The DOD FX96 Echo FX Analog Delay is an analog delay pedal first produced in 1997. It keeps things deliberately simple: a blend control sets how much of the delayed signal sits in your tone, and an Echo control sets the delay time, with a range going up to 800ms. Pedal of the Day's reviewer described that ceiling as "pretty high for an analog delay"1.
What the controls do
The pedal's front panel comes down to two working controls, which is the point of the design1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Dry/Tape | A blend knob, allowing for as much or as little of the delay effect to come through in your overall tone1 |
| Echo | Sets the actual delay time, with a range going up to 800ms1 |
Pedal of the Day's reviewer, Mike B, summed up the appeal of that layout in his 2016 review:
"it's nice to come across an older pedal that has a couple simple knobs and sounds just fantastic, without having a bunch"1
Mike B, Pedal of the Day1
Where it came from and why it ended
DOD billed the FX96 as a modern improvement on classic tape echo machines like the Binson Echorec and the Maestro Echoplex, units that used loops of tape rather than analog circuitry to produce their repeats1. The pedal lasted only a short time on the market: production was stopped in late 1999, after going through a cosmetic change, internal restructurings at the company, and a move of production to a new Chinese location1.
Two versions of the FX96 exist. The version most often reviewed is one of the earliest, and is supposedly the better of the two, though the reviewer himself hedged on that point. The later version was made in China after the production move1.
The FX96 among DOD's delays
The FX96 sits in a family of DOD delay designs covered elsewhere on the site. The company later returned to analog design with the Rubberneck Analog Delay1. For where a simple analog delay fits among the wider options, see the Delay Pedals type page.
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Questions
When was the DOD FX96 Echo FX made?
DOD produced the FX96 Echo FX Analog Delay starting in 1997. Production was stopped in late 1999, after the pedal went through a cosmetic change, internal restructurings at the company, and a move of production to a new Chinese location. Two versions of the pedal exist, and the earlier one is the version most often reviewed.
Is the DOD FX96 analog or digital?
The FX96 is an analog delay. Its Echo control sets the delay time, with a range that goes up to 800ms, which Pedal of the Day's reviewer described as pretty high for an analog delay. The pedal was billed as a modern improvement on classic tape echo machines like the Binson Echorec and Maestro Echoplex.
Why was the DOD FX96 discontinued?
Production of the FX96 was stopped in late 1999. Pedal of the Day attributes the end of production to a cosmetic change to the pedal, internal restructurings at DOD, and a move of production to a new Chinese location. The pedal had been on the market for roughly two years.
Where was the DOD FX96 manufactured?
The later version of the FX96 was made in China, at a new location of production that came about alongside a cosmetic change to the pedal and internal restructurings at DOD. The earlier version, the one most often reviewed, predates that move.
What classic echo units was the DOD FX96 compared to?
When DOD released the FX96 in 1997, it was billed as a modern improvement on classic tape echo machines like the Binson Echorec and the Maestro Echoplex. Those were tape-based units, while the FX96 is an analog delay with delay times up to 800ms.
Sources (1)
- DOD FX96 Echo FX Analog Delay, Pedal of the Day, 2016-02-25
