The Diamond Dark Cloud is a three-mode textural delay pedal from Diamond Pedals, built on the company's Digital Bucket Brigade Delay (dBBD) architecture: an embedded digital delay line surrounded by analog companding and anti-aliasing circuitry, in the spirit of the classic bucket-brigade chip12. It offers Tape, Harmonic and Reverse delay modes, tap tempo with quarter, eighth and dotted-eighth subdivisions, and up to 1000ms of delay time, in a compact enclosure made in Canada13.
Diamond positions the Dark Cloud as a sibling to its Memory Lane, aimed at players who want more textural and characterful echoes rather than a straight vintage-style delay3. It carries a list price of $249.00 and is available now14.
Three delay modes: Tape, Harmonic and Reverse
The Dark Cloud's three modes are what set it apart from a standard delay pedal, and each works quite differently5.
| Mode | What it does |
|---|---|
| Tape | A warm, saturated delay with synced modulation and up to 1000ms of delay time3 |
| Harmonic | Creates either a delayed octave or fifth above the input signal3 |
| Reverse | Plays a classic delay backward, a smooth, lo-fi reversed delay with an expanded time range3 |
Diamond says the pedal blends input and output signals to craft these three delays "with the organic warmth of analog companding"1. Premier Guitar's reviewer found that "together, the three modes add up to a uniquely varied echo unit"5.
Guitar World reported that Diamond heralds the Dark Cloud as something of a "greatest hits" of its existing designs, with the Tape mode drawn from the Counter Point and the Harmonic delay from the Quantum Leap4.
Controls and footswitches
The front panel keeps things to four knobs and a mode switch53.
| Control | Function |
|---|---|
| Delay Mix | Sets the wet/dry balance3 |
| Feedback / Repeats | Sets the number of repeats3 |
| Delay Time | Sets delay time, up to 1000ms; behaves differently depending on the mode53 |
| Modulation | Sets modulation depth/rate3 |
| TAP/Mode switch | Selects Quarter / Eighth / Dotted Eighth subdivisions and Tape / Harmonic / Reverse modes3 |
There are two footswitches: an on/off footswitch (Guitar World describes soft-touch relay switching from the main bypass footswitch) and a tap tempo footswitch with a press-hold momentary tempo doubler34. That second footswitch can also set up the harmonic delay mode for octaves or fifths5.
Premier Guitar's reviewer noted that while the tightly packed controls and switches might make some players nervous, the pedal does a lot with its small footprint, and found it refreshing that it "spans so many points on the echo spectrum without 30 push-buttons"5.
Power and connections
The Dark Cloud runs on 9V DC with a negative-tip 2.1mm barrel jack and draws 45mA1. Guitar World highlighted the modest current draw, noting the pedal draws just 45mA at 9V4. Input impedance is greater than 1 MΩ and output impedance is less than 10 kΩ1. The enclosure measures 4.8" x 2.64" x 1.58" and weighs 280g1.
The Dark Cloud is mono only. Guitar Pedal X's reviewer called it a worthy new delay but noted it is "mono only and not compatible with my rig"2. Players with stereo setups should plan accordingly.
Diamond covers the pedal with a three-year warranty against defective parts and faulty workmanship, applying only to the original owner and not transferable, with the owner responsible for shipping both ways. The warranty is voided by improper power supply, tampering, modification, abuse, misuse, unauthorized repair or failure to follow the operating instructions1.
How it differs from the Memory Lane
The Dark Cloud shares its control layout and dBBD technology with the Memory Lane, but the two pedals aim at different players3. The Memory Lane is the more traditionally inspired pedal, with Modern, Warm and Vintage modes, while the Dark Cloud goes for texture with its Tape, Harmonic and Reverse modes3.
Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson summed up the relationship:
"A more textured companion delay to the Memory Lane - darker, deeper and with more intense flavours."2
He added that as a player who mostly uses tape-style delays, he probably prefers the greater variety of delay types on the Dark Cloud over the Memory Lane3.
History: the final Diamond design, relaunched by SolidGoldFX
The dBBD architecture at the pedal's heart has its own lineage. The original analog Memory Lane used a BBD (bucket-brigade device) chip and a compandor, and was retired after v.2 because that chip went out of production6. Diamond's answer was the Digital Bucket Brigade Delay, which Guitar World described as delivering "a new twist on the beloved analog delay chip": an embedded system operating as a drop-in replacement for a BBD, surrounded by custom companding and anti-aliasing circuitry4. The same approach later carried into the redesigned Memory Lane STM32, which Diamond says offers improved headroom, a lower noise floor and an extended delay range over the original78.
Owners of older Diamond pedals needing repairs are invited to contact SolidGoldFX9.
What reviewers said
Published reviews were positive about the Dark Cloud's sound and design efficiency, with the mono output the main recurring criticism52.
- Premier Guitar (September 2025): "And while it's a digital delay, it seems very carefully designed and EQ'd to feel very analog, vintage, patinated, and moody." The review also called the sturdy, Canada-built pedal "a nice study in design efficiency"5.
- Guitar Pedal X (December 2024): named it among the best new time-based effects of the year, calling it a worthy new delay but flagging the mono-only output2.
- Guitar World (September 2024): highlighted the low 45mA draw, the relay switching and the Doubler feature on the second footswitch4.
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Questions
Is the Diamond Dark Cloud stereo?
No. The Dark Cloud is a mono pedal. Guitar Pedal X's reviewer called it a great sounding new delay but noted it is mono only and not compatible with a stereo rig. Players running two amps or a stereo wet/dry setup will need a delay with stereo outputs.
Is the Dark Cloud analog or digital?
It is a hybrid. The delay line is an embedded digital system, but it is surrounded by analog companding and anti-aliasing circuitry, an approach Diamond calls its Digital Bucket Brigade Delay. Premier Guitar's reviewer found it designed and EQ'd to feel very analog, vintage, patinated, and moody.
How is the Dark Cloud different from the Memory Lane?
The Memory Lane is the more traditional sibling, with Modern, Warm and Vintage modes. The Dark Cloud is the more characterful one, offering Tape, Harmonic and Reverse modes. Guitar Pedal X described it as darker, deeper and with more intense flavours than the Memory Lane.
Where is the Diamond Dark Cloud made?
Canada. Diamond lists the Dark Cloud as made in Canada, and Premier Guitar's review described it as a sturdy, Canada-built pedal. Diamond itself is a Canadian company, and after closing in 2022 it was purchased by Montreal's SolidGoldFX and relaunched in 2023.
What is the maximum delay time on the Dark Cloud?
Up to 1000 milliseconds, or one full second. The Delay Time knob reaches 1000ms, and in Tape mode the pedal delivers a warm, saturated delay with synced modulation across that range. Tap tempo divisions of quarter note, eighth note and dotted eighth note are also available.
Sources (9)
- Dark Cloud Multi-Mode Delay Pedal, Diamond Pedals
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-12-20
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-09-26
- Diamond debuts Dark Cloud delay pedal, Guitar World, 2024-09-30
- Diamond Dark Cloud Delay Guitar Pedal, Premier Guitar, 2024-12-09
- Diamond Memory Lane DLX Delay, Delicious Audio, 2020-07-08
- Memory Lane STM32, Diamond Pedals
- Memory Lane STM32, Diamond Pedals
- SolidGoldFX buys Diamond pedals to keep the brand going, Guitar.com, 2022-12-16
