MXR Carbon Copy Delay Review

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 4 Mar 2011 2:42 pm

Here's a link to my review of this great sounding but somewhat unreliable stomp box.

http://www.gregcutshaw.com/MXR%20Carbon ... 0Copy.html

Greg[/img]

Brian McGaughey · Post by **Brian McGaughey** » 4 Mar 2011 6:08 pm

I had one for awhile and I loved the chorused or modulated delay and the soft attack like an echoplex, but it had a gritiness to it that once I heard, I couldn't overlook. I used it Guitar>VP>Delay>Amp.

Seems like it would work well for a 6 stringer who has tone that's a little hairy already and didn't mind the less-than-perfectly-clean tone. All my opinions and experiences. Yours might be different.

Thanks for all the time you take to share your experiences with us, Greg.

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 4 Mar 2011 7:44 pm

Brian, agreed, it's certainly not high fidelity. But it seems to produce a super fat and smooth sound that I can't get out of any of my digital delays.

I fixed the steel sound samples so that they play now!

Greg

Jay Fagerlie · Post by **Jay Fagerlie** » 5 Mar 2011 8:30 am

So Greg,
What is the un-reliable part of this box?
I read everything in your review...I musta missed something.

Jay

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 5 Mar 2011 9:11 am

Jay, the newer ones might now be OK but between this forum and Musicians Friend there's an unusually high history of reported failures, for example:

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... arbon+copy

Greg

Jay Fagerlie · Post by **Jay Fagerlie** » 5 Mar 2011 9:36 am

Thanks Greg, now I understand

Jay

David Nugent · Post by **David Nugent** » 5 Mar 2011 10:30 am

A guitar player I was working with bought one of the very early models and it failed, was told the cause was a batch of defective on/off buttons. He returned it and so far the replacement has functioned flawlessly...Mine was purchased over a year ago and has also held up well under constant use. (I bought a second unit a few months ago as a backup, but now do not see the need and it is currently posted in the "For Sale" section).

mike nolan · Post by **mike nolan** » 5 Mar 2011 1:33 pm

Had an early one fail, replaced it and no problems since. I use 2 on the pedalboard.....

Bob Snelgrove · Post by **Bob Snelgrove** » 16 Oct 2011 8:59 am

Greg

Does this eat 9v batteries like most analog delays?

Is it true bypass?

thx

bob

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 16 Oct 2011 10:06 am

Bob, I don't use batteries in any of my pedals anymore and have given up using that as a criteria for liking them. I have everything powered up by universal adapters that are as quiet as a church mouse. No hum, no power supply noise and no batteries to replace or recharge.

This pedal has true hardwired bypass. You can put an ohmmeter from input to output and get continuity in off mode. However there is always some loss in even in true bypass pedals. Even with a direct connection from input to output there are at least two loss factors involved. One is the additional cable and 2 connectors required to add the pedal to the signal chain. In the case of a 6" George L's cable with 2 connectors you are looking at about 15pF of capacitance, not a lot. There is also some capacitance added due to the coupling between the signal and ground wires as they pass through the pedal which bleeds off some highs. It is impossible to achieve true hardwired bypass without adding capacitance to the setup although this can be greatly minimized and is a lot less signal destruction than the non bypass pedals. Put a capacitance meter on the input of a true bypass pedal in bypass mode and you will see some capacitance. (Soap Box now deactivated).

Greg

Bob Snelgrove · Post by **Bob Snelgrove** » 16 Oct 2011 10:26 am

Greg Cutshaw wrote:Bob, I don't use batteries in any of my pedals anymore and have given up using that as a criteria for liking them. I have everything powered up by universal adapters that are as quiet as a church mouse. No hum, no power supply noise and no batteries to replace or recharge.

This pedal has true hardwired bypass. You can put an ohmmeter from input to output and get continuity in off mode. However there is always some loss in even in true bypass pedals. Even with a direct connection from input to output there are at least two loss factors involved. One is the additional cable and 2 connectors required to add the pedal to the signal chain. In the case of a 6" George L's cable with 2 connectors you are looking at about 15pF of capacitance, not a lot. There is also some capacitance added due to the coupling between the signal and ground wires as they pass through the pedal which bleeds off some highs. It is impossible to achieve true hardwired bypass without adding capacitance to the setup although this can be greatly minimized and is a lot less signal destruction than the non bypass pedals. Put a capacitance meter on the input of a true bypass pedal in bypass mode and you will see some capacitance. (Soap Box now deactivated).

Greg

Thanks, Greg

After hearing your sound demos, I ordered one from Amazon $118/shipped. I don't like the clutter from adapters,etc. I have an 80's Ibanez AD-9 and have found that 9V lithium batteries are amazing!

thx

bob

Brian Hunter · Post by **Brian Hunter** » 16 Oct 2011 2:34 pm

Should have gotten one of these.

Bob Snelgrove · Post by **Bob Snelgrove** » 16 Oct 2011 2:55 pm

Brian Hunter wrote:Should have gotten one of these.

Even if it's superior to the ad-9, I still needed modulation

bob

Brian Hunter · Post by **Brian Hunter** » 16 Oct 2011 3:03 pm

Gotcha. I was being jokey anyway.

Bob Snelgrove · Post by **Bob Snelgrove** » 16 Oct 2011 3:06 pm

Brian Hunter wrote:Gotcha. I was being jokey anyway.

I've never seen one of those. Figured it had to be a closet classic!

Brian Hunter · Post by **Brian Hunter** » 16 Oct 2011 3:10 pm

It is. Best a/d I have ever heard. Inherited from a dead friend last year.

Bob Snelgrove · Post by **Bob Snelgrove** » 19 Oct 2011 7:19 am

Greg

Can you use the modulation feature regardless of the delay settings or is it tied to the delay level?

bob

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 19 Oct 2011 7:51 am

Bob, you only get MOD effects when the delay is engaged and I belive the MOD is on the echo signal only with the dry signal unchanged.

Greg

Bob Snelgrove · Post by **Bob Snelgrove** » 19 Oct 2011 7:59 am

Greg Cutshaw wrote:Bob, you only get MOD effects when the delay is engaged and I belive the MOD is on the echo signal only with the dry signal unchanged.

Greg

So, if the delay is on but all the way down, will you still get mod?

Also, could you post your settings?

thx

bob

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 19 Oct 2011 10:42 am

As I recall with the MIX all the way counterclockwise there will be no MOD. In other words you can't use it as a Chorus pedal. I never wrote down my settings but they vary greatly depending on the tempo of the song and how transparent I want the echo to be. Generally for slow songs I set it for one repeat, repeat volume 30 to 80% of dry signal and delay about 350ms or a third of a second.

Greg

Bob Farlow · Post by **Bob Farlow** » 22 Oct 2011 6:12 am

Has anyone tried the Maxon AD999 Pro? Expensive, but the specs are quite good. I would like to try one, but I can't justify buying one without knowing more about it.

Bob Snelgrove · Post by **Bob Snelgrove** » 22 Oct 2011 6:38 am

Greg Cutshaw wrote:As I recall with the MIX all the way counterclockwise there will be no MOD. In other words you can't use it as a Chorus pedal. I never wrote down my settings but they vary greatly depending on the tempo of the song and how transparent I want the echo to be. Generally for slow songs I set it for one repeat, repeat volume 30 to 80% of dry signal and delay about 350ms or a third of a second.

Greg

Very impressed the first night! Transparent, warm but not muddy. Here is my setting; very subtle.

bob

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