The Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man is an analog delay pedal with built-in modulation: bucket-brigade echo plus chorus and vibrato in one large-format box. Electro-Harmonix describes it as delivering "the warmth of analog delay. Up to 550ms of vibrant echo that rivals tape delay; lush, spatial chorus and haunting vibrato"1. The current version runs on a 24V supply, is true bypass, and lists at $250.901.
The pedal's place in delay history is hard to overstate. It grew out of the original Memory Man, first released in 1976, and the Deluxe version that followed became one of the most used analog delays by players from The Edge to Eric Johnson23.
What it does: analog delay with chorus and vibrato
The Deluxe Memory Man is a bucket-brigade delay: the signal is passed down a chain of capacitors inside BBD chips, and each repeat loses a little high end as it travels. On the vintage circuit, "the high end of the repeats fades as the signal travels down the discrete capacitor array, creating more signal noise, dirt and warmth"2. That darkening of the repeats is the sound many players associate with the pedal, and it is what separates bucket-brigade delay from the cleaner repeats of digital delays like the Electro-Harmonix Canyon.
On top of the echo, the pedal adds modulation to the delay time. A top switch chooses between chorus and vibrato, and a single knob controls the amount2. Electro-Harmonix says the current version offers up to 550ms of echo1; earlier units topped out around 300ms, which one reviewer noted "was pushing the bucket-brigade chips inside the unit to" their limit at the time5.
The circuit uses MN3005 BBD chips, the same Panasonic parts found in the vintage units24, and a 4558 op-amp in the preamp of some DMMs, similar to that in certain Tube Screamers, which can be used to boost the input signal5.
The controls
The current version keeps the classic control set: knobs for level, blend of dry and delayed signal, feedback, delay time, and modulation depth, plus the chorus/vibrato selector12.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Level | Sets the level1 |
| Blend | Sets the mix sent to the effect output1 |
| Feedback | Provides delay repeats, or multiple echoes1 |
| Delay | Controls the time between direct and delayed signals, and between the repeats when feedback is used1 |
| Chorus/Vibrato | Introduces modulation in the delay time: slow for chorus, faster for vibrato1 |
| Depth | Controls the amount of chorus/vibrato1 |
| Bypass footswitch | Toggles between effect mode and bypass1 |
Vintage units added a knob for the internal 4558 op-amp preamp level2. Compared with the original's single depth knob and vibrato/chorus slider, later compact versions give more control over modulation, with separate rate and depth knobs67.
Power: 24V, 100mA
The current Deluxe Memory Man runs on a 24VDC, 100mA adapter, which is included, and draws 45mA1. That 24V requirement sets it apart from most 9V pedals and means it cannot share a standard 9V daisy chain.
Earlier versions had a built-in transformer and an AC cord, which caused humming problems on many pedals; some were even reported to catch fire. The current 24VDC adapter design replaced that arrangement4.
The compact Nano Deluxe Memory Man instead runs on a standard 9V supply (9.6VDC, 200mA adapter included, 150mA draw), which is one of the main practical differences between the two8.
History and versions
The Deluxe Memory Man was introduced in 1978 as an improved version of the Memory Man9. The version most players know as the classic, the 1980 Deluxe with its large enclosure, followed in 1980310. Howard Davis, who worked on the pedal, recalled: "The first commercial product I worked on was an improved version of the Memory Man called the Deluxe Memory Man"11.
- 1978: Original Deluxe Memory Man introduced9
- 1980: The classic large-box Deluxe version, with MN3005 BBD chips on the PICO HB 9825 circuit board32
- Late 2004: Switching redesigned to use relays for true bypass; if power is lost the effect switches to off4
- 2008: Current version released, listed at $250.901
- 2009: A new die-cast, pedalboard-friendly version announced; the original remained available for a limited time in the US and UK9
- 2011: Deluxe Memory Man w/Tap Tempo announced with tap tempo, expression pedal control and an effects loop12
- 2016 to 2024: The 550-TT version, 550ms with tap tempo, discontinued 20241314
- 2021: Nano Deluxe Memory Man released at $20315
- 2025: The 1100-TT, with 1100ms maximum delay, discontinued16
The old big-box DMM is discontinued, with the newer DMM XO taking its place4. The 2009 die-cast version used "exactly the same bucket brigade components and circuit design as the original," with individual delay and dry outputs9.
What reviewers said
Reviews across decades have treated the pedal as a benchmark. Pedal of the Day called it "one of the best analog delays ever, a true classic effect overall"2. A 2009 press release described the original as "considered to be the finest analog delay ever designed. Organic and musical"9. Delicious Audio called it "acknowledged as among the best if not THE best analog delay pedal"17.
Not everything was praised. A 2006 review noted that "the manual provided with the unit is just a one-page set of very basic instructions," and that the footswitch "produced a large pop on first engagement, then switched quietly"18. On the modulation side, Premier Guitar's reviewer of the Nano found that "the Nano's brighter voice makes modulation peaks a little more intense, so you may not be able to use quite as much depth" as on a vintage unit19.
