The Boss DD-6 Digital Delay is a compact digital delay pedal released in 2002, sitting in the long line of DD-series delays that Pedal of the Day calls "arguably one of the most successful lines ever produced"12. It gives a player straightforward delay-time, repeat and level controls, a Hold function with 5.2 seconds of recording time, and a Warp mode that produces tape-style pitch and oscillation effects when you press and hold the pedal switch3.
Controls
The DD-6 keeps the familiar three-knob layout of the compact Boss delay. The D.Time knob adjusts the delay time, E.Level sets the effect level, and F.Back sets the feedback, or how many repeats you hear. Guitarcloud's reference page lists these suggested starting settings4:
| Control | What it does | Suggested setting |
|---|---|---|
| D. Time | Adjusts the delay time6 | L.800ms4 |
| E. Level | Sets the effect level | 11:004 |
| F. Back | Sets the number of repeats | 2:004 |
Hold and Warp modes
Boss's own history of its delay pedals describes what the DD-6 added when it arrived in 2002: "The Hold function was also enhanced, with 5.2 seconds of recording time and sound-on-sound overdubbing"3. That makes the pedal usable as a short looper as well as a delay. The Warp mode was new on this model: pressing and holding the pedal switch produces tape-style pitch and oscillation effects3. Pedal of the Day's reviewer, Mike B, put it plainly: "the Warp setting scrambles and dissects notes and throws them at you in a jumbled, sonic mess"6.
The Warp, or oscillation, mode was not carried over to the later Boss DD-7 Digital Delay. MusicRadar notes that this is what makes the DD-6 collectible7.
Where it came from and how it compares
The DD-6 arrived in 2002, following the Boss DD-5 Digital Delay, which was released in 199571. Pedal of the Day describes the DD-6 as "a stripped-down version of their DD-5 model"6, trading some of the DD-5's feature set for a smaller footprint and its own additions, including the enhanced Hold and the new Warp mode. It in turn replaced the older Boss DD-3 Digital Delay on some players' boards, and was itself later discontinued, with the Boss DD-7 Digital Delay named by MusicRadar as the current compact pedal that followed it564.
Prince's DD-6
The DD-6 has a documented place on Prince's pedalboard, where it replaced his older DD-34. Although the DD-6 featured several new delay modes, Prince still ran the pedal on the same mode as his DD-34. One of his DD-6s is currently on display at Paisley Park4.
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day's 2014 review was positive on the pedal's everyday usefulness. Mike B concluded that "the DD-6 is a perfect little unit to get your delay jobs done", citing plenty of repeat time and cool features6. A later Pedal of the Day piece on modded DD-6 units called it "an already great pedal"12.
Videos
World Music Supply
AskAGuitarPro
Pepe Music
Questions
Is the Boss DD-6 discontinued?
Yes. Boss discontinued the DD-6, and the company's own history of its delay pedals lists the DD-6 as a 2002 release that has since been superseded. MusicRadar refers to it as one of the discontinued compact pedals, alongside the current DD-7 that followed it. Because it is no longer made, players looking for one today are generally shopping the used market.
What is the warp mode on the Boss DD-6?
Warp is a mode unique to the DD-6 among the compact DD pedals of its era. Pressing and holding the pedal switch produces tape-style pitch and oscillation effects, and Pedal of the Day's reviewer described the Warp setting as scrambling and dissecting notes and throwing them back in a jumbled, sonic mess. Boss did not keep the mode on the later DD-7, which is a large part of why the DD-6 remains collectible.
How is the DD-6 different from the DD-5?
Pedal of the Day describes the DD-6 as a stripped-down version of the DD-5, which Boss released in 1995. The DD-6 added several new delay modes of its own, including the enhanced Hold function with 5.2 seconds of recording time and sound-on-sound overdubbing, and the all-new Warp mode. The DD-5 was the fuller-featured pedal; the DD-6 traded some of that for a smaller footprint and its own tricks.
Why is the Boss DD-6 collectible?
MusicRadar's history of the Boss DD-3 notes that the warp, or oscillation mode found on the DD-6 was not kept on later models, making the DD-6 collectible. Players who want that oscillation effect in a compact Boss delay have to find a DD-6, since neither the DD-7 nor the current DD-8 carries the mode forward.
Is the Boss DD-6 analog or digital?
The DD-6 is a digital delay. It is part of Boss's DD series of digital delay pedals, a line the company has produced since the early 1980s, and its delay and Hold functions are handled digitally. Players looking for Boss's analog delay character would be looking at pedals like the DM-2 and its descendants instead.
Sources (7)
- The Best Glitch, Stutter And Granular Pedals In 2024, Delicious Audio, 2024-05-27
- Loophole Pedals Modded Boss DD-6 Delay, Pedal of the Day, 2019-03-16
- Echoes in Time: The History of BOSS Delay Pedals, BOSS (articles.boss.info), 2024-01-10
- Boss DD-6 Digital Delay, Guitarcloud (guitarcloud.org), 2026
- Boss DD-200 Digital Delay review, MusicRadar, 2019-11-21
- Boss DD-6 Digital Delay, Pedal of the Day, 2014-09-09
- The FX files: Boss DD-3, MusicRadar, 2019-02-12
