The Electro-Harmonix 16 Second Digital Delay is a digital delay and looper pedal, launched in 1982 and described by Premier Guitar as the first commercially available looper1. Vintage Guitar's review of the reissue describes a unit that layers overdubs, plays loops backward, adjusts pitch and tempo, and doubles as a true delay echo and full-featured chorus2.
What it does
The 16 Second is built around recording and layering performances. Vintage Guitar lists a four-minute record time, pitch and tempo adjustment, loop reverse, and separate controls for dry output, effect output, and click output2. Performances can be stored in the unit's memory and recalled even after powering down, and the reviewer found recalled loops came back as a clean-sounding identical pattern with no degradation, with all overdubbed tracks staying clearly audible2.
"In return, we got a clean-sounding identical pattern with no degradation."
Beyond looping, the pedal covers two more jobs. Vintage Guitar notes it can be used as a true delay echo and a full-featured chorus, with speed and depth controls driving a sweep function for chorusing effects2. A reverse switch replays the performance backward: "the reverse switch does just what you'd think, replaying your licks, but backward"2.
The reissue's interface works in musical terms rather than raw numbers. Where the first units were more about numbers, the new one uses bars, beats, and tempo instead of seconds2. A Coarse slider sets loop length up to 12 bars; the reviewer pushed it to 12 bars and jammed over each successive track2.
MIDI and synchronization
The reissue adds a MIDI out, which Vintage Guitar highlights as a new feature. It lets a drum machine or sequencer start and play in synchronization with the 16 Second, with tempo following changes made on the unit itself2. For players building arrangements around a loop, that means the backing track stays locked to the loop rather than drifting.
From the early eighties original to the reissue
The original 16 Second Digital Delay appeared in the early eighties3. Premier Guitar's history of the Stereo Memory Man with Hazarai places the 16 Second in 1982, calling it "the first commercially available looper"1. The version Vintage Guitar reviewed was newly reissued, redesigned with modern components, and improved in functionality in several ways2.
The original's place in gear history goes further. In a JHS Pedals interview, Josh Scott described the technology as ahead of its time and explained what happened when Electro-Harmonix's Mike Matthews went bankrupt: he ended up needing to sell the technology, and that sale led to the Akai E2 Headrush Delay/Looper3. Original units are now collector items; in the same interview, Daniel Danger noted that when one pops up for sale, the price is bad enough that he refuses to pay it3.
"This is the mechanical bull of pedals. If you can ride this thing, kudos to you. There are very few people who can pull it off."
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Questions
How long can the Electro-Harmonix 16 Second Digital Delay record?
Vintage Guitar's review of the reissue lists a four-minute record time. The unit's interface works in bars, beats, and tempo rather than seconds, and the Coarse slider can be set up to 12 bars, so a player can build long, multi-track performances and store them in the unit's memory for later recall.
Does the 16 Second Digital Delay have MIDI?
The reissue adds a MIDI out. Vintage Guitar notes this lets a drum machine or sequencer start and play in synchronization with the 16 Second, with the external tempo following changes made on the unit itself.
Can it play a loop backward?
Yes. The reissue has a reverse switch that replays the performance backward. Vintage Guitar's reviewer found it did exactly what it promised, replaying licks in reverse.
Is the 16 Second Digital Delay a looper or a delay?
Both. Premier Guitar calls the 1982 original the first commercially available looper, and Vintage Guitar's review of the reissue notes it also works as a true delay echo and a full-featured chorus. It is a digital delay and looper pedal in one unit.
Does it keep loops in memory when powered off?
Yes. Performances can be stored in the unit's memory and recalled even after powering down, according to Vintage Guitar's review of the reissue. The reviewer found recalled loops came back clean, with no degradation and overdubbed tracks still clearly audible.
Who sold the original technology to Akai?
Mike Matthews of Electro-Harmonix. In a JHS Pedals interview, Josh Scott explained that when Matthews went bankrupt he needed to sell the technology, and that sale led to the Akai E2 Headrush Delay/Looper.
Sources (3)
- Stereo Memory Man with Hazarai: A Complete Guide, Premier Guitar (www.premierguitar.com), 2008-02-08
- Electro-Harmonix 16 Second Digital Delay, Vintage Guitar magazine, 2006-11-30
- RAREST ELECTRO-HARMONIX PEDALS EVER, JHS Pedals