On That Pedal Show, comparing the 1100-TT against an EP-3 tape echo, the presenters drew attention to how the repeats change character: "can you hear how dark it got quickly"20.
Who uses it
The player most associated with the pedal is The Edge of U2, who used it extensively, famously on Sunday Bloody Sunday152. In a GuitarPlayer video feature he demonstrated the pedal and how it helped define the sound of an era11. MusicRadar noted that "The Edge is as synonymous with his Deluxe Memory Man as he is his beloved beanie"21.
Other documented users include Robert Smith, Chris Cornell, Ed O'Brien of Radiohead and Eric Johnson15322.
Why it sounds dark
Two things darken the Deluxe Memory Man's tone. First, the bucket-brigade circuit itself: the high end of the repeats fades as the signal passes down the capacitor array, so each repeat is darker than the last2. Second, on some units the stock input impedance is too low, "causing a dark tone especially on the dry signal when the effect is ON"23. That second cause is a serviceable issue rather than a design feature, and it is the one to look at if the dry signal, not just the repeats, sounds muffled.
Videos
ProGuitarShopDemos
ProGuitarShopDemos
Sweetwater
Questions
Is the Deluxe Memory Man true bypass?
Yes. The current Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man is true bypass, and the bypass footswitch toggles between effect mode and bypass. A late 2004 redesign used relays for the true bypass switching, so if the pedal loses power the effect switches to off rather than passing a broken signal.
What is the maximum delay time on a Deluxe Memory Man?
The current Deluxe Memory Man offers up to 550ms of delay. Earlier versions were shorter: the original model topped out around 300ms, and some sources describe 300 to 400ms as the maximum on an original unit. The 550-TT and 1100-TT versions extended this to 550ms and 1100ms respectively.
What is the difference between the Deluxe Memory Man and the Nano Deluxe Memory Man?
The Nano Deluxe Memory Man, released in 2021, is a compact version of the classic large-format pedal, about a third the width of a vintage unit at 4.5 x 2.75 x 2.1 inches. It keeps the same analog delay, chorus and vibrato but runs on a standard 9V supply instead of 24V, and adds separate rate and depth controls over the modulation.
Why does my Deluxe Memory Man sound dark?
Dark repeats are part of the design: the high end of the repeats fades as the signal travels down the discrete capacitor array inside the bucket-brigade circuit. On some units the stock input impedance is also too low, which darkens the tone, especially on the dry signal when the effect is on. On That Pedal Show, the presenters noted how quickly the repeats get dark compared with an EP-3 tape echo.
What did The Edge use the Deluxe Memory Man for?
The Edge of U2 used the Deluxe Memory Man extensively, most famously on Sunday Bloody Sunday, where its delay and modulation helped define the part. In a GuitarPlayer video feature he demonstrated the pedal and credited it with helping define the sound of an era.
Sources (23)
- Deluxe Memory Man, Electro-Harmonix (ehx.com)
- Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man Echo Chorus Vibrato, Pedal of the Day, 2021-06-12
- Electro-Harmonix releases its iconic Deluxe Memory Man analog delay in Nano form, Guitar World, 2021-10-12
- aNaLoG.MaN Guitar Effects Electro-Harmonix pedals, analogman.com, 2024
- The FX files: Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man, MusicRadar, 2018-09-27
- J. Rockett Clockwork Review, Premier Guitar, 2021-08-25
- Electro-Harmonix Nano Deluxe Memory Man review, Guitar World, 2022-02-15
- Nano Deluxe Memory Man, Electro-Harmonix (ehx.com)
- Electro-Harmonix announces new Deluxe Memory Man, MusicRadar, 2009-04-21
- Electro-Harmonix announces the Nano Deluxe Memory Man, shrinking the classic delay down and adding some modern features, Guitar.com, 2021-10-12
- Watch The Edge Demonstrate How the Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man Helped Define the Sound of an Era, GuitarPlayer (www.guitarplayer.com), 2022-03-10
- Deluxe Memory Man: Tap Tempo & Effects Loops, Premier Guitar, 2011-01-14
- Deluxe Memory Man 550-TT, Electro-Harmonix (ehx.com), 2024
- Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man 550-TT Analog Delay, Pedal of the Day, 2016-10-28
- Electro-Harmonix revises a pedalboard classic as the Deluxe Memory Man gets the Nano treatment, MusicRadar, 2021-10-12
- Deluxe Memory Man 1100-TT, Electro-Harmonix
- Xvive Echoman Delay, Delicious Audio, 2023-01-26
- Maxon AD999 and Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man Review, Godlyke, Inc. (maxonfx.com), 2006
- Electro-Harmonix Nano Deluxe Memory Man Review, Premier Guitar, 2022-01-06
- That Pedal Show, That Pedal Show (YouTube), 2016-02-05
- Electro-Harmonix Canyon review, MusicRadar, 2017-07-21
- 7 Guitar Effects Pedals you need to know, gearnews.com, 2023-02-11
- DMM Tweeks, aNaLoG.MaN (analogman.com), 2022
The Edge
