Electro-Harmonix Nano Deluxe Memory Man review

When Electro-Harmonix melded modulation with analog delay in a single pedal back in the late 1970s, they were definitely on to something. The resulting Deluxe Memory Man, as used by the Edge to craft the early U2 sound and by many other players since, has to be one of the most revered of all delay pedals.

Now, while the DMM and various derivatives have long been in the EHX roster, this latest version may be the most radical revision of it yet as the company has managed to shoehorn its essence into one of their nano enclosures. What’s more, they’ve even expanded its facilities to include separate rate and depth knobs for the modulation.

With delay times running from 30ms to over half a second, there’s plenty of practical applications for the pedal whether you're looking for a rockabilly slapback, Edge-style rhythmic repeats or some spacey background delays to help lead lines soar. 

This has the typical BBD analog delay vibe with the repeats sitting snugly with the dry sound and melting away naturally over time, but the modulation takes things to another level, whether just adding a whisper of tape echo swimminess, creating a more ethereal and extensive soundscape with some rich chorus movement, or dialling in deeper rotary speaker and vibrato effects.

There’s also more variation to be had via the Level knob, which doesn't control output level like you might expect, but adjusts the input to the pedal – something which can manifest itself as gritty drive as well as a boost.

Okay, it’s mono only, has small closely packed knobs and no tap tempo facility, but the DMM is all about the sound, and this mini-me nails those familiar vintage tones while wrapping them up in a practical package that could slot into the smallest pedalboard.

Specs

• PRICE: $203 / £179
• ORIGIN: USA
• TYPE: Analog delay pedal with modulation
• FEATURES: Selectable true bypass or buffered bypass with tails, delay times from 30mS to 550mS
• CONTROLS: Blend, Feedback, Delay, Level, Rate, Depth, internal Tails switch, Bypass footswitch
• CONNECTIONS: Standard input, standard output
• POWER: Supplied 9V DC adaptor 150mA
• DIMENSIONS: 70 (w) x 111 (d) x 50 mm (h)
• CONTACT: Electro-Harmonix