Exclusive lessons, interviews, presales and features from the GW archive
Curated Newsletters
Handpicked guitar news, lessons and gear highlights
Early Access
Our biggest stories will go to Backstage Pass holders first
Achievements
Unlock badges as you learn and explore
Join the Conversation
Connect with fellow GW fans across the globe
Tailored For You
Lessons, gear and stories picked for you
Sign up to Guitar World Backstage Pass
For the quickest way to join, enter your email below. We’ll send a confirmation email and sign you up to Guitar World newsletters with the latest news, gear reviews, lessons and exclusive offers.
Join Backstage Pass for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.
By submitting your information, you confirm you are aged 16 or over,
have read our
Privacy Policy
and agree to the
Terms & Conditions. Geographical rules apply.
“If you're looking for a no-fuss delay pedal for everyday repeats, this is the one to beat”: Mad Professor Deep Blue Delay review
It's compact, high-quality, with an easy-to-use control setup that makes it a no-brainer for your 'board
The Deep Blue Delay is typical of Mad Professor's lineup. It's compact, high-quality, with an easy-to-use control setup that makes it a no-brainer for your 'board.
Pros
+
Compact size.
+
Great sounds.
+
Ergonomic knobs.
+
Simple control surface.
Cons
-
Side-mounted outputs.
-
Some players might want tap tempo.
You can trust Guitar World
Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing guitar products so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
There’s a refreshing simplicity about an old-school delay pedal with just three knobs. It might be anathema to anyone who relies on a tap tempo footswitch to set their delay times, but it can sit on your ’board and do a variety of bread-and-butter delay tasks with a minimum of fuss.
That’s exactly where the Deep Blue Delay is pitched. There aren’t the huge long delays you’d get from some pedals, but most (or maybe all) you’d need a delay pedal to do can be found in its range from 25ms to 450ms.
At the lower end of the scale, there’s some cool doubling if you turn up the Level to sit the repeat with the dry sound, which incidentally remains analogue on its passage through the pedal. Add a bit of the Repeat (feedback knob) and you can conjure up some lo-fi reverb.
Beyond all that, there are some great slapback sounds and practical longer delays. Mad Professor has used filtering to voice the repeats to sound like a tape echo, and the progressive change in the tonal content of the repeats makes them blend superbly with guitar sound.
Trevor Curwen has played guitar for several decades – he's also mimed it on the UK's Top of the Pops. Much of his working life, though, has been spent behind the mixing desk, during which time he has built up a solid collection of the guitars, amps and pedals needed to cover just about any studio session. He writes pedal reviews for Guitarist and has contributed to Total Guitar, MusicRadar and Future Music among others.
