Description
Age is beautiful. But it’s also unpredictable. The Duplo is our tribute to the days before clean, pristine delay effects, where no two units sounded the same and it was always better to repair than replace. Because there’s no substitute for character. Even if that meant hauling a heavy tape machine to and from every gig.
Times have changed, but the Duplo keeps one foot firmly in the era of embracing the unexpected. Even if it’s using the other to step firmly into a brave new world.
We love vintage delay units. We love how the right combination of wear and time (pun intended) can alter their character. But we don’t love picking the duds from the divine, or having to commit to just one sound when there are so many classic effects to choose from.
The Duplo puts the world at your feet, with intuitive, responsive controls and space for up to five onboard presets. It’s your ticket to an echoey universe of luxurious lo-fi lushness. (It’s also MIDI-compatible, so you can expand your horizons to 128 presets with a MIDI controller.)
An innovative CTRL knob alters a distinctive secondary parameter for each of the eight modes, giving you even more flexibility to sculpt sounds that’ll be the envy of even the most vintage-obsessed tone purists.
We’re not stuck in the past though. The Duplo comes loaded with all the tap tempo functionality you need from a modern delay pedal, with five subdivisions to choose from (quarter, eighth, dotted eighth, triplet, and sixteenth notes). Or, use the MIDI input to feed the Duplo with beat clock information, so even the most complex delays are always perfectly in time.
The Duplo’s timeless tones are:
- Analog (with modulation and grit): A throwback to the ‘80s, voiced to replicate ‘pink box’ analog delay pedals. The CTRL knob adds subtle modulation that ramps up to aggressive filtering and headroom reduction for analog-style distortion.
- Tape (with wow/flutter and tape age): The bright, crispy, fresh-out-the-box sound of a new tape delay unit. The CTRL knob adds wow/flutter and simulates older tape for unique warped effects.
- Multi-modulation (with chorus and flange): An effortlessly usable neutral delay with rich modulation. The CTRL knob lets you pick the perfect blend between chorus and flange tones.
- PT2399 (with chip aliasing and artefacts): A more modern sound that’s based around the digital delay chip prized by boutique builders in the early 2000s. The CTRL knob increases filtering and introduces aliasing to create unexpected digital artefacts.
- Multi-head (slapback/echo): Tape-style delay with an extra tape head set up for a classic slapback sound. The CTRL knob changes the delay time of the second tape head (up to roughly 150 milliseconds).
- Multi-head (dotted eights): Tape-style delay with an extra tape head that’s set to dotted eights for intricate rhythms. The CTRL knob changes the volume of the second tape head.
- Multi-head (triplets): Tape-style delay with an extra tape head that’s set to triplets for intricate rhythms. The CTRL knob changes the volume of the second tape head.
- Multi-head (golden ratio): Embrace the pseudo-reverb magic of intricate dual repeats that crash into each other, without getting in their own way. The CTRL knob changes the volume of the second tape head.
The Duplo’s seven dials put limitless lo-fi pleasure at your fingertips:
- Time: Delay time (0-985 milliseconds)
- Repeats: Feedback and intensity
- CTRL: Secondary parameter
- Tone: EQ for the wet signal
- Level: Output volume
- Mix: Blend control (from 100% wet to 100% dry)
- 1-8: Effect selector
Plus, it has four footswitches:
- Engage: Turn it on and off
- Sub: Pick the tap tempo subdivision
- Preset: Access your favourite sounds
- Tap: Set the tempo
Not to mention:
- Top-mounted in/out jacks (with full stereo options)
- Expression pedal input
- MIDI input
- Power requirements: 9V DC (center-negative) supply
- Current draw: 250 mA
Dimensions:
- (W)180 mm x (L)120 mm x (H)55 mm
Want even more details? Course you do, download the Duplo manual here
P.S. Please don’t try to power this pedal with anything other than a 9V DC center negative supply. If you do, your shiny new pedal might stop working, and nobody wants that.