Benson Delay just released

stickyfiddle · October 2023

Dead simple analog-sounding digital (PT2399) delay with modulation and tap tempo including different waveforms and tap subdivisions if you need them

Sounds goooooood... I want one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1jwQmcy17o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqzEwZDUw4g

SOUND
Drawing inspiration from our history in tape and bucket brigade echo servicing, our design goal was
creating floaty and colorful repeats with a chaotic yet musical degradation. That’s the heart of the thing, the whole point.

RANGE
With a 30ms-1250ms range, the Benson delay goes fast enough to do chorus, vibrato and slapback, and slow enough to create blurred and haunted soundscapes, with a whole spectrum of warbly musical sounds in between.

ALIENS
Hold down the tap knob to boost feedback for some self oscillation! Perfect for holding notes out, and especially for making alien invasion noises in tandem with the time knob (within a toe’s reach). Works when the feedback knob is up a bit. Does not introduce unwanted clicking sounds into the signal path. Adjustable via internal trim pot.

WARBLE
The Low Frequency Oscillator has a tremendous range of both speed and depth, as well as sine, square and random waveforms. Does warble, seasick, tape flutter, all the good sounds.

TAP
The Benson Delay has the most accurate tap tempo ever applied to the PT2399 thanks to Bontempo, an open source technology concocted by Antoine Ricoux at Electric Canary, which was then refined and implemented by film colorist Octave Zangs (two geniuses). Each pedal CALIBRATES ITSELF IT’S SO COOL.

SMOOTH
We wanted to avoid the more modern issues of delay design; like the digital jaggedness that can come from adjusting the time control on a digitally clocked device, whether analog or a fully digital simulation (HAS THIS EVER HAPPENED TO YOU?). In other words, let’s not assume the aforementioned aliens have glitchy spaceships.

WOW THE NARRATIVE
The design process was characteristically obsessive and obliquely dysfunctional, so we’ll spare you most of it. Lots of bright people in the industry left their mark in one way or another. Special shout outs to Jack Deville, Bryan Sours and John Snyder. Lessee...after dutifully slogging through the modern bucket brigade scene for a while, we found our paradise in the form of the ubiquitous PT2399. Turns out, when you treat it well, you can get a great sounding delay with a massive range out of it. We utilized a combination of gooey compander chip, analog filtering, and careful gain staging (amp designers are decent at that). We hope you love it.

THE MENU
To access LFO waveform and tap division menu, hold down BYPASS for two seconds, then tap TAP/ HOLD once. BYPASS switch toggles between SINE, SQUARE and RANDOM waveforms, which will blink 1, 2 or 3 times respectively. TAP/HOLD switch toggles through QUARTER, DOTTED EIGHTH, and EIGHTH note tap divisions, and the LED will blink 1, 2 or 3 times (respectively). Hold down BYPASS for two seconds to exit MENU.

Supportact · October 2023

That does look class.

EricTheWeary · October 2023

My YouTube feed has a lot if it. No idea of the price although I’m guessing that once I do I’ll be losing interest but yes lovely delay.

stickyfiddle · October 2023

EricTheWeary said:

My YouTube feed has a lot if it. No idea of the price although I’m guessing that once I do I’ll be losing interest but yes lovely delay.

Benson site says $279, which is a smidge above what the Preamp goes for, so I'm guessing £270 minimum

gatheredinsong · October 2023

Asheville ADG-1... Sending V2... this...

The list of delays I don't need but would really love to try is getting longer.

What a time to be alive.

Musicman20 · October 2023

£270 for that is reasonable! It sounds incredible.

stickyfiddle · October 2023

Musicman20 said:

£270 for that is reasonable! It sounds incredible.

Yeah, it's in the "expensive but not bonkers" for me. Given how much I love the Preamp and Germanium Fuzz I'm highly tempted

Musicman20 · October 2023

This store has some nice stuff!

Benson Amps - Delay Pedal – James' Home of Tone

stickyfiddle · October 2023

Musicman20 said:

This store has some nice stuff!

Benson Amps - Delay Pedal – James' Home of Tone

I'm seeing £240.83 - is that because I'm not paying VAT outside the UK?

stickyfiddle · October 2023

I've been reading about the chip - apparently it's PT2399, which is the same as was used in the EQD Disaster Transport, which was a phenomenal sounding delay that I only sold because it didn't have Tap.

Musicman20 · October 2023

stickyfiddle said:

Musicman20 said:

This store has some nice stuff!

Benson Amps - Delay Pedal – James' Home of Tone

I'm seeing £240.83 - is that because I'm not paying VAT outside the UK?

Possibly!

CFH · October 2023

I have one on order, should arrive by the end of the week. I’ll let you know how I get on! Very exciting: I’ve really been enjoying PT2399 based delays recently, they can be dialled in to have a really gritty texture which it sounds like this has.

AntonHunter · October 2023

stickyfiddle said:

I've been reading about the chip - apparently it's PT2399, which is the same as was used in the EQD Disaster Transport, which was a phenomenal sounding delay that I only sold because it didn't have Tap.

Oh shit, that's a good point. I love the Disaster Transport...

Clecko · October 2023

stickyfiddle said:

I've been reading about the chip - apparently it's PT2399, which is the same as was used in the EQD Disaster Transport, which was a phenomenal sounding delay that I only sold because it didn't have Tap.

JHS did a review of this pedal and loved it. Like LOVED it. He was saying loads of delays have used that chip, but he's never known one sounds like this... chip design... architecture... stuff... (and repeat...)

stickyfiddle · October 2023

Yeah I usually get more annoyment than enjoyment from JHS but I can't argue the man knows his onions.

Everything else Benson have done is awesome, so I have no doubts on this one. Just no hurry when I've just bought new pedals I actually need for gigs and this probably isn't that

Clecko · October 2023

More is more

CaseOfAce · October 2023

Anyone else see the thread title and think "I didn't know George Benson used delay?".

menamestom · October 2023

Sounds good - reminds me of the Memory Lane Junior, albeit with greater modulation control. Although not sure what chip the MLJR used.

Edit:- Just to add, the genius with the mljr was that every setting sounded great. You couldn’t change the modulation or the repeat tones, but they were judged so perfectly you didn’t need to. Also, it sat in a mix perfectly.

stickyfiddle · October 2023

The Memory Lane is the one I’ve never tried that always appealed. And the newest version of that looks ace

Not sure what chip that uses? But it’s described as “digital bucket brigade” so I wouldn’t be at all surprised if it’s the same one

GavRichList · October 2023

Won’t somebody think of the midi clock

stickyfiddle · October 2023

GavRichList said:

Won’t somebody think of the midi clock

NEVER!!!

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Benson Delay just released

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