The Arion DDS-4 is a digital delay and sample pedal made by Arion. It is one of a pair: the DDS-4 and its sibling, the Arion DDS-1, differ only in the size of their memory and their maximum echo time, the DDS-4 offering four seconds of sampling or delay. Apart from this the two pedals are identical and behave in the same manner.1
What it does
As a delay pedal, the DDS-4 produces echoes of whatever is played into it, with up to four seconds of maximum echo time. As a sampler, it can capture a short passage of sound and hold it. One Two Testing noted that on the DDS-1 it is possible to trigger sound from an external source, and since the two pedals behave in the same manner, the DDS-4 carries the same capability.1
For a player, the four-second figure is the headline: at the time, the magazine described it as a four-second sample/delay pedal available for well under £200 in the UK, where it listed at £175.1
How it was received
One Two Testing's reviewer judged the pair as recording tools rather than stage gear1:
"Live, they're not so hot, but for recording at home with a portastudio, with four seconds of sampling time you can have [great fun]1."
On sound, the reviewer found that "the sound was clean and clear throughout and the results are very pleasing."1
The DDS-4 and the DDS-1
| DDS-4 | DDS-1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Sampling/echo time | four seconds | one second |
| UK list price (1986) | £175 | £129 |
| Otherwise | identical | identical |
The DDS-4 and the DDS-1 differ only in the size of their memory and their maximum echo time; apart from that they are identical and behave in the same manner. Arion also made the Arion DDM-1 Digital Delay. For where a delay pedal sits on a board, see Delay Pedals.1
Videos
ThrashinYorkie
ThrashinYorkie
johnnyangel69
Sources (1)
- Arion DDS-1/DDS-4 (12T Oct 86), One Two Testing - IPC Magazines Ltd, Northern & Shell Ltd., 1986-10
