ADG-1

100% Analog Delay / 16-700ms time range w/ modulation

The ADG-1 is a marriage of vintage audio processing techniques and advanced, high-tech electronics. It is designed using modern, quality components for uncompromising sound, features, and reliability. We started with a high voltage 15V power supply powering a pair of studiograde MN3005 BBDs, unlike the lower cost MN320x pedal-grade BBDs found in most stompboxes. We then added a special blend of two tightly tuned high-Q 5th order anti-alias and reconstruction filters, VCA feedback control, a unique 5-amp high current BBD driver, and an analog clock with exponential modulation technology to obtain unprecedented sound, richness, clean tails, and true fractional delay in a compact footprint.

TIME: The TIME knob adjusts the delay time from 35ms to 700ms. If you change the delay time while playing, you will also notice a pitch change as the signal currently captured in the BBDs is spit out faster or slower, therefore compressing or expanding the delay time. This is how analog delays make that great pitch-up or dive-bomb sound. Try playing with a short delay with lots of feedback then quickly turning the knob clockwise for massive dive bombs.

BUCKET SWITCH: selects whether the sound you are hearing travels through 1 or 2 BBDs (4096 or 8192 stages) and so halves or doubles the delay time (17-350ms vs 35ms – 700ms). While there clearly is some overlap in the settings, as you can often get the same delay time from either setting, the tone is slightly different in each, so you may prefer one position over the other. In general, use the down position for long reverberant delays. Use the up position for more sparkly shimmering delays, or when doing chorus or flange-like sounds.

FEEDBACK: The FEEDBACK knob affects how much post TONE delayed signal is fed back into the buckets. This affects the number of repeats and the fade-out time. Past around 3:00, it puts the ADG-1 into self-oscillation for some wild swishing sounds that change as you move the TIME knob. Try it out, get lost. Come back after and read the next section.

DRIVE: The DRIVE knob provides up to +23dB of drive and level matching as well as some attenuation for hot input signals. Unity gain is around 9:00. Try cranking it for some soft clipping & limiting, or to drive the BBDs hard. The DRIVE affects both the wet and dry signals but each has a separate limiter with a different knee and threshold.

MIX: The MIX knob provides a cross-faded wet/dry mix between the delayed and clean tone. To make it easier to adjust and less tweaky, this knob does not go 100% wet or dry but very close. It gets to almost 100% wet with only a slight “ghost” dry signal but does not approach as close to fully dry so you will still hear a slight delay sound in the mix. This is to make the knob easier to adjust and dial in an exact MIX. Note: If you are applying a sustained steady pitch to the ADG-1 and have the MIX knob set near 12:00, you may find that the direct and delayed signals alternately reinforce and cancel each other in rapid succession as the DELAY TIME is varied. This is a normal result of mixing a steady pitch with a delayed replica of itself. This phase cancelation is the analog delay equivalent of “standing waves” in a reverberant room.

TONE: The TONE knob is a new touch on tonal control for his delays. It is a modified, non-symmetrical, “tilt type” filter with a soft curve and center flat position. It provides both high pass and low pass control with a knee around 605Hz. It is placed after the buckets and INSIDE the feedback loop, hence used to make each repeat sound progressively different with each repetition. You may use it either in Low Pass mode to make the sound fold under your playing, or in high pass mode to make each repeat punch and stand out with a bright, metallic sound.

RATE: The RATE knob adjusts the speed or rate of modulation from about 0.08Hz to 40Hz (wider range via control voltages). Lower settings provide a slow whoosh or a rhythmic pitch shift. Medium speeds are a chorus like effect while faster rates provide a gargle, bubble, or vibrato sound.

AMOUNT: The AMOUNT knob controls the range of pitch movement at the speed of the LFO, or the amount of effect. Use low amounts for subtle shimmer and larger amounts for octave or greater pitch shifts or spaceship warbles. LFO SHAPE SWITCH: Selects a slewed square wave(up), a rounded triangle wave (down) or off (center). At higher speeds the shape becomes more and more rounded or slewed. Use triangle wave for traditional
gradual ramped modulation and square waves for rapid pitch jumps above and below the note played.

UNDER THE HOOD SWITCHES

If you carefully remove the 4 screws holding the cover on to the back of your ADG-1 you will see 2 switches underneath the jack board on the edges of the PCB. These are the ONLY user accessible options on your ADG-1. They select two functional options for the pedal’s behavior. Do not adjust any of the carefully calibrated factory set trim pots.

TRUE BYPASS / BUFFERED BYPASS: Use this switch, on the left side of the jack board, to select true bypass (Default) or buffered bypass. In true bypass when the effect is not engaged the input is coupled directly to the output and does not pass through any electronics. If you have loading, tone or noise issues from long cable runs select buffered bypass to use the internal JFET as a simple buffered output with approximately 4K ohm
output impedance. Buffered bypass may have a slight gain loss depending on the impedance match. This is normal.

MOD / TAILS: Use this switch to select if the 2nd stomp switch acts as a modulation kill switch (default) or engages Tails mode. See above for an explanation of how these two modes behave.