10 Best Delay Pedals 2024 | Audio Engineer Reviewed

When it comes to guitar pedals, it's hard to find a company more influential than Boss. Not only do they produce a full range of effects, but each one seems to be incredible. It's an amazing ability to stay so consistent. So as you'd expect, the latest in their delay line, the DD-8, is just as much a treat as their others. 

It comes with a bunch of different modes (presets) that range from crystal clears to modulated echoes. It's easy to sync thanks to the tap tempo, but best of all it's easy to use thanks to the intuitive interface. This is an ultra-powerful and compact pedal that has something to offer everyone from beginner to pro, and for that reason, it takes our number 1 spot. 

The Deluxe Memory Boy Analog Delay is the latest in a long line of Memory Man products from Electro Harmonix. The reason the company have managed to produce such a long line is because they're well-loved, and continue to push the boundaries of what analogue delay pedals can do. 

For example, this pedal comes with timing subdivisions so you can delay in different timings, as well as offering true or buffered bypass to give you more flexibility when it comes to the signal chain. But the main attraction is the tap tempo, which will be a welcome addition for those analogue lovers. 

If you're looking for an extremely powerful and high-performance delay pedal, then this flagship model from Boss will grab your attention as it can do pretty much anything. It comes stacked with 12 different styles of delay as presets, as well as the capability of adding your own and tweaking the ones that are already there. 

On top of that, you have the tap tempo, exact time and most importantly, astonishing tones and sounds. It can be a little complex for the newbies out there, but if you want ultimate customisation, then you'd be hard-pressed to find a delay pedal that offers more control than this beast.

As you'd expect from the name, the Behringer VD400 focuses on creating classic delay tones from yesteryear, when, in fact, players wouldn't have had pedals. Instead, they would have relied on their studio wizardry.

The pedal is pretty straightforward to use and comes with three simple dials that allow for a respectable amount of customisation to the tone and sound shaping. By far the greatest asset, though, is the price. This is a brilliant option for anyone who isn't sure whether they'll use delay and want to dip their toes in before fully committing. 

It feels like the aim of the game from TC Electronic was to make an affordable delay pedal that had versatility and a do-it-all attitude. We're glad to say that they succeeded. This pedal has a small footprint, which is crazy considering some of the modern technology they've managed to cram in there.

Our favourite new feature is the TonePrint which allows users to beam presets into the pedal from their phone and via the pickups in the guitar. If that's a bit too space-age, you can use the USB at the back. It also comes in two different sizes, the Flashback Mini or the X4, which have fewer or more features respectively. 

JHS is a company known for producing top-quality guitar pedals, albeit expensive ones. So, imagine the surprise when late last year they released a full line of budget pedals. For most guitarists, that came as fantastic news. 

Yes, this pedal forgoes some of the convenient features such as tap tempo, but you do get the choice of both digital and analogue, which is impressive for the price range. Most importantly, the pedal creates big delay sounds while remaining pretty intuitive to use, meaning you'll spend less time dialling in and more time composing music. 

MXR was co-founded in 1974, and they're considered one of the most influential pedal companies. The Carbon Copy Delay is one of those pedals that keeps their name firmly on the map.

When it comes to this stompbox, you're forgiving fancy bells and whistles and instead focusing on the tone, which many users describe as organic, subtle and lush. From a playability standpoint, it might lack timing features, but the dials are pretty big which makes it easier to operate when on stage. Players have even been known to use their toes!

If you're umming and ahhing over whether you should choose a digital or analogue sound, why not pick up a pedal that can do both? Enter the Eventide Rose. This pedal has six knobs that let you take control of the EQ, so combine that with the digital and analogue settings and you have a wealth of different sounds at your disposal. 

Furthermore, there are five banks which can be stored with presets, utilised by the Hotswitch. Again, this is a pricey pedal, but we think it would be fair to say that if you did purchase this, you'll likely never need another delay pedal again. 

This is the follow up the original Panther Club, which was hugely successful in its own right. However, this time around, JHS has taken the most-loved bits from the original and paired them with some new improvements. For instance, they've kept the dark and chewy repeats that analogue fans love, but made the pedal half the size. 

Alongside this, the pedal has a fully wet mix, allowing for smooth spills like sounds and oscillations. Due to JHS being considered a boutique pedal company, and the fact these are all hand-made, you're going to pay more than the average. Still, you won't see it on many other players' boards often. 

First up is this offering from prominent pedal manufacturers Strymon. It has a range of different and fascinating delays to dial in, as well as a unique dual delay option. These two delays can be played simultaneously to create a huge, atmospheric sound that isn't an option on many other delay pedals. 

When it comes to this, and many other Strymon pedals, it's hard to find any real negatives, although the price is sure to be off-putting for some casual players who are still figuring out whether they even want to use this effect.