Diamond Pedals Memory Lane Deluxe Delay

The Memory Lane Deluxe Delay, also announced as the Diamond Memory Lane DLX, is a delay pedal from Diamond Pedals. It takes what the previous two versions of the Memory Lane line did and combines them into one enclosure, along with some upgrades and new functionality¹².

Where the original Memory Lane topped out at 550/600ms of delay, the Deluxe's continuously variable delay mode offers 1200ms, versus the reduced 600ms in the Jr. versions¹². Its headline change for modulation players: where the Memory Lane Jr.'s modulation was fixed, the Deluxe gives you complete control over it, split into Speed and Depth parameters¹.

What it is and what it does

The Deluxe is a modulated delay: repeats with a chorus-like wobble layered on top, in the tradition of warm analog and tape-style delays. Delicious Audio added it to its list of Best Tape-Style Delay Pedals when it was announced².

Announced features, per Delicious Audio's July 2020 report²:

• Depth and Speed modulation controls over the delay modulation
• A wet-signal EQ
• An eighth-note triplet mode
• 1200ms of continuously variable delay
• An integrated TAP/DBL footswitch

The TAP/DBL footswitch is configurable, as Pedal of the Day's review describes¹.

Controls

The Delay, Feedback and Mix knobs are shared with the Memory Lane Jr; the Speed and Depth pair is the Deluxe's addition, replacing the Jr.'s fixed modulation¹.

The Memory Lane line: Jr., Deluxe and the newer edition

The Deluxe sits at the end of a line that began with the original Memory Lane analog delay, which Delicious Audio notes "went down in history as the first analog delay with tap tempo"². That pedal adjusted delay time from 40ms up to 550ms, with an EQ in the feedback loop, and offered Mix/Direct and Delay Only outputs for running different amp setups³. It was followed by the Memory Lane 2 and then the Memory Lane Jr.³.

The Jr. sits in the line as one of the delay modes carried forward in later Memory Lane pedals, listed alongside Vintage, Galloping 2-Head and Ambient 3-Head⁴. The updated Memory Lane V2 is also a delay pedal, with longer delay time of up to 2.4 seconds⁵. The original Memory Lane is now out of production⁶.

The Deluxe then folded the two previous versions of the Memory Lane line into one, with upgrades and new functionality on top¹. The line continued in new forms: a 2023 compact Memory Lane, and in the STM32 edition, a delay with four modes, ML jr, Vintage, Galloping 2-Head and Ambient 3-Head, selected by the Tap Mode control⁴. Delicious Audio reported the same update as the Memory Lane V2, with delay time up to 2.4 seconds⁵.

What reviewers said

Pedal of the Day reviewed the Deluxe in September 2020 and was positive about the whole package¹:

Looking back at the original Memory Lane in 2016, the same site's reviewer wrote that "the original Memory Lane is as good-sounding and user-friendly as you're going to find for pedals in this price range, and a lot that cost more," and described its warble as "reminiscent of an old tape echo"³. Of the Jr.'s 16ms to 1200ms range, the reviewer called it "a pretty good range for any delay pedal, and plenty for most players"⁷.

On the current STM32 edition, Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson wrote that "an already great modulated vintage sounding delay is now significantly better"⁴, and gearnews found "a lot of great-sounding delays with a low noise floor and lots of controls. Perfect for musicians in the studio and playing live"⁸.

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