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MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delay Review

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MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delay Review

Have you ever experienced walking into a guitar shop with the intention to purchase a particular item but actually walking out with something different? I’ve experienced this a few times over the years, the most recent being about 4 months ago when I intended to purchase a distortion unit but found myself walking out of the shop clasping an MXR Carbon Copy instead.

Features:

MXR Carbon Copy Analog DelayThe MXR Carbon Copy delay pedal is compact in size which really appeals to me. I don’t use a pedal board anymore so any space I can save in my “equipment case” the better. When I did use a pedal board though, the Carbon Copy fitted perfectly and I could easily attach the pedal to the board with the use of Velcro –something I couldn’t easily achieve with the H2O V2 echo pedal (mainly due to the size & weight).

Three control knobs are available: Delay time, Mix (how present the delay is in the sound) and Regen (which is essentially the amount of repeats). There’s an additional “modulation” button on the top of the unit and if engaged adds a very subtle chorus-esque effect. You also have the ability to adjust the modulation width & rate but this requires opening the unit up and adjusting two internal trim pots but this isn’t something I’m really too fussed about (but it’s nice to know it’s there).

Ease of use:

Within seconds I had a delay sound that’s exactly what I require for my needs and tastes.

Sound quality:

The sound quality of the Carbon Copy is the main reason I purchased the pedal. When playing through a clean setting, the analog style delay that’s produced is very warm – I know that sounds like a cliché but it really is the word to use in this instance. It’s also really flexible, allowing you to go from a subtle slap sound right through to nasty degrading echo sounds, somewhat reminiscent of “OK Computer” era Radiohead.

I use the pedal in the effects loop of a Marshall Vintage/Modern combo and the only thing I had to adjust a few times was the Mix control; I had to knock it back to around 9’Oclock. This is because I use the pedal for around 90% of my playing time purely to fatten up the overall sound, using the same settings for rhythm and lead work, so reducing the Mix control was essential to ensure the overall sound wasn’t muddied for any chord/arpeggio work. Sometimes at home though I adjust the Mix and the Regen settings for those “space rock” solo moments!

The other delay pedal that’s catching my eye at the moment is the Dunlop reissue of the Way Huge Aqua Puss – I don’t know much about it at this stage but there’d have definitely been a pedal shoot out in the guitar store if they had one of each. It looks equally as good as the MXR Carbon copy.

Reliability:

So far so good – it looks like a solid bit of kit.

Overall rating:

This pedal literally took me by surprise. I walked into Absolute Music Solutions looking for a distortion pedal but left with the MXR Carbon Copy. It’s the only delay pedal I use at the moment and it’s been in my rig for a few months. I’m happy that it’s small in size and although I don’t even use the “modulation” option, it’s nice to know it’s there. The MXR Carbon Copy is a great little pedal that adds a warm and flexible delay to your sound.

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About the author:

Sam is passionate about talking all things guitar related and started GuitarJar.co.uk to help encourage all guitarists in their guitar playing journey.

1 Comment

  • The shootout video is great! Loving the Moog and Empress delay pedals too, but they are so expensive!

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