Boss DM-2W
Some of the best analogue delay sounds on the market.
The original DM-2 is one of the most popular analog delay pedals of all time, despite being discontinued in the 80s. It was the first pedal to utilize the bucket brigade chip, leading to some very unique tonal characteristics. The DM-2W reissue takes the same recipe, improves consistency and reliability and adds a new custom mode to the mix.
This reissue is better than the original in every way. The circuit has been improved to significantly lower the amount of noise - a common complaint against early Boss pedals. The tonal characteristics of the bucket brigade chip, however, have stayed completely intact. You get a very dark and warm sound from your delays, degrading the clarity with every repeat.
Following the same layout as the original, the Repeat Rate knob controls the delay time. You get 20-300 milliseconds of delay in the Standard mode and 40-800 ms in the Custom mode. Increasing the repeat rate will also accelerate the signal degradation, leading to some very wonky delay sounds. The Intensity knob controls feedback or the number of repeats. Turning it to the right, essentially, gives you more delay. And, finally, dialling in more Echo will increase the volume of the effect.
The Custom mode, in addition to giving you more delay time, will clean up the repeats a little. You will get a clearer, more modern signal. It still won’t get you digital delay clarity, though, and that is a good thing!
Overall, the DM-2W is very versatile. You can get really cool slapback sounds by turning up the Repeat Rate and turning down the Intensity. Turn the Repeat Rate all the way down and reduce the Echo a bit, and you are ready to play Holiday in Cambodia!
Max out the intensity and keep the Echo at noon. Strum a chord and fiddle with the Rate knob for some really out there pitch shifting.
You get two outputs for the wet and dry signals, in case you want to run the direct signal through other effects or for recording purposes.
Connecting an expression pedal lets you control the Repeat Rate. This is by far my favourite way to use the pedal. Digital delays and modellers can mimic the signal degradation pretty well, at least in my experience. Changing the delay Rate, however, never produces quite the same effect as with the DM-2W. With some practice, you can get this pedal to behave almost like a Digitech Whammy pitch shifter!
Bottom Line
Boss really nailed analog delay with the DM-2W. In addition to an excellent reissue with much less noise, you get a new custom mode with more clarity and longer delays. Connecting an expression pedal further expands the capabilities of this unit.
The only issue here is the price. Boss’ main competitor, the MXR Carbon Copy, is about £40 cheaper and comes with a modulation option, and, for similar money, you can buy the Carbon Copy Deluxe with additional features and tap tempo. You might also consider the TC Electronic Flashback, which, while lacking the charm of a true analog delay, comes with far more features for a lot less money.