Clean to Mean Rack Tones 12/27/25

[Anje]

I like to fully run through my old DDLs, being the Lexicon PCM41/42, Roland SDE or Korg SDD 3Ks.
Part of their "specialness" is how their I/O analog stages impact the overall sound, beyond the effect itself.
= when running a pair I usually put them after the whole mixer, and adjust the dry/wet mix on the units themselves.

The TC2290 is one of the classics I've yet to have, been putting that aside for years I don't know why (maybe the price? lol); ifever I'm getting one that would be to run through it as a main "in front of amp" delay and/or stereo split, depending on the rig.

 

[ChurchHill]

That's why I'm looking at the PCM41/42, they do something special just being there and the delays always sit just right in the mix. The SDEs and SDDs are really special, too, just different flavors. I've never had a PCM41/42, though, so it's another one of those bucket list items.

Speaking of those Rolands, I've got a DEP-5 that does some really interesting things. The SRV-2000 is nice, too, another flavor.

With the 2290, I've been using it as a stereo-split and sending the pass-through to send to mix two if I want some dry in the wet cabs. It works really well, although I sometimes feel like I'm not using it to its greatest potential with all of its loops. I think I could build a decent little rack using the 2290 alone as a switcher, but the RJM that I'm using now just makes that redundant in my current rack. I've heard some good simulations that get awfully close to the delays, but nothing that quite captures what it does just passing signal through it. Those analog I/O stages, in most all everything from that era, really do some magic.