The Ibanez DML20 Digital Modulation Delay III is a digital delay pedal with a modulation section built in, made by Ibanez in Japan as part of its 10 series from 1987 to 19911. Where a plain delay pedal only repeats your signal, the DML20's modulation lets it produce chorus, flanging and doubling as well as every kind of echo effect, and it carries a stereo output for depth and spaciousness1. It has never been reissued, and ToneHome lists it as rare in availability with average collectibility1.
The DML20 is a discontinued vintage pedal. The prices above are German mark list prices from 1988 and 1989 as recorded by ToneHome, not current selling prices, and the pedal has to be found on the used market.
How the modulation works
The DML20 operates on the same principles as other digital delays, such as the Ibanez DDL20, but with the added feature of modulation1. An LFO (low frequency oscillator) changes the delay time periodically: the sweep width, the distance between the extremes of the sweep, is set by a width control, and the sweep cycle period is set by a speed control1. Sweeping a short delay time is the classic way chorus and flanging are produced, which is how one pedal covers both echo and modulation duties.
ToneHome notes that both the bandwidth, all the way up to 16 kHz, and the delay times from 1ms to 1024ms cover a very wide spectrum1.
The controls and delay time ranges
The delay side of the pedal has three basic control knobs: Delay Time, Delay Level and Repeat2. Delay Time sets the delay length, Delay Level (labeled D-Level) adjusts how loud the repeats are, and Repeat sets the level of feedback, with the knob down at 0 giving just a single repeat3. The Mode select knob chooses the effect, with the effect names clearly labeled next to it1.
| Mode | Delay time range |
|---|---|
| Flanger | 1ms to 4ms2 |
| Doubling | 16ms to 64ms2 |
| Echo Small | 64ms to 256ms2 |
| Echo Medium | 128ms to 512ms2 |
| Echo Large | 256ms to 1024ms2 |
The Time control has a wide range overall, from 1ms up to 1024ms, as Pedal of the Day's reviewer noted2. Each mode narrows that range to the delay times that suit the effect type, so Flanger mode uses the shortest times and Echo Large reaches the full second of delay.
For a doubling effect, ToneHome's guidance on the related DDL20 applies the same way: set Repeat down to 0 for just one repeat and adjust D-Level to a large value around 8 to 93.
How it differs from the DDL20
The Ibanez DDL20 Digital Delay III, produced over the same 1987 to 1991 period, is a straightforward digital delay offering the basic features that make delay a popular effect, with delay times from 8ms to 1024ms3. The DML20 shares its delay principles but adds the modulation section, which is what brings in the Chorus, Doubling and Flanger modes and the width and speed controls1. A player who only needs echo could use either, but the modulation options exist only on the DML20.
Background and availability
The DML20 is a rare find today, with average collectibility, and ToneHome records that it has not been reissued1. ToneHome also holds a 1986 pocket manual for the pedal1. Its 1988 list price was 432 DM, dropping to 394 DM in 19891, so the DML20 remains a vintage-only piece.
Pedal of the Day reviewed the pedal in 2016, submitted by Mike B, describing it as covering echo effects along with chorus and flanging at the touch of a pedal2.
Videos
Shawn Barnes
Pedal of the Day
komoran
Questions
Was the Ibanez DML20 ever reissued?
No. ToneHome, which tracks vintage Ibanez pedals, records the DML20 as not re-issued. It was produced from 1987 to 1991 and is now listed as rare in availability with average collectibility, so finding one means searching the used and vintage market.
Does the Ibanez DML20 have a stereo output?
Yes. The pedal has a stereo output, which ToneHome describes as giving the sound depth and spaciousness. That makes it useful for wider chorus and flanger textures, not just mono echo, when you run it into two amps or a stereo rig.
What is the difference between the DML20 and the DDL20?
The DDL20 is a straightforward digital delay, while the DML20 operates on the same delay principles but adds modulation. That added modulation section is what lets the DML20 produce chorus, flanging and doubling as well as echo effects, where the DDL20 covers delay only.
Where was the Ibanez DML20 made?
Japan. ToneHome lists the DML20 Digital Modulation Delay III as made in Japan in 1987, at the start of its production run, which lasted until 1991.
What delay times does the DML20 offer in flanger mode?
In Flanger mode the delay time range is 1ms to 4ms, the shortest of the pedal's modes. That tiny delay range is what produces the flanging effect when the LFO sweeps the delay time back and forth across it.
Sources (3)
- TONEHOME, TONEHOME
- Ibanez DML20 Delay Modulation III, Pedal of the Day, 2016-02-05
- TONEHOME, TONEHOME (tonehome.de)
