Deluxe Memory Man
Bucket-brigade delay whose repeats get darker every time round.
Repeats that lose their top end
Each repeat is handed along a chain of capacitors, and every step costs a little treble and adds a little noise. So the repeats do not just get quieter, they get darker, which is why an analog delay sits under a part instead of competing with it.
Drawn to illustrate the description above, not measured from a specific unit.
What the circuit does
The signal is handed along a chain of capacitors, one step per clock tick, which is what stores it. Every step loses a little high end and adds a little noise, so each repeat comes back darker and softer than the one before it. A modulation stage wobbles the delay time as well.
What to listen for
Repeats that sink into the background instead of stacking up in front of you, which is why a long analog delay stays usable under a busy part. Change the delay time while it is running and the pitch of whatever is still in the line slides.
Where it goes
The delay slot
Near the end, repeating a signal that is already finished. Anything placed after a delay processes each repeat again, which is occasionally the point and usually a mess.
Controls
- Blend
- Feedback
- Delay
- Chorus and vibrato