T-Rex Replay Box review

A delay without the decay

  • £179
  • €236
  • $329
The tap tempo and subdivision toggle-switch help set this compact delay apart from the crowd

MusicRadar Verdict

A practical delay that makes the most of the compact format.

Pros

  • +

    Clever design work means you get big features in a very small package.

Cons

  • -

    Battery life isn't great, so it's best saved for emergency use. Let the mains take the strain!

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The Replay Box is the same size as the other pedals in T-Rex's new Chinese-made range, but is presented sideways with all four sockets (it can be used in stereo as well as mono) on the rear edge and a pair of decently spaced footswitches.

"The pedal spits out a seemingly unadulterated version of what you put into it"

There are the usual knobs to set the wet/dry mix, number of repeats and delay time, plus a knob to set output volume.

Two things set this apart from other compact delay pedals: a massive three seconds of delay time and a tap tempo with a subdivision switch so you can call up quarter notes, triplets or U2-style dotted eighth delays in sync with your drummer.

While many manufacturers are going back to analogue BBD chips and a slightly degraded sound for the repeats, this is a digital delay with clean repeats: the pedal spits out a seemingly unadulterated version of what you put into it, which sits nicely with the resolutely analogue dry signal.

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.