lunastone Dynamic Delay
Some of that old TC 2290 magic revisited in a compact-sized pedal
Denmark’s LunaStone has so far specialised in dirt and boost pedals but has now diversified into new territory with the release of the Dynamic Delay, a deceptively simple delay pedal with a couple of cool tricks.
It’s no surprise that LunaStone should move in this direction: the company is staffed by several former employees of TC Electronic, known for its classy digital studio effects as well as its pedals. That TC connection is strong in that the Dynamic Delay is partly based on the TC Electronic 2290 digital delay, a rackmount unit from the 1980s found in studios throughout the world but also embraced by guitar players for its musical sound and features that included a dynamic delay function.
This new pedal has a digital delay algorithm at its core, with the advantage of longer delay times and tap tempo, but LunaStone founder and head engineer, Steen Grøntved, was keen to “create a digital delay that captures some of the analogue magic”, so he has combined that with an analogue mix circuit that’s designed to “preserve the dynamics, gain warmth and softness”.
IN USE
The Dynamic Delay takes the same distinctive form factor as LunaStone’s TrueOverDrive 1 and 2, Distortion 1, Red Fuzz 1, Blue Drive 1 and Smooth Drive 1 pedals with knobs placed diagonally across the pedal and a large LED (this time in bright blue) that leaves you in no doubt that the pedal is active. Different from the dirt pedals, though, is the dual footswitch configuration with a tap tempo switch besides the standard Bypass. Two footswitches might be unusual for a pedal of this size, but LunaStone has set them sufficiently apart so even the clumsiest clogger should be able to target them separately without mishaps.
The Time knob is actually a rotary encoder offering continuous movement. As such it functions as a fine-tuner when used in conjunction with the tap tempo, but you can also dial in a delay time using solely this control. We found that it took about three revolutions to change the delay time from its minimum to maximum value, which lets you make much finer adjustments than you would with a normal end-stop to end-stop knob travel. Another cool feature is that the Time knob doubles as a switch to set the pedal’s bypass mode; a single press toggles the mode between
true bypass where the repeats are cut stone dead when you operate the bypass footswitch, and buffered bypass that lets the repeats continue and die away naturally. Considering that some pedals only let you set up such a ‘trails’ function via internal DIP switches, this instant switching is most welcome, especially as you can easily carry it out with your foot.
On that subject, the two knobs you’re most likely to adjust besides delay time – Mix (100 per cent dry to 100 per cent wet) and Repeat (feedback) – are each at the end of the diagonal array, making a quick tweak with your foot a distinct possibility.
SOUNDS
Sonically, there’s a pleasant warmth to the repeats, not quite out and out dark and edgy like some analogue delays but far from the sterility that ‘digital’ might suggest. The sound and feel of the delay is further adjusted by the feature that gives the pedal its name.
The Dyn (dynamics) knob engages a compressor, effectively bringing in a ducking effect that’s designed to subdue the delay sound when playing harder while allowing the repeats to come through when you play more softly or stop. This offers a degree of player interaction that can be exploited in performance. It’s not an in-your-face effect where the delays suddenly sweep in from nowhere; it’s quite transparent in its action, subtle and musical, so much so that we preferred to have it on all the time. This is because it also has the effect of tightening up how a chain of repeats fades away – more akin to a tape or analogue delay.
VERDICT
Not everyone needs or wants those complex pedals with a myriad of delay types, tap tempo divisions and so on. Sometimes a straightforward delay is the way to go and this one may just be the perfect choice as it enhances that ‘simple’ archetype with a few well-chosen practical features that are there if you want them but unobtrusive if you don’t. What’s more, it has a lovely tonality and in most instances you won’t need to take your hands away from the guitar to use it. PROS Compact size; tap tempo; great sound; instant switching to trails mode; long delay times CONS We like it just as it is, but some might have preferred switchable modulation as found in the MXR Carbon Copy