The Ibanez DL10 Digital Delay is a compact digital delay pedal made in Japan and produced from 1988 to 1993. It is part of Ibanez's 10/Power Series, and Pedal of the Day counts it as one of 7 digital delay pedals from that series12. TONEHOME lists its 1989 list price as 199 DM2.
What it does
The DL10 is a straightforward digital delay aimed at doubling, repeat echoes and other short-delay effects. Its delay time range runs from 70 msec to 400 msec2, which puts it firmly in the slapback-to-short-echo territory rather than long ambient delays. TONEHOME describes the pedal as using stereo outputs to achieve a uniquely clear stereo echo signal2, so on a stereo rig the repeats can be spread apart from the dry signal.
Being digital, the repeats stay clean rather than darkening and losing top end the way an analog delay's do. RockBoard's PedalPedia lists the circuit type as digital3, and TONEHOME likewise calls it the digital delay of the Ibanez DL102. Players after an analog-flavored Ibanez delay would look elsewhere in the company's catalog, such as the Ibanez AD9 Analog Delay or the Ibanez AD-80 Analog Delay.
Controls
The DL10 keeps things simple with three knobs1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| D-Time | Sets the delay time, with a range from about 70 ms to 400 ms or thereabouts1 |
| Repeat | Sets your number of echoes; cranked all the way up it gives an almost long hold without crazy runaway oscillation1 |
| D-Level | Mixes the delay effect with your clean dry signal; maxed out it produces a 50/50 wet/dry signal mix1 |
Pedal of the Day's reviewer summed up the pedal's usability this way:
"It's not rocket surgery figuring out how to use the DL10, which is a nice attribute in today's complex, textbook-sized manual-filled pedal world."
The chip inside
Pedal of the Day notes that the DL10 uses the classic Mitsubishi M50195P chip in its circuitry1. That chip was a workhorse digital delay processor of the era, and it is part of why the pedal's repeats come through cleanly. The Repeat control's behavior at maximum, an almost long hold without runaway oscillation1, is the kind of trick digital circuits of this type made easy compared with earlier analog designs.
Production and availability
The DL10 was produced from 1988 to 1993 and has not been reissued2. TONEHOME rates its current availability as good and its collectibility as average2, so it sits in the practical zone of the used market: findable, but not a museum piece. TONEHOME's page draws on Ibanez's own Sound Effects brochure dated 06/902, which is the maker's contemporary documentation of the pedal.
Where it sits in Ibanez's delay line
The 10/Power Series included 7 digital delay pedals1, and the DL10 was one of them. Ibanez's delay catalog around and after this era also included the Ibanez DDL10 Digital Delay II, the Ibanez DDL20 Digital Delay III, the Ibanez DPL10 Digital Pan Delay sibling Ibanez PDD1 Delay, and the Ibanez CD10 Delay Champ. Later Ibanez delays, such as the Ibanez Tone-Lok DE7 Delay/Echo and the Ibanez ES2 Echo Shifter, carried the company's delay line forward. For a look at how the category has developed since, see Delay Pedals.
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Questions
How long is the delay time on the Ibanez DL10?
The DL10 covers a delay time range of 70 msec to 400 msec, according to TONEHOME. Pedal of the Day describes the D-Time control's range as not huge but decent, from about 70 ms to 400 ms. That range suits doubling, repeat echoes and other short delay effects rather than long, ambient repeats.
Is the Ibanez DL10 still made?
No. TONEHOME lists the DL10 as produced from 1988 to 1993 and as not reissued, so it has been out of production for decades. The site rates its availability as good and its collectibility as average, which means used examples turn up regularly rather than commanding rare-pedal prices.
Does the DL10 have stereo outputs?
Yes. TONEHOME notes that the DL10 uses stereo outputs to achieve a uniquely clear stereo echo signal. With a stereo setup, that lets the repeats sit apart from the dry signal for doubling, repeat echoes and other effects.
What chip does the Ibanez DL10 use?
Pedal of the Day reports that the DL10 uses the classic Mitsubishi M50195P chip in its circuitry. That chip was a common delay processor in pedals and rack units of its era.
Where was the Ibanez DL10 made?
The DL10 was made in Japan. TONEHOME identifies it as an Ibanez DL10 Digital Delay, Japan 1988, and the pedal was produced from 1988 to 1993.
Is the Ibanez DL10 digital or analog?
The DL10 is a digital delay. RockBoard's PedalPedia lists its circuit type as digital, and TONEHOME describes it as the digital delay of the Ibanez DL10. Players looking for an analog-style Ibanez delay would look at other models in the company's range.
Sources (3)
- Ibanez DL10 Digital Delay Effects Pedal, Pedal of the Day, 2018-02-23
- TONEHOME, TONEHOME, 1989
- DL-10 Digital Delay by Ibanez, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
