The Harley Benton Digital Delay is a compact, budget-priced digital delay pedal from Harley Benton, the house brand of the German retailer Thomann. It keeps things deliberately simple: three knobs covering delay time, number of repeats and effect level, with no presets, no tap tempo and no secondary modes. Despite the digital circuit, RockBoard's PedalPedia describes the sound as "pleasantly warm and analogue," and the pedal can produce a slapback echo, the short single repeat used in rockabilly and country styles1.
The controls
The pedal has three knobs, and each does one job:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Time | Sets the delay time, the gap between each repetition1 |
| Repeat | Sets the number of repetitions; at maximum the repeats swell louder instead of quieter1 |
| Level | Sets the level of the delay sounds in the mix1 |
RockBoard's PedalPedia describes the layout as "three settings to create your own personal armada of delay sounds"1. That is the whole interface: no mode switch, no subdivision options, no tone control on the repeats. For a player who wants a delay that does one thing without menu diving, that simplicity is the point, and at this price it is what separates the pedal from feature-rich units like the Harley Benton D-SEED.
The Repeat control is the one quirk worth knowing about. On most delay pedals, turning the feedback up sends the repeats into runaway self-oscillation. Here, RockBoard's PedalPedia says that if you are "after a tone that's a bit out of the ordinary, dime the repeat control to make the repetitions swell louder"1. For comparison, the Ibanez DL10 Digital Delay takes a different approach: Pedal of the Day's reviewer found that "when you crank it all the way up, you get an almost a loooong hold sort of thing" without crazy runaway oscillation3.
Power and bypass
The pedal runs on a 9V DC center negative supply, the standard for compact pedals, and draws 40mA1. That figure is worth a note in context: Wren and Cuff Effects points out that with digital delay pedals "it's not uncommon for one of those bad boys to use around 65mA or more"4. At 40mA, the Harley Benton sits on the lighter end for a digital circuit, so it should be comfortable on most pedalboard power supplies.
The pedal is true bypass, so when it is off it will not affect your signal. RockBoard's PedalPedia puts it plainly: "because it's true bypass, it won't mess with your signal when deactivated"1.
Where it sits among budget delays
Players comparing it with better-known budget digital delays will find the same three-knob formula on units like the Boss DD-3 Digital Delay or the Rocktron Reaction Digital Delay, which is also true bypass5. What the Harley Benton offers over those is the price and the unusual swelling-repeat behavior at maximum feedback; what it gives up is tap tempo, presets and the longer delay times of larger units.
Questions
Is the Harley Benton Digital Delay true bypass?
Yes. Harley Benton's product information states the pedal is true bypass, so when it is switched off it will not alter your guitar's signal on its way to the amp. That matters on a pedalboard where the delay sits in line with everything else and you want your clean tone untouched when the effect is not in use.
What power does the Harley Benton Digital Delay need?
The pedal runs on 9V DC with a center negative plug, the same standard supply used by most compact pedals. It draws 40mA, which is modest by digital delay standards, so it fits comfortably on a standard pedalboard power supply rather than needing a dedicated high-current outlet.
How much current does the Harley Benton Digital Delay draw?
Harley Benton lists the current draw at 40mA. For comparison, Wren and Cuff Effects notes that digital delay pedals commonly use around 65mA or more, so this one sits on the lighter end for a digital circuit and is easy to accommodate on a shared power supply.
Can the Harley Benton Digital Delay do slapback?
Yes. The maker's product information says the pedal can produce a slapback echo, the short, single repeat associated with rockabilly and country playing. Set the Time control short and keep the Repeat low for a single quick bounce behind your notes.
What happens when the Repeat knob is turned all the way up?
At maximum, the repetitions swell louder instead of fading away, an unusual behavior for a delay pedal. Harley Benton suggests it as a way to reach a tone that is a bit out of the ordinary, though it is a sound to use deliberately rather than as an everyday setting.
How much does the Harley Benton Digital Delay cost?
gearnews.com's June 2025 budget delay roundup listed the pedal at $28.00 USD, alongside £24.90 and 29.90 euros, making it one of the least expensive digital delays covered in that survey.
Sources (5)
- Digital Delay by Harley Benton, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Budget Delay Pedals: The Best Value Alternatives For You, gearnews.com, 2025-06-27
- Ibanez DL10 Digital Delay Effects Pedal, Pedal of the Day, 2018-02-23
- Power Supplies, Wren and Cuff Effects
- Rocktron Announces Reaction Digital Delay, Premier Guitar, 2010-07-22
