MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delay Guitar Effects Pedal (M169)

Product Information

In this era where every other sound brand is struggling to come up with a unique design of pedal, the MXR Carbon Copy definitely hits the bull’s eye. With a machinery so unique and an amazing sound quality to its advantage, the carbon copy is very musician’s dream. It’s imperative to remember that the model is very specifically called Bright because that’s what it is. It’s not pristine, it’s not perfect, and it in no way is meant to cover the same ground as a digital delay. So, if you have a digital delay already (and maybe even a darker analog delay like the original) there are still plenty of new sounds here for you to explore. Many of them are already opting to use it for stage performance ma and to make live, serious music. Almost every other product always falls short for its expectations when it comes to performance, but so is not the case wth the carbon copy.

Tonally, the repeats have clarity combined with a dark warmth and a natural sounding decay that seems to work well between guitar and amp. Sound-wise the pedal does everything you would expect of an analogue delay, including the regen knob that sets off self-oscillation for dub and spacey effects when turned past midnight. The signal path of the carbon copy is all-analog making it a must-choice for individuals looking for an over-the-top quality music sound This dual delay can do everything from subtle stereo widening to all-consuming modulated ambience, with an impressive amount of customisability and connectivity for such a compact pedal The faulty items are JFETs Q10-13 (the little 3 pin triangles. As you can see I’ve fitted a tiny Transient suppressor between two legs of the replaced JFETs. This should guard against recurrences of the same problem.I’ve just started adding the TC Electronic’s line of cheaper pedals. From what I can establish, these are based on the Behringer pedals that are clones of the Boss pedals! Yep, cloning clones – but it does make sense given Behringer own TC Electronic. I’m still missing a few of them but will add them when I find out – or when someone tells me in the comments below! Another thing, the oscillation you can get out of this pedal is absolutely wonderful! I've experienced musically heavenly intros and outros just by using it as an oscillation machine!

On that note, we should also reiterate this is still a fully, 100% analog delay circuit and features the same self-oscillation fun as the original. The original DL4 is a bona-fide classic. And, for the reissue, Line 6 realised that, as it’s recreated in full for MkII – alongside a slew of new delay modes. But all the things that made the original so damn unique remain, right down to the strikingly green and oddly-shaped enclosure, the looper, and even the digital artifacting of some of the stranger delay modes.As I understand it, this issue has been fixed in new production units so if you’re buying, don’t let it spoil your enjoyment of a great little delay unit. Now I should add a bit the term “clone”. Some of these pedals really are true clones – a direct copy. But for some it’s more that the manufacturer was intending to replicate the original design in a general sense. There are threads in forums all over the web about how closely a pedal performs in relation to the original. I’d suggest using this database as a starting point for your own research before you buy. Remember too that there are a bunch of factors (guitar, amp, playing style, other effects etc) that will determine the sound you get from a pedal. In some cases a “clone” may deliver what you want better than the original. Lots of caveats I know, but just wanted to get it out there. If you see a carbon copy that works in bypass mode but doesn’t switch in the effect or illuminate the effect LED then the carbon copy had fallen full of the ESD problem. The modulation LED will probably still work. The CC Mini has a recessed, side-mounted Bright switch to activate the upper frequencies for more sparkle and clarity in its analog repeats.

Tap division feature with 4 subdivisions: dotted 8th, 8th, triplet, and 16th and an easy-to-read status display First things first: The Carbon Copy is far beyond what I imagined it would be like to work with. (FYI this was my first real delay pedal ever. Thus far, I had only digital substitutes.) If you feel abject terror when you look upon a behemothic multi-footswitch delay pedal with a thousand onboard presets, full MIDI connectivity and knobs for wash, spin, rinse and dry, the simple-to-use MXR Carbon Copy could be for you. While the terms “dark” and “moody” no longer apply to this iteration of the Carbon Copy, the terms “warm” and “lush” still hold a place in our vocabulary. The Bright model has a beautiful vocal quality to its repeats, sitting in a finely tuned midrange that sounds like a natural extension of your instrument. The Carbon Copy Analog Delay will take you from crisp bathroom slap echoes to epic, voluminous soundscapes with minimal adjustment required.

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I’ll take another moment to thank the guys at MXR/Dunlop (partic. Derek Jones) who provided excellent tech support the first time I came across this issue.