High-Cut Mod for Boss DD2, 3, etc.

Chris LeDrew · Post by **Chris LeDrew** » 6 Jul 2009 3:16 pm

Check out the high-cut mod for DD pedals:

http://www.analogman.com/dd5.htm (just scroll down the page a bit)

I'm currently using a DD2 that has this mod, and the repeats are warmer and more subtle than the standard DD pedals. I highly recommend it. I find this mod a great middle ground between analog and digital, because the warble of analog sometimes does not fit with clean steel tone, yet the DD's can be brittle on the repeats.

Just thought I'd pass it on.

Mitch Adelman · Post by **Mitch Adelman** » 7 Jul 2009 5:56 am

Works great for DD3 as well. Three choices. Unchanged, then a toggle for a little repeat high cut and then to left more high cut depending on your sound. Really sounds like an analog delay (at least close). It gets rids of that sterile digital sound and the highs added to repeats. Highly recommended and a lot cheaper than buying a new delay! Analog man knows his stuff!Great mods on other effects as well!

Loren Claypool · Post by **Loren Claypool** » 7 Jul 2009 6:03 am

I had the mod done to a DD-3 and love the results, as well. aNaLoG.MaN's mod does a terrific job of emulating the classic analog delays and, as noted above, with the flick of a switch you're back in digital land. For my money this is a very practical and useful mod that sounds great.

Not that I'm getting a commission check, but I also have a Boss DS-1 with aNaLoG.MaN's Pro Midrange Mod and a Boss TR-2 Tremolo with aNaLoG.MaN's Super Mod. The results on all three pedals are superb and the customer service is excellent.

Ben Jones · Post by **Ben Jones** » 7 Jul 2009 7:43 am

agreed. high end rolloff on repeats is an awesome mods for digital delays to bring them closer to the warmth of analog delays sound. The advantage then to digital is you get longer rdelay times than analog but with the high end rolloff can closely aproximate analog "warmth"

I built my own digital delay and added the high end roll off and no commercial delay digital or analog has been able to knock it off my board. Its sounds very much like my mxr carbon copy..

course I'd prefer tape to both, but cant be hauling my space echo with me everywhere i go.

I wonder how hard it is to do this mod yourself on a boss pedal with pcb? Ive built one, but never moded one this way. I bet its not hard at all

Chris LeDrew · Post by **Chris LeDrew** » 9 Jul 2009 7:57 pm

My buddy clipped something inside a Rocktron Shot-timer and it did essentially the same thing, although you don't have the little toggle to change it back to stock. I think this can be done on most digital delay pedals, it seems.

Cliff Kane · Post by **Cliff Kane** » 10 Jul 2009 11:42 am

That's a cool mod, but even with the mod it's not going to sound like an analog delay. You can buy a reissue AD9 and it's a great pedal. Here's something to try with a digital delay with two outs: leave the un-delayed output as is and put an eq pedal, modulation, etc., on the delayed output. You maybe able to get more of an echoplex effect that way, at least you get more than just rolling off the highs on the repeats as the mod does....not that the mod's not a good improvement to those pedals.

Chris LeDrew · Post by **Chris LeDrew** » 10 Jul 2009 1:55 pm

Cliff, I have an original AD9 and it's great. I love it for 6-string electric, but for steel I like something with cleaner repeats. I find the high cut mod takes enough of the edge off to suit my taste. But you're totally right - this mod won't give you an analog sound per se; it will just mimic one in the way that the repeats are more subtle.

Jon Light · Post by **Jon Light** » 10 Jul 2009 2:10 pm

I an not super critical (or discerning) about delays. But the one thing I must have is high cut. This is why I latched onto my Dan Echo and still use it. The flaws, as noted elsewhere by you, Chris, notwithstanding. (And I concur--those jack suck but I keep it mounted on a board with no plugging in/out...I am concerned about its tendency to overload and distort when hit with a hard, boosted signal---just on the repeats, not the dry signal).
So I wouldn't even consider a unit unless it had either an adjustable high cut or at least attentuated highs. Ben--I MUST build my BYOC. And then I will have to ask you about the the high roll-off mod.

Ben Jones · Post by **Ben Jones** » 10 Jul 2009 2:25 pm

JOn, the mod is built right into the kit build. Just build your pedal and it will have the high end roll off! (I think..unless the instructions give you an option of building it two ways and provide an extra resistor or something...i cant recall,I only rember that i built it with high end rolloff installed and didnt have to open it back up to mod it.... If its one of the old kits like I have, its REALLY good. Their new delay kits are a bit too fancy for me. i dont need tap tempo or ping pong

Jon Light · Post by **Jon Light** » 10 Jul 2009 2:30 pm

Ah---cool. It's a good 3 years old or so, so no newfangled pings, pongs or taps. It wouldn't surprise me to find mods to put a switch or a pot on the roll-off on their forum but that's WAY cart before the horse.

Cliff Kane · Post by **Cliff Kane** » 10 Jul 2009 3:38 pm

Chris, I know what you mean. I use an AD9 and sometimes it sounds washed out with the band on stage. Lately I've been using an Akai HeadRush digital delay. It has a high freq roll off, tap tempo, plus the multi-head mode is cool for repeat patterns. It has a looper, too, but it's about twice the size of a Boss pedal (sort of like the DL4). The only Boss delay I have is the RV3....I wish it had a tap tempo and a high freq roll off. It does have a tone control for the reverb, but it doesn't effect the delay. Turning the mix control down seems to be the way to blend the repeats better: a tone control for the repeats would be good. I wonder if AnalogMan does it for the RV3? The Boss DD pedals are pretty cool, though.

Chris LeDrew · Post by **Chris LeDrew** » 11 Jul 2009 2:25 pm

I think the RV-3 would definitely benefit from this mod. The delay repeats and the 'verbs on the Rv03 have too much high end for my taste; I'm curious as to whether this mod would make that pedal more pleasant to the ear.

Jon, I did like the Dan Echo for the high cut feature for sure. But as you mentioned, there is a problem with distorted repeats on that pedal. I forgot about that on the other thread. I stopped using it for acoustic gigs for that reason.