Which delay pedals come with the ability to bank and call up presets?
As it turns out, quite a few delay pedals support this feature in varying forms. Presets in delay pedals are almost always digital, which means you're saving a particular mode or sound, then engaging it later with a bypass button, up/down banking system, or selection switch.
The number of presets you'll have in a delay pedal will vary significantly, with some providing as low as two or three presets, while others provide several hundred.
Some pedals also support presets via MIDI control.
Read more: Guitar pedals with MIDI ports
Based on our research, here are 18 delay pedals with presets:
Delay Pedals with Presets: The Full List
- Strymon Timeline: 200 presets
- Strymon Volante: 8 presets (300 via MIDI)
- Strymon NightSky: 300 presets
- Line 6 DL4 Delay Modeler: 3 presets
- Boss DD-200: 127 presets
- TC Electronic Flashback 2x4: 3 presets (6 TonePrint slots)
- Keeley Hydra: 3 presets
- Source Audio Nemesis: 128 presets
- Boss DD-500: Digital preset bank
- Seymour Duncan Vapor Trail Deluxe: 3 presets
- TC Electronic Flashback Triple Delay: 3 user presets
- Walrus Audio Mako Series D1: 9 presets (128 via MIDI)
- Eventide TimeFactor Delay: 20 presets (unlimited via MIDI)
- Seymour Duncan Dark Sun Digital Delay: 128 presets (32 banks, 4 presets per bank)
- Seymour Duncan Andromeda Digital Delay: 128 presets
- IK Multimedia AmpliTube X-Time Delay: 300 presets
- Positive Grid BIAS Delay Pro: 10 presets
- Positive Grid Bias Delay Twin: 9 presets
Corresponding Reddit Threads
The Line 6 DL4 delay pedal has three presets that can be saved and called up with physical bypass switches.
Other Examples of Presets in Delay Pedals
Some delay pedals use bypass buttons to move up or down in a banking system, like in the Strymon TimeLine below:
Note the "BANK DOWN" and "BANK UP" labels on the Strymon TimeLine. These allow you to save and select presets.
This is typically used in delay pedals with a higher number of presets where you don't have a dedicated bypass switch for each bank slot.
Other pedals, like the Line 6 DL4 have presets that correspond to each physical switch. In the DL4 example you have three presets and one tap tempo control:
The bypass switch all the way to the right is your tap tempo, while the other three are preset switches.
Other options for controlling delay pedal presets can include a single bypass switch with multiple functions, external footswitches, or external MIDI controllers.
How to Use Presets in Delay Pedals
In delay pedals, presets are usually set up using one of those two methods. Either you'll have dedicated buttons for storing and calling back each preset - like in the Line 6 DL4 - or you'll have an up/down banking system where you cycle through presets, like in the Strymon TimeLine.
Using Presets
But how to you use them?
The first step is to find a setting you like, then save that setting as a preset, which is usually done via the digital signal processor and the control panel - or bypass switches - on the front of the pedal.
With the Line 6 DL4 - for example - you hold the bypass switch in place for a few seconds, which then banks and saves the settings you've chosen. To "call up" that preset later, you simply click the same bypass switch.
The process for saving presets will change depending on which pedal you're talking about, but the process is usually quite simple and easy to get the hang of.
Your main job is figuring out which sounds you like.
Are presets really necessary?
Is it necessary to have a delay pedal with presets included?
This depends on how you use the effect.
For those that use a lot of delay, especially in a rhythmic sense, it's probably a good idea to have a delay pedal that supports storing presets.
The alternative is manually changing settings each time you want to engage a different sound. This is why delay pedals with a lot of control - and larger delay pedals in general - often have presets as part of their core functionality. It's just hard to manage a lot of different settings without being able to save your favorite configurations.
And this could extend to any guitar pedal. It's always easier to be able to digitally save the sounds you like.
The problem is that this isn't really possible with analog pedals, which is where a lot of people prefer to go with their effects.
Do presets increase the cost of delay pedals?
Most delay pedals that have presets are larger and more complex by default because they tend to provide more functionality and control. As a result, they are usually more expensive, with many options hovering in the $300 to $400 price range.
This isn't necessarily a direct result of the presets, but rather the adjacent features and options that make presets necessary.
As we searched for delay pedals with this feature, it was unusual to find anything under $200.
Conclusion
These are the most current and popular delay pedals with presets on the market. However, there are likely others that we've missed, perhaps from more obscure or boutique brands. If you have something in mind that should be included, feel free to drop it in the comments section below.
We'll add it to our list, update the article, and give you credit at the top of this page.
The more we can keep these pages up-to-date, the more helpful they'll be to future readers, which is where this community can be a huge help.
Thanks in advance, and we'll see you in the comments section.
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Written by Bobby on Pedals and Roundups
Written by Bobby on Pedals and Roundups
The DD-200 actually has 127 presets
Thanks, Keith – I made the correction. Looks like a misprint from Sweetwater’s product entry. I should have double-checked. Again, thank you.