Deadbeat Sound Delay Lay Lay

The Delay Lay Lay from Deadbeat Sound is a compact delay pedal aimed at players who want warm, tape-flavored echoes without a lot of knobs or board space. Pedal of the Day describes its character as "warm, haunting and lush tape-like echoes," and measured it at just 60 (W) x 96 (D) x 55 (H) mm, about 2/3 the size of a standard Boss pedal¹. At the time of that review, in January 2019, it cost under $60 brand new¹.

Analog or digital?

The naming here deserves a note. Pedal of the Day reviewed it as an analog delay¹, but Josh Scott of JHS Pedals, in his "70 Pedals That Don't Suck" buying guide, was more precise about the circuit:

"It's technically digital, because it uses the famous/infamous PT-2399 chip set, so it's a digital chip set."

Josh Scott, JHS Pedals²

The PT2399 is a common delay chip, and Scott flagged the usual problem with it and Deadbeat's answer to it: "One of the problems you run into with that chip set is that it gets really noisy, but they've kept this extremely quiet"². On the sound itself, Scott said, "You filter it in a way that replicates analog. It has a really warm repeat"².

If you are comparing this pedal against others, be aware that "analog" in its name refers to the voicing rather than the chip: the PT-2399 at its core is a digital chip set, per JHS Pedals².

The controls: Mix, Time and Rate

The pedal keeps things deliberately simple. Pedal of the Day summed it up: "The Mix, Time and Rate knobs are about as easy as it gets in the parameter department"¹.

Control	What it does
Mix	Sets the mix level of the effect¹
Time	Sets the delay time¹
Rate	Sets the delay repetition rate¹

The maximum delay time is 360ms, which the reviewer called "short but ample"¹. That range suits slapback and short rhythm echoes; Scott agreed the pedal "does fantastic slap" and said "It has a good, long available delay time"². Push the controls further and the pedal will run away with itself: Pedal of the Day noted "the ability to get into infinite repeat, self-oscillation territory"¹.

What reviewers made of it

Pedal of the Day's verdict framed the pedal as a tone-shaping tool rather than an effects workhorse: "this pedal is geared towards slight enhancement of your tone, not necessarily to get super-crazy or conjure up out-of-th..."¹, calling it extremely useful and "a complete package in a small enclosure overall"¹. Scott included it in a list of pedals he considered worth a player's attention, praising the quiet operation and warm repeats².

Deadbeat Sound also makes the Deadbeat Sound Delay Lay Lay, a compact delay measuring just 60 (W) x 96 (D) x 55 (H) mm¹. Its maker describes the sound as "warm, haunting and lush tape-like echoes are the name of the game here"¹.

Videos

**The "Delay-lay-lay" by DeadBeat Sound (wallet friendly analog tones!)**
Aaron J Livecchi

**Deadbeat Sound Delay Lay Lay Analog Delay Demo and Play Through**
SLCAudio

**Deadbeat Sound Delay Lay Lay Analog Delay**
Pedal of the Day

Questions

How long is the maximum delay time on the Delay Lay Lay?

Pedal of the Day lists a maximum delay time of 360ms, which the reviewer called short but ample. That puts the pedal in slapback and short echo territory rather than long ambient repeats, and Josh Scott of JHS Pedals noted in a buying guide that it does fantastic slap despite the modest range.

Can the Delay Lay Lay self-oscillate?

Yes. Pedal of the Day's review notes the pedal has the ability to get into infinite repeat, self-oscillation territory, so turning up the feedback-style controls lets the repeats build on themselves and run away into a wash.

How big is the Deadbeat Sound Delay Lay Lay compared with a Boss pedal?

Pedal of the Day describes it as about 2/3 the size of a standard Boss pedal, with measurements of 60mm wide by 96mm deep by 55mm high. That leaves room on a crowded board while keeping a familiar footprint.

How much does the Delay Lay Lay cost?

At the time of Pedal of the Day's January 2019 review, the pedal cost under $60 brand new, which the reviewer highlighted as part of what made it a complete package in a small enclosure.

Is the Delay Lay Lay a true analog delay?

It depends on how you define analog. Pedal of the Day calls it an analog delay, but Josh Scott of JHS Pedals points out it is technically digital because it uses the famous, or infamous, PT-2399 chip set. Either way, he says it is filtered in a way that replicates analog, with a really warm repeat.

Sources (2)

Deadbeat Sound Delay Lay Lay Analog Delay, Pedal of the Day, 2019-01-24
$70 PEDALS THAT DON'T SUCK, JHS Pedals, 2020