Endangered Audio AD4096 Analog Delay

Submitted on June 24, 2010

Endangered Audio's latest project, the AD4096, is a hand-built analog delay with features that elevate it beyond your garden-variety 3-knob delays. With the flick of a switch, you can choose between true bypass or spillover, allowing you to stop your delays dead (in true bypass) or let them carry over into your next phrase (with spillover). Engaging the infinity switch is like turning the Depth knob all the way up instantaneously. Once you lift your foot off the momentary switch, the depth knob takes over again and the signal is subdued to its original setting. The LED, normally red, turns green when you step on the switch to indicate that you have just engaged infinity.

With the Time knob, you can take your sound from boxy, bathroom-like reverb at 20ms all the way up to a full 300ms of delay. The Depth, Delay, and Echo knobs are all very interactive with one another. Turning up the Delay knob, you'll notice a familiar smooth and creamy analog delay sound. Set the Delay knob relatively low and the Echo knob much higher, you'll find the character has changed to resemble darker, tape-based delays, with harmonic "glitter" or "sparkle" added to the delayed signal. Subtle blending of the Echo and Delay knob gives you a large tonal palette with lots of flexibility - so much that it's like having two delays in one!

Set the Delay and Echo knob up together, and you'll realize that the "Echoed" delay comes back just a fraction of a second later than the first, so that what you're really hearing is a lo-fi "echo" of the delay. The effect is subtle, but totally unique to the AD4096. Also, unlike many delays, both analog and digital, it is very easy to set the AD4096 so that is sounds like it is constantly self-oscillating with feedback without the signal getting carried away and blowing up your amp. This allows you to play lines over a swirling, churning background of delayed signals.

In addition to all of those features, the AD4096 also has an always-on buffered direct out. This allows you to send your dry signal to a seperate pedal chain without any loading.

The AD4096 owes its heritage to the Boss DM-3, though we cannot stress enough that it is NOT a clone! The AD4096 sounds very different and it has expanded tonal possibilities. The Coolaudio chips we use for the BBD and clock are clones of the Panasonic chipsets used in the DM-3 (and, to our ears, sound very "cool" indeed - so much for the N.O.S. voodoo!).

If you've been looking for the most tonally versatile analog delay out there, then you've just found it: the AD4096 by Endangered Audio Research.

The AD4096 features 100% analog circuitry and is hand-built and assembled right here in our shop. We use only through-hole components, and we make an effort to source environmentally-friendly components whenever possible. Our knobs are all high quality custom-made in the USA. We also have all of our boxes powdercoated locally here in Asheville, NC.

Features:

20-300ms of analog delay
Direct out
Switch for True Bypass or Spillover
Momentary "Infinity" switch that shoots the Depth to 100% and also turns the normally red LED to green
Two different delay controls - "Delay" and "Echo" each with their own distinct characteristics
High quality plate-through-hole circuitboard that is made to last
Durable Metalphoto control faceplate - will withstand years of abuse
Large, custom-made knobs that invite tweaking
Locally powdercoated aluminum enclosure
Hand-built and assembled in our shop to assure total quality control
Footprint: 5.3" by 4.3"

Price: $375.00