Reviews MXR M169 Carbon Copy® Analog Delay
The MXR M169 CC Analog Delay guitar FX is one of the finest pedals that comes with a fusion of modern and old-school technology for any guitarist. It has some of the state of the art features that are hard to find among its peers at the same price range. Providing flawless rich analog delay for the tone that it is designed to process, this CC Analog Delay from MXR is just what it is, if not more. It is a great guitar accompaniment for any guitarist playing on the novice to professional levels.
Benefits that Stand Out
The M169 Analog Delay pedal is packed with some wonderful attributes that are likely to benefit the users, making it stand out among the related similar instruments.
Let’s take a look at why the users would pick it over its competitors:
- It comes with an amazing ambient delay that sounds really natural.
- The delay time of 600ms is more than enough to do the trick for even semi-pros to some pros.
- The number of repeats can be handled at will. It’s ready to be maximized up to infinity!
- The modulation button works like a charm. It helps to add some throbbing sounds to the delay effects.
- Best in class for any guitarist on budget. It is freakishly cheap considering the features.
Editor Rating:
The Salient Features
While the MXR M169 Carbon Copy has quite a lot of features, the following features are mostly noticeable that make it a wonderful guitar accompaniment.
- The product features a good quality analogue audio path.
- Provides hardwire bypass that ensures quality and real lifelike output.
- Delay time of 600ms which works for more than 90% of any type of songs.
- It is very compactly designed for convenience.
- It operates at 9-volt capacity both with battery and direct line.
- It has these four controlling options: Delay time control, Mod button, Regen and Mix.
- Uses the astounding bucket brigade tech.
Pros and Cons
Like every product, this one of a kind MXR M169 also does have its upsides and downsides. If you are looking to buy this thing, you need to check out some of the pros and cons that are listed below.
The Pros:
The biggest positive, the price. Obviously, this delay pedal is usually sold at a price that is hard to beat. Despite its cheap selling price, the pedal is not something to be taken lightly. Of course, if you are a big time professional guitarist, then probably you won’t be looking at it. But considering the amazing true hardware bypass mechanism and amazing ambient delay features, you will hardly find a better package than this one. You can try spending another $100 more, but you won’t be getting any other pedals that would come close to it at this price.
It is also very compact in size and definitely not larger than your usual phase 90, which makes it really easy to use and move.
Modulation button that it comes with gives an amazing Echoplex tape warble-like sound, which is great. Provides some restrained chorus sounds as well.
The 600ms delay works way better than expectation.
Provides clean and very subtle tone, which makes it a significantly better choice than the more common Digitech DigiDelay of similar price range.
The Cons:
As for the sound, it is not on par with an Echoplex delay box. However, Echoplex costs almost double the amount you’re going to pay for it, so that’s understandable.
Accessing additional controls can be a tough deal. Disassembling is required to do so, which is annoying.
Some users have complained after the standard warranty period of 01 year, the pedal dies. However, the opinion varies.
Product Manual
This small pedal weighs 1 pound only, with a dimension of 5.5” x 2.5” x 4.5”. As it operates at 9V capacity, you would need a 9V battery for it to function. The 3 knobs that this FX is equipped with – the Delay, the Mix and the Regen, all are easily accessible even for a newbie guitarist. So no worries there.
Maintenance Guide
Maintaining the CC Analog Delay is a straightforward task. With proper maintenance, the pedal is going to last well past its warranty coverage. As a user, you need to be cautious about how you handle it. The typical 01 9V battery is likely to last about 30 to 40 hours. Maintenance will come into question when you need to open the back cover, to change the battery. Be really careful and keep the mod controls to a side while doing this and you will be fine. Using power supply with optimal 9V adaptor is suggested though. Also, do not keep it turned on when not in use – that will increase the pedal’s lifespan.
FAQ
Some of the frequently asked questions about the product are:
- Q: How long does the battery last?
- A: Usually 30 to 40 hours.
- Q: Does it run on adaptor as well?
- A: Yes, it does run on adaptor as well. Just make sure it has a 9V output.
- Q: Is power supply comes with the package?
- A: The pedal does not come with a power supply.
- Q: Does the product have reverb control?
- A: No, as the MXR Carbon Copy Analog delay is a delay only pedal.
The simple yet astoundingly brilliant MXR M169 Carbon Copy® Analog Delay is a great pedal that works well with virtually any electric guitar. Thanks to the true bypass technology and an optimal price tag, this delay pedal works as a wonderful FX package for most guitarist’s collection. Plus, MXR is a known brand in this guitar pedal market. So, it’s overall a great package.
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