I hope it sounds different in person. To me, all the different types of delays sound the same and had no distinct character.
Agreed. The versatility is good, but the voices do not differ. The same is true of every digital delay I've heard. I love my MXR Carbon Copy, and my EHX Deluxe Memory Boy. Distinctive voices and plenty of tricks.
Personally, i don't even like the voicing of these delays. For the money, I'd just buy a Digitech Obscura and an Akai Headrush.
+John Price the analog mode is definitely very different. It's much softer and sat right back in the mix. The Tape mode, I'd agree is not all that remarkable.
+ToddinTyler this is 100% correct. This guy is a shit demo-er.... Don't base your views on this pedal of this review
John Price I dunno ... on an iPad pro's built in stereo speakers it sounds tits above most demos ... that ROLAND JC makes a definite difference
Can you switch between delay times? like dotted eight, quarter, etc?
It would be cool if in future delay demos, you turn up the delay level. I can't quite hear the quality of the repeats over the dry sound.
Good demo, otherwise!
Thanks
doest have feedback loop like the strymon timeline
It does since 2017 via firmware 2.0.
Nice option for those that can't afford a strymon timeline, powerful unit indeed but never better than the timeline. if you have the way to buy a delay pedal around this price range, choose strymon.
+Jonathan Farias I like Strymon, but every single Strymon effect screams I'M USING A STRYMON!!!!!!! It's always good to have non Strymon effects around for when you don't want everything you do to sound like a Strymon thing. I also like the screen on this Boss pedal more - makes editing the effects easier.
+Jonathan Farias The Timeline is good but its not the best delay ever created, I had one and sold it.
+Jonathan Farias Timeline is too dark. It doesn't have the bright, crispness you're able to dial in with the DD500. Also, the DD500 allows three presets per bank to be accessed, not just two like the Timeline. Less scrolling up and down banks = big advantage.
+Anchovy Run Ditto. Too dark.
Evan Saunders I'm glad you found a delay pedal that you can enjoy. Cheers☺
Damn does Mitch talk fast
For what it’s worth (.02 cents at current market value I beleive....) I really wanted to like this but in every demo I have listened to the SOUND of the Boss feels like a two-dimensional imitation of famous delay sounds tacked onto the original guitar signal.
I don’t care how many bells and whistles there are if the sound is not there, then forget it.
For context, I am not a big fan of the Strymon Timeline either (bought it, sold it) as it just puts this (initially amazing, eventually fatiguing/irritating) Strymony gloss over everything.
Outside a genuine echoplex or similar the most open sounding, musical delays (to my ears) come from the likes of Catalinbread Belle Epoch and the Dunlop Echoplex pedal.
Instead of a million things you will never use, almost everything sounds musically useful with those pedals - all at the quick and simple twist of a few dials.
As always YMMV and more power to you then.
Typically a Boss demo. Not anywhere mentioned HOW MANY PRESETS you can save. Not even on their site. Also, in the specs on their webiste, it says nothing about current? AC says it. But the back panel photo shows DC, but not any voltage. 9v, 12v, 18v or something in between?
Good thing though, it has 10 seconds delay (on certain modes), you can loop with delay, and spillover, or "carryover". Until I test this thing, or read the complete manual I will have a verdict. Still it ain't a Strymon killer, or even Digitech Timebender killer.
Me myself stopped using tap tempo ages ago. Strum tempo, as is possible on some pedals, beats the hell out of tap tempo, and is much more precise. You should be able to program and assign at least one footswitch as you like. Tap tempo or strum tempo at choice. The hold bit annoys me. That it's put on hold, only when keeping the switch down. You should be able to take away your foot and still keep the hold on.
I would like too, to know how the expression pedal works with it and what you can it assign to. For example if I play to a live drummer that wavers in tempo, I want to change delay time, wihtout it being heard as a glitch pitch. The Digitech just change it in steps so it's seamlessly changed to a few milliiseconds or more upwards or downwards.
clearly you didn't watch the entire video. 10 seconds after he stops playing through his intro groove, he clearly states that you can save up to 99 presets which are highly configurable.
will this work with a strymon power supply ?
Whoa! Can you slow down a bit or are you being paid by the word?
In one word: STRYMON!
+Walter Smetak which is synonymous with: BROKE!
+alliant Hehehehe, true enough.....
+Walter Smetak not really, here in the Netherlands the Strymon is only 50 euro's more. Sure it's a wad of cash but not the end of the world.
Boss only Try to be better than Strymon and Eventide
Only Try
Dboss kannada super star
parang pinag tripan e. gulo di manlang tinimpla ng maayos
This Review is making me not want to buy this pedal.
Definetively not a Strymon TimeLine (or the new Strymon Dig Dual Delay) or Eventide TimeFactor. Sorry, another "cheap Boss' pedal"...