Xvive Memory Analog Delay review

A box of vintage delay from Xvive

  • £109
  • €101
Reviews
By
( )
published

MusicRadar Verdict

Familiar vintage analogue delay sounds in a reasonably sized (and priced) box.

Pros

  • +

    Good value. Great sounds.

Cons

  • -

    Very few.

MusicRadar's got your back Our team of expert musicians and producers spends hours testing products to help you choose the best music-making gear for you. Find out more about how we test.

One of the most well-respected of vintage analogue delay pedals, the Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man is where the Xvive Memory Analog Delay - from the original DMM designer, Howard Davis - takes its inspiration.

It builds on the original while using Xvive's own long-time-in-development proprietary version of Panasonic's MN3005 BBD chip that powered it.

With mono or stereo output, the pedal offers up to 600ms of delay time and has two footswitches, the extra one bringing in modulation set by the Speed and Depth knobs. Delay time, feedback and dry/ wet blend are all adjustable (delay time with an expression pedal if desired), while an input 'Drive' knob can dial in a lovely degree of extra grit.

With delay time right down, you can conjure up cool chorus and rotary speaker sounds, but the main attraction is a great delay sound with repeats that blend naturally with your tone as they melt away, with or without a little extra warble or shimmer from the modulation.

Trevor Curwen

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.