NOPD: Boss DD3 Japan

nigelpkay

Active member
New old pedal day! Found a Boss DD3 made in Japan version from 1990 in a local used gear shop. I swear it looks barely played for something 30+ years old. Was excited to hook it up and play it side by side against a newer 2008 Taiwan version I have.

Wow it was very different, warmer, more musical, more analog sounding. Had the mojo for sure in whatever chips they were using back then.

Now I’m eager to find a MIJ SD-1 to compare against my Waza SD-1. But I don’t know if I want to deal with those older ACA powered pedals. This DD3 was a PSA thankfully. I know there’s ways around it but not sure it’s worth the hassle. And the Waza SD-1 is already MIJ :LOL:

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Do these old delays feel more dynamic too? Even in an FX loop, I'm not a fan of how many modern digital delays squash the dynamics. In comparison, an analog delay in a loop can be more dynamic and interactive with your playing. But there's probably more factors involved in that such as headroom and what voltage the units are running at.
 
dd-2's and 3's are my fav no bullshit delay pedals. only reason i don't own one right now, is because i'm using the eventide micro pitch delay, but for the last 20 years or so prior, there was always a dd2 or dd 3 in my loop.
 
Do these old delays feel more dynamic too? Even in an FX loop, I'm not a fan of how many modern digital delays squash the dynamics. In comparison, an analog delay in a loop can be more dynamic and interactive with your playing. But there's probably more factors involved in that such as headroom and what voltage the units are running at.
The only thing I can compare it to is that it sounds less “clinical” than the modern one. There’s more of a warm analog wash in the way it gels together as I’m playing. It just inspires me more. When I switched to the newer one, I felt less connected and inspired because it just sounded and felt more clinical in the delay trails. The vintage one is still a digital delay of course, but it just sounded and felt more natural and musical than the newer one.
 
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