The NUX Duotime, announced by NUX in October 2020 as the Duotime Dual Delay Engine, is a compact stereo delay pedal with two independent delay engines and five delay types in one box123. Each engine has its own time, sub-division and repeat controls, so you can set up two different rhythmic repeats and route them to separate outputs, or run the pedal in mono with the second engine fed from the first input2. It also carries a built-in looper, tap tempo and an OLED display, at a launch price of 149 USD4.
A stereo dual delay with five delay types
NUX positions the Duotime as "a real stereo delay pedal with independent time / sub-division & repeat knobs"25. The five delay types are chosen from the panel as ANALOG, TAPE, DIGI, MOD and VERB2:
| Delay type | What it is based on | Delay time |
|---|---|---|
| Analog Delay | Bucket-brigade device (BBD), discrete-time analog delay | 40ms to 402ms2 |
| Tape Echo | Roland's RE-201 Space Echo | 55ms to 552ms36 |
| Digi Delay | Clean digital delay | listed by mode2 |
| Mod Delay | Modulated delay repeats | listed by mode2 |
| Verb Delay | Delay with reverb and shimmer mixed in | listed by mode2 |
The Analog mode models the bucket-brigade device, the chip behind classic analog delay pedals, and NUX says the Tape Echo mode is based on Roland's RE-201 Space Echo6. GuitarPlayer described the Verb delay as "a spatial, shimmer-equipped Verb delay"7, and Pedal of the Day called it a "Pioneer 3 dimensional feeling Verb Delay"1. Pedal of the Day also noted "realistic infinite pitch-shift feedback in Analog and Tape modes", the self-oscillation behavior players associate with BBD and tape delays1.
The stereo routing is the core idea. With only IN 1 connected, that signal runs DELAY 1, governed by the TIME 1 and REPEAT 1 knobs, out of OUT 1, and is copied to run DELAY 2 for OUT 2. With both inputs connected, each input feeds its own delay engine and output2. Pedal of the Day summed it up as a "True stereo delay engine with independent controls in a compact size"1.
The controls and footswitches
The panel is built around the two delay engines, each with its own time, sub-division and repeat knobs25.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| LEVEL knob | Controls the delay mix level; becomes LOOP LEVEL for phrase loop volume in Looper mode2 |
| PARAMETER knob (Analog) | Controls modulation depth; increase for a wider modulated sound2 |
| PARAMETER knob (Tape Echo) | Controls signal saturation; increase for more saturated, distorted repeats2 |
| PARAMETER knob (Verb Delay) | Controls reverb and shimmer mix; increase for more depth and a 3D feeling2 |
| TIME 1 / REPEAT 1 | Set delay time and repeats for DELAY 1, out of OUT 12 |
| OLED display | Shows current delay type and delay time in MS or BPM2 |
There are two footswitches, labeled On/Off and Tap Tempo. Pressed together, they activate Looper mode, and the switches then double as record, play and dub controls4. The right-hand Tap footswitch adjusts the speed and delay sub-division on the fly76, with sub-division time signatures so you can tap in rhythmic values2. Pedal of the Day reports up to 1800ms of stereo delay time available by tap tempo1.
The Duotime has no preset storage. NUX describes all other knobs as working independently in normal mode, so the panel settings are always live2.
The two footswitches are labeled On/Off and Tap Tempo; pressed together they activate the Looper mode, and they can then double as Rec/Play/Dub controls4. The right-hand Tap footswitch also sets the speed and delay subdivision67. In loop mode, the LEVEL knob becomes LOOP LEVEL, controlling the phrase loop's volume2.
Power and connections
The Duotime runs on a 9V DC negative tip supply, and NUX specifies a 300mA supply even though the pedal itself draws less than 150mA2. MusicRadar likewise lists 9V DC power3. There is no battery option; the DC jack is the only power input2.
NUX instructs players to use only 9V negative tip power with 300mA. A lower-current daisy chain output may not be up to the job even though the pedal draws under 150mA itself2.
Connections are IN 1 (MONO), IN 2, OUT 1 (MONO) and OUT 22. A USB port handles firmware updates, and the current product page documents Firmware V2.02.
Other measured specifications from NUX2:
- Sampling rate: 48kHz, 32Bit signal processing and A/D conversion
- Frequency response: 20Hz to 20kHz, ±1dB
- Dynamic range: 102dBu
- Maximum input and output level: 10dBu / 2.8Vrms
- Input impedance: 5MΩ; output impedance: 1kΩ
- THD+N: 0.02% / -70dB (A-weighting) at 1Vrms input, 1kHz
- System latency: 1ms
Where it came from and what reviewers said
NUX announced the Duotime Dual Delay Engine with a launch price of 149 USD4. At the time of the announcement, the exact shipping date had not yet been announced4. For players in the Eurozone, the price was given as close to €1494.
Gearnews reviewer Jef highlighted one limitation:
"It's a shame that the delays cannot simply be switched in series and can only run in parallel4."
The two engines cannot be chained so that one delay feeds the other; they always run side by side4.
Within NUX's delay lineup, the Duotime sits among pedals like the NUX Atlantic, the NUX Time Core Deluxe, the NUX Tape Core Deluxe and the later NUX NDD-7 Tape Echo, which also draws on the Roland RE-201 for its tape echo modeling.
Videos
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Sources (7)
- NUX Duotime Dual Delay Engine, Pedal of the Day, 2023-03-30
- Duotime - NUX Audio, NUX Audio, 2026-05-11
- NUX's Duotime Dual-Delay Engine is a compact stereo delay offering five flavours of repeats, MusicRadar, 2020-10-29
- NUX's new Duotime crams in five rack-style stereo delays and a looper for $149, gearnews.com, 2020-10-30
- Nu-X Releases the Duotime Dual-Delay Engine, Premier Guitar, 2020-11-06
- NUX unveils Duotime Dual Delay Engine stereo delay pedal, Guitar World, 2020-11-09
- NUX Debuts New Duotime Dual Delay Engine Pedal, GuitarPlayer (www.guitarplayer.com), 2020-11-09
