I'm really interested in your comment about modulation. Does the DD-3(T) have modulation? It feels modulated to me (like you said) but I can't find anything about that on the internet and it's hard to pick out if I listen for it intentionally. I also agree with your tape/digital comparison--they're very similar.
The charm is in the context. In 1987, all my local shop carried was Arion, In-Line effects, Rocktron and BOSS. The DD-3 was the very first BOSS pedal I could afford and bought. I used it playing out in my high school jam band for 3 years. The magic of it is the time selector switch. If you only had one delay, you needed to be able to create slap back, ambient tail delays and long repeats that you could play over. All within a few seconds of knob tweaking between songs. When placed after an analog delay, you could cleanly repeat analog oscillations into trippy madness. These days, I use other delays on my boards. But, I still have one. It packs with my Quilter Micro Pro Mach2...battery powered, ready to be thrown in the loop for basic delay use when all I'm taking is my amp. It wont break and just does it's job. As a side note, the direct out taught me about using 2 amps together, Hass effect and how make it sound huge ages before the internet and current 2 amp trends. When it's all you have, you learn to do everything you can with it.
One of my first pedals was a DD-3. I still use it. I stick it at the end of my pedal board and use the stereo out to two amps with a quick single slapback delay. It sounded great at my last gig with the amps panned to each side.
I've had a DD-3 on my board for ages. I also have a DD-5 and DD-7, but for some reason don't really use them, except when I've needed a really long delay time. The thing about the DD-3, for me, is that it has an almost analog delay softness to it, while retaining the clean repeats of a digital delay. I'm sure there are better and more versatile delay pedals out there, and I'd love to own a Timeline and/or a Halo, but TBH, I don't really do lots of ambient stuff, mostly play classic rock, R&B, etc., and I have a separate looper (Ditto), so the DD-3 fits my needs and it would be hard to justify the expense of those other pedals. It would be nice if the DD-3 had a dotted 8ths function, but I'm usually able to set that manually. I agree though that the shortest delay time setting is pretty unnecessary and I never use it.
If like I have back in the day based so many guitar parts around this pedal then like me it will still be on the pedal board. In the 90s there wasnt really much to compare it with ( although I loved the boss analogue delay but this would get a bit murky) - it did the job when there was gigs to do and no internet and many other pedal makers to confuse the hell out of you! The hold setting is pretty neat and quite mind blowing donkey’s years ago….
Oh, and Eric originally used EHX memory man delays for his " hold" echo funtions, and only later used the DD3, more often with clean repeat and hold parts, or used it into more bassy amps when in high-gain mode.
I think it’s a product of its time. When it came out, the only digital delays that could compete were rack mounted and 10 times more expensive and complicated. Today it seems primitive… but all those folks who got used to it and used it all that time keep going with what they know best. I have never personally been a fan either… but I get it.
Feel the same way...love the Analog setting on the DD-7...sort of the perfect compromise between digital clean and analog dark. Might need a DD-8 for the reverse setting as long as it can doo 100% wet mix
Bought a DD3 about 20 years ago. It’s fine. I replaced it with a TC Flasback about 10 years ago which does ao much more, although I’d imagine the DD3 would still have it on build quality. It’s a great pedal and I know lots of people love it, but I just want so much more out of a delay
The absence of any adjustable high end roll off from the repeats, prevents this delay from sounding anything like the real world, and makes it sound unnatural. Real-world situations have our brains trained to hear repeats as being less bright, so we can avoid confusing them with the original sound. This is a human psychoacoustic adaptation we have to distinguish sounds in the real world, that was never a problem with ecoplexes, because their low-fi reproduction sounded more authentic.
But one of the reasons the dd2/dd3 are so popular is the fact that they do degrade on the repeats so they they are not in the way of the original note. The sampling is only 12bit which is pretty low-fi
I have several 32bit multi delays, and none had a Digitat setting that sounds any better than this pedal, other then ability to add modulation, or adjust the filter, so it’s darker. But, if one wants just a very clean, digital delay, the sound between it and the Strymon Dig, isn’t that different.
It’s because it sounds like an Echoplex with new tape. It’s a very clean and slightly warm, modulated delay.
I'm really interested in your comment about modulation. Does the DD-3(T) have modulation? It feels modulated to me (like you said) but I can't find anything about that on the internet and it's hard to pick out if I listen for it intentionally. I also agree with your tape/digital comparison--they're very similar.
The charm is in the context. In 1987, all my local shop carried was Arion, In-Line effects, Rocktron and BOSS. The DD-3 was the very first BOSS pedal I could afford and bought. I used it playing out in my high school jam band for 3 years. The magic of it is the time selector switch. If you only had one delay, you needed to be able to create slap back, ambient tail delays and long repeats that you could play over. All within a few seconds of knob tweaking between songs. When placed after an analog delay, you could cleanly repeat analog oscillations into trippy madness.
These days, I use other delays on my boards. But, I still have one. It packs with my Quilter Micro Pro Mach2...battery powered, ready to be thrown in the loop for basic delay use when all I'm taking is my amp. It wont break and just does it's job.
As a side note, the direct out taught me about using 2 amps together, Hass effect and how make it sound huge ages before the internet and current 2 amp trends. When it's all you have, you learn to do everything you can with it.
It's the GOAT delay pedal. I don't care who used anything, it sounds plain epic.
One of my first pedals was a DD-3. I still use it.
I stick it at the end of my pedal board and use the stereo out to two amps with a quick single slapback delay.
It sounded great at my last gig with the amps panned to each side.
There are better delays now but the ease of use and reliability of the DD-3 has always been great. There's also a nice warmth, like you mentioned.
