The Delay Llama Xtreme is a three-BBD analog delay pedal from JAM Pedals. It pairs warm analog repeats with presets, expression control and XTREME modes that push the repeats well past what a straightforward analog delay usually does1. Three 3205 BBD (bucket-brigade) chips provide the delay line, so the signal path stays analog even when the effects get extreme1.
Where a basic analog delay gives you time, feedback and level, the Xtreme adds tap tempo with subdivisions, four onboard presets, hold and kill-dry functions, and the four XTREME modes: Vibrato, Tape-Age, Random and Pitch-Shift1. Delicious Audio described it as "challenging preconceiving notions of what an analog delay pedal can do" and as the latest addition to JAM's Delay Llama series2. It was presented at NAMM in January 2020, with the official launch during Winter NAMM that year3.
What it does: three-BBD analog delay with modulation modes
The core sound is a bucket-brigade analog delay. BBD chips pass your signal along a chain of capacitors a step at a time, which is what gives analog delays their characteristically warm, slightly degraded repeats. The Xtreme uses three 3205 chips to reach 800 ms of delay time1, an increase Premier Guitar noted from the 600 ms maximum of the earlier Delay Llama6.
On top of that core delay sit the four XTREME modes, which affect the repeats rather than replacing the delay2:
| XTREME mode | What it does |
|---|---|
| Vibrato | Adds sine-wave modulation with adjustable depth and speed1 |
| Tape-Age | Creates random, worn-tape-style pitch variation1 |
| Random | Changes delay time at fixed intervals for abrupt pitch and rhythmic shifts1 |
| Pitch-Shift | Offers five interval pairs and five playback patterns, including a five-mode sequencer1 |
GuitarPlayer's reviewer went into detail on the Pitch-Shift mode: the last playback pattern is a five-mode sequencer that produces a series of multiple predetermined pitches in a specific sequence. While the pitch-shift intervals are not user editable, variations can be had by turning the feedback/interval knob, and using the CV input to clock the delay time can turn the repeats into a programmable sequencer4.
The controls and XTREME modes
Three knobs, Time, Repeats and Level, cover the main delay sound1. Around them the pedal packs the features that make it more than a basic analog delay:
- Tap tempo with eighth-note, quarter-note and dotted-eighth subdivisions; tap the right footswitch at least twice to set tempo, hold it for oscillation1
- HOLD mode, which GuitarPlayer describes as engaging when you hold down the tap-tempo switch4
- Kill-dry (KD switch), which GuitarPlayer's reviewer found useful for running the effect 100 percent wet in a parallel effects loop and for maximizing some of the wilder effects4
- Four presets plus manual mode; presets store time, repeats, level, subdivision, XTREME mode settings and the XTREME on/off state, with factory examples included for all four modes1
- Selectable trails or true bypass via the TRLS switch1
- Two internal trimmers: a multi-turn trimmer sets the maximum repeat count, and a second sets maximum trails decay in buffered bypass1
The middle footswitch cycles between manual mode and the four preset slots, and a prolonged press on it turns the selected XTREME mode on or off1. The pedal also accepts external control: the TAP input takes a normally-open TS momentary remote switch, and the PS input accepts a TRS preset controller1.
Power and connections
The Delay Llama Xtreme runs on 9V DC, center negative, with an isolated supply recommended, and draws a maximum of 130 mA1. That current draw is worth noting if you run a compact power supply: it is higher than many simple analog pedals, which often draw well under 100 mA, so check your supply's per-output rating.
JAM Pedals recommends an isolated 9V DC supply, center negative. There is no battery option, and the 130 mA maximum draw means a shared or low-current daisy-chain output may not be adequate1.
The DT input is the expression and control-voltage connection. It accepts a passive 10 kΩ expression pedal for delay time, or 0 to 5V CV when the internal DIP switches are set to CV mode1. The pedal measures 14.9 x 12.4 x 5.6 cm (5.8 x 4.8 x 2.2 in) including jacks and controls, and weighs 620 g (1.35 lb)1.
JAM Pedals also sells the Xtreme as one-of-a-kind hand-painted limited artwork versions, including the Eye in the Sky, Spirit of the Sword, Achenbach multi-head and Relic editions; each pedal received will differ in detail from the photos shown1. The Tutti Frutti version is sold out1.
What reviewers said
GuitarPlayer's review was positive on both the extremes and the basics: the Delay Llama "delivers on its promise to take analog delay to new extremes, but retains an extremely musical tone no matter how it's set," offering "a wealth of inspirational tones, from gorgeous delays to pitch madness"4. The reviewer also found that "the Delay Llama's pure analog signal path ensures that no matter how extreme the effects are, they sound gorgeous"4.
Premier Guitar's reviewer called the ear-twisting textures "the cherry on top of a superb analog delay," while noting one limitation: "the lack of stereo output will be limiting to a small percentage of players"6. Pedal of the Day concluded that "the Delay Llama XTREME appeals to traditional delay users and sound explorers alike," calling it "a wonderful sonic creation"7.
Player Brandon Seabrook, on JAM Pedals' artist page, put it this way:
"The Delay Llama Xtreme contains multitudes, I'll always be discovering new things that it can do."
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Guitar World
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Questions
Is the Delay Llama Xtreme true bypass?
It offers both. A TRLS switch on the pedal selects either true bypass or buffered bypass with trails, so you can choose whether repeats continue to ring out after you switch the effect off. Two internal trimmers set the maximum repeat count and the maximum trails decay in buffered bypass.
Does the Delay Llama Xtreme have stereo outputs?
No. Premier Guitar's reviewer noted that the lack of stereo output will be limiting to a small percentage of players. The pedal has a single output with an impedance under 1 kOhm, and a kill-dry switch lets it run fully wet in a parallel effects loop.
What is the maximum delay time on the Delay Llama Xtreme?
800 milliseconds. The delay comes from three 3205 bucket-brigade (BBD) chips, which JAM Pedals says provide up to 800 ms of warm analog repeats. That is an increase over the 600 ms maximum of the earlier Delay Llama, as Premier Guitar pointed out.
Can the Delay Llama Xtreme be controlled with CV?
Yes. The DT input accepts a passive 10 kOhm expression pedal for delay time, or 0 to 5V control voltage when the internal DIP switches are set to CV mode. GuitarPlayer's reviewer noted that using the CV input to clock the delay time can turn the repeats into a programmable sequencer.
Sources (8)
- Delay Llama Xtreme, JAM Pedals (jampedals.com)
- JAM Delay Llama Xtreme, Delicious Audio, 2023-07-13
- NAMM 2020: JAM Pedals Delay Llama Xtreme takes analogue BBD to the max, gearnews.com, 2020-01-12
- JAM Pedals Delay Llama Xtreme Review, GuitarPlayer (www.guitarplayer.com), 2020-06-25
- Jam Pedals Delay Llama Mk3 Review, Premier Guitar, 2023-09-06
- Analog Delay's Secret: Ear-Twisting Textures Revealed, Premier Guitar, 2020-05-22
- JAM Pedals Delay Llama XTREME, Pedal of the Day, 2021-06-02
- Brandon Seabrook, JAM Pedals (www.jampedals.com)
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