The Behringer VM1 Vintage Time Delay is an analog delay pedal from Behringer that offers 550ms of delay with chorus and vibrato modulation on the repeats. It is true bypass, runs on a nine-volt battery or an equivalent center negative power supply, and its looks echo a famous vintage design: MusicRadar notes that its aesthetics resemble those of the classic Electro-Harmonix Memory Man Deluxe1.
The pedal's echo range is wide for an analog delay. MusicRadar found the VM1's echo "can achieve anything from old style slap-back, U2 ping-pong to experimental ambience"1. The modulation, which is applied to the wet signal only rather than the dry signal, is described as offering some "out-there" sounds1.
What it does and how it is controlled
The VM1 is an analog delay, meaning the repeats come from bucket-brigade delay circuitry rather than digital processing, the same approach used by the vintage pedals that defined the format. Alongside the delay time, the pedal has an output level control which, as MusicRadar describes it, "controls original signal level and provides an overdriven boost"1. That makes the output knob a blend between your original signal and a boosted, slightly driven character.
The modulation section is the pedal's second voice. Chorus and vibrato are applied to the delayed signal only, so your dry tone stays untouched while the repeats wobble and shimmer. For players shopping by effect type, this puts the VM1 in the same family as dedicated chorus pedals and vibrato pedals, but with the modulation tied to the echoes rather than the whole signal21.
Where it came from
The VM1's styling is a deliberate nod to delay history. MusicRadar writes that "the aesthetics of Behringer's latest delay pedal - named the VM1 - resemble those of the classic Electro-Harmonix Memory" Man Deluxe1. The Memory Man was one of the vintage BBD analog delay pedals that, alongside the Boss DM-2 and the green MXR Analog Delay, "held sway" in the era before digital delay, as Trevor Curwen wrote in MusicRadar's review of the Supro 1313 Analog Delay3. The original Memory Man had a maximum delay time of 300 ms4, so the VM1's 550ms reaches well beyond what the design it references could do.
The VM1 is not described in the reviews as a circuit clone of the Memory Man. The resemblance noted by MusicRadar is in its looks, and the two pedals differ in maximum delay time: 550ms on the VM1 against 300 ms on the original Memory Man14.
The Vintage Time Machine connection
The VM1 name has appeared on a closely related Behringer pedal before. In December 2019, Pedal of the Day reviewed the Behringer VM1 Vintage Time Machine Delay Echo Chorus Vibrato, an analog delay pedal with the same core idea: delay plus a chorus/vibrato channel2. That review called it "a true analog masterpiece" with delay time "clocking in at just over a half second (about 550ms)"2, matching the Vintage Time Delay's maximum.
| Vintage Time Machine (2019) | Vintage Time Delay | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Analog delay with chorus and vibrato2 | Analog delay with chorus and vibrato modulation1 |
| Maximum delay | About 550ms2 | 550ms1 |
| Bypass | True bypass, hard-wired2 | True bypass1 |
| Modulation control | Mode selector switch for chorus or vibrato, plus a blend control2 | Wet signal only1 |
| Outputs | Direct and Effect Outs for stereo2 | Not stated |
The Vintage Time Machine's chorus/vibrato channel, as Pedal of the Day described it, "slyly mixes in either one of these effects" with the delay, and a blend control lets you dial in "as much or as little as you want, for warbles and pulses galore"2. Its Direct and Effect outputs allow a stereo setup2. Players comparing the two can read more on the Behringer VM1 Vintage Time Machine page.
What reviewers said
The two published reviews of the VM1 family point in the same direction, with one reservation. Pedal of the Day's verdict on the Vintage Time Machine was enthusiastic about its tape-delay character12:
"Sounding right on par with the vintage tape delays of years gone by, the VM1 Time Machine gives you all the sounds of those workhorses, but without all the mess of actual tape loops, broken parts and incessant upkeep."
That review also praised what it called "gorgeous tape delay emulation for that sparkling, slightly dirty sound"2.
MusicRadar's verdict on the Vintage Time Delay was more measured. Its overall conclusion: "Not as organic sounding as its peers, the VM1 offers a good introduction to vintage delays at a reasonable price."1 In other words, the reviewer heard the VM1 as a solid entry point into vintage-style analog delay rather than the most organic-sounding option in its class.
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Questions
Is the Behringer VM1 true bypass?
Yes. MusicRadar describes the VM1 as a true-bypass pedal, so with the effect switched off your signal passes through without processing. The earlier Vintage Time Machine version was likewise hard-wired for true bypass according to Pedal of the Day.
Does the Behringer VM1 run on a battery?
Yes. The VM1 is powered by a nine-volt battery or an equivalent center negative power supply. That means a standard 9V DC pedal supply with a center negative plug works, and no separate power source is required if you prefer to run it on a battery.
How long is the maximum delay time on the VM1?
The VM1 offers up to 550ms of analog delay, according to MusicRadar. That is enough for old style slap-back echo, rhythmic U2-style repeats and ambient experimental sounds, though it is shorter than many digital delays.
Is the modulation on the VM1 applied to the dry signal?
No. MusicRadar notes that the modulation is on the wet signal only, meaning the chorus and vibrato affect the delayed repeats but not your clean, unprocessed signal. The result is modulated echoes over a dry core tone.
Is the Behringer VM1 a clone of the Electro-Harmonix Memory Man?
MusicRadar says the VM1's aesthetics resemble the classic Electro-Harmonix Memory Man Deluxe, a vintage BBD analog delay pedal, but the review does not describe it as a circuit clone. The Memory Man's original model had a maximum delay time of 300 ms, shorter than the VM1's 550ms.
What is the difference between the VM1 Vintage Time Delay and Vintage Time Machine?
They are closely related Behringer pedals. The Vintage Time Machine, reviewed by Pedal of the Day in 2019, is an analog delay with a chorus/vibrato channel, a mode selector switch, a blend control and stereo Direct and Effect outputs. The Vintage Time Delay covers the same delay and modulation ground in a rugged off-white enclosure.
Sources (4)
- Behringer Vintage Time Delay review, MusicRadar, 2009-03-12
- Behringer VM1 Vintage Time Machine Delay Echo Chorus Vibrato, Pedal of the Day, 2019-12-07
- Supro 1313 Analog Delay review, MusicRadar, 2019-04-03
- 7 Guitar Effects Pedals you need to know, gearnews.com, 2023-02-11