It was also that they were easy to find, snd very affordable used. I’ve owned a few, and I never paid more than $60 for one.
I've had a DD-3 on my board for ages. I also have a DD-5 and DD-7, but for some reason don't really use them, except when I've needed a really long delay time. The thing about the DD-3, for me, is that it has an almost analog delay softness to it, while retaining the clean repeats of a digital delay. I'm sure there are better and more versatile delay pedals out there, and I'd love to own a Timeline and/or a Halo, but TBH, I don't really do lots of ambient stuff, mostly play classic rock, R&B, etc., and I have a separate looper (Ditto), so the DD-3 fits my needs and it would be hard to justify the expense of those other pedals. It would be nice if the DD-3 had a dotted 8ths function, but I'm usually able to set that manually. I agree though that the shortest delay time setting is pretty unnecessary and I never use it.
If like I have back in the day based so many guitar parts around this pedal then like me it will still be on the pedal board. In the 90s there wasnt really much to compare it with ( although I loved the boss analogue delay but this would get a bit murky) - it did the job when there was gigs to do and no internet and many other pedal makers to confuse the hell out of you! The hold setting is pretty neat and quite mind blowing donkey’s years ago….
Aw man. That dd3 is probably my most used pedal. It's an early long chip dd2 spec dd3. Paid about £60 for it a few years back and i love it
Thomas Blug is a big fan of his dd2 delay
The simplicity is the charm. Great, simple music has been made with that pedal for 40 years. Why try to argue with its merit?
Love Boss pedals. The DD7 and the RV6 are very nice. As is the RT-20.
Oh, and Eric originally used EHX memory man delays for his " hold" echo funtions, and only later used the DD3, more often with clean repeat and hold parts, or used it into more bassy amps when in high-gain mode.
Well, he couldn’t have used the DD-3 until 1996, or after, because that’s when they released them.
I think it’s a product of its time.
When it came out, the only digital delays that could compete were rack mounted and 10 times more expensive and complicated.
Today it seems primitive… but all those folks who got used to it and used it all that time keep going with what they know best.
I have never personally been a fan either… but I get it.
I still have my Boss DD2 Delay. Man if that pedal could talk as they say. Really a time capsule of my youth😊
Had the dd3 and loved it. Only sold it to get the dd8 and run it in stereo with the wide pan mode, absolutely gorgeous❤
Feel the same way...love the Analog setting on the DD-7...sort of the perfect compromise between digital clean and analog dark. Might need a DD-8 for the reverse setting as long as it can doo 100% wet mix
Adam Jones. DD-3 into the front of three high gain amps simultaneously. Epic.
The end is so Cute, Tidy up. Bristol Shore was where EJ used it. The little Princess will be the legato Queen one day!!!!
When I was 21 (2004-5), I let my unit flatmate borrow my DD3 and he never returned it. I still miss it, dearly.
Bought a DD3 about 20 years ago. It’s fine. I replaced it with a TC Flasback about 10 years ago which does ao much more, although I’d imagine the DD3 would still have it on build quality. It’s a great pedal and I know lots of people love it, but I just want so much more out of a delay
what a beautiful ending sir.
Sounds great to me. Well played! Boss DD7 has been on my board for years, but so has TC Electronic Flashback II, and that’s better IMO.
Listen to the start of Audioslave Cochise… all DD3. Tom Morello uses 2!
Fantasticna pedala,prelepog tona😎❤️❤️❤️❤️
DD-3 my fav sound. Doesn’t get in the way. Kept as my benchmark. Haven’t sold it. However the lack of presets/ features have kept it of my board :-(
The absence of any adjustable high end roll off from the repeats, prevents this delay from sounding anything like the real world, and makes it sound unnatural. Real-world situations have our brains trained to hear repeats as being less bright, so we can avoid confusing them with the original sound. This is a human psychoacoustic adaptation we have to distinguish sounds in the real world, that was never a problem with ecoplexes, because their low-fi reproduction sounded more authentic.
But one of the reasons the dd2/dd3 are so popular is the fact that they do degrade on the repeats so they they are not in the way of the original note. The sampling is only 12bit which is pretty low-fi
Echoplex with new tape in good working condition has higher fidelity with less frequency roll off than a DD-3
A pedal that I don't seem to "get" is the Maxon SD-9, never impressed me playing through it, I'd rather use an OCD any day.
If it’s good enough for all of those incredible players, it’s good enough for me. I love it.
To me they feel like a utility pedal - good for hammering in a nail.
It's low lowfi cause of the 12 bit sampling. Every time it repeats the quality of the repeat is reduced
I have several 32bit multi delays, and none had a Digitat setting that sounds any better than this pedal, other then ability to add modulation, or adjust the filter, so it’s darker.
But, if one wants just a very clean, digital delay, the sound between it and the Strymon Dig, isn’t that different.
Sounds great to me
Eric used a different thing for his hold repeat. Think it was a rack mount thing
Mxr 1500 digital delay rack mount
Please do a vid showing knuckle-draggers like me how to download your Pod Go Preset Pack
Elodie is painfully cute, and getting SO BIG!
Im so picky with chorus
I only like bass or some stereo choruss
Phase 90 for me. Sounds amazing when other people use it, sounds like shit when I do. Line 6 DL4 for me as well. Too complicated.
I hear DD3 and I think Paul Gilbert trick.
I cannot get along with a CE-2 or a Metal Zone, they just sound like crap to me.
Comparing to Strymon..? really, bruh? it does itz thing very well for the price...everything's overrated by ur standards... 😀
Everything really is overrated. Especially strymon