The Suhr Discovery Analog Delay is an analog delay pedal from Suhr, designed by Kevin Suhr and launched in 202112. Its delay path is all analog, built on four reissued versions of the MN3005 bucket brigade chip, the same type of device that shaped the sound of vintage analog delays3. What sets it apart from most bucket brigade pedals is the control layer around that analog core: tap tempo, rhythmic subdivisions, a 7-segment display, 127 savable presets and full MIDI4.
Suhr describes the pedal's aim as "classic analog delay warmth with the control to make it your own"4.
Delay time, tap tempo and subdivisions
The Discovery's basic delay range runs from 40ms to 1100ms, and it expands to 17ms to 2000ms using the pedal's subdivision and tap tempo controls34. Suhr's page puts it as "delay times of 40ms-1100ms, expandable to 17ms-2000ms & beyond with up/down & division buttons"436.
Tap tempo is handled by a dedicated footswitch: tapping more than once sets the quarter-note delay time5. From there the division buttons select the subdivision the repeats lock to, which is how a quarter-note tap becomes shorter, faster repeats. The available subdivisions are4:
- Quarter note
- Dotted eighth
- Eighth note triplet
- Eighth note
- Sixteenth note
A 7-segment display shows the current setting as BPM, milliseconds or a preset number, so you can see exactly where the delay time sits instead of guessing by ear4.
Controls and modulation
The control set covers the repeat shaping and modulation you would expect from an analog delay, plus the preset and division buttons that drive the expanded range746.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Mix | Blends dry and wet signal; counterclockwise is 100% dry, fully clockwise is 100% wet, center is 100% dry and 100% wet5 |
| Lo-Cut | Shaves bass off the repeats1 |
| Hi-Cut | Shaves treble off the repeats1 |
| Modulation speed and depth | Sets the rate and amount of warble on the repeats4 |
| Division buttons | Select subdivisions and expand the delay range46 |
The modulation section offers three waveform choices, triangle, sine and square7, and Suhr says the Modulation control lets you go from "the warble and flutter of a vintage analog delay" up to Leslie-style speed shifts781. The Lo-Cut and Hi-Cut knobs form a simple two-knob EQ for the repeats, so you can darken them like a worn vintage unit or keep them bright3.
Bypass, presets and MIDI
The bypass mode is a global setting. In true bypass the input is physically connected to the output, taking all circuitry out of the signal path; in buffer bypass the input to the delay path is disconnected, leaving the delays to trail until they decay5. The factory default is true bypass5.
Everything you dial in can be stored: the pedal holds 127 savable presets4, and the Bypass and Tap-Tempo footswitches can be used to recall them instantly9. MIDI runs on 5-pin DIN input and output/thru, and the Discovery can even send Program Changes to other pedals that accept MIDI, so it can act as a controller for the rest of a MIDI pedalboard5.
The rear jacks add further control options5:
- An expression pedal input (stereo TRS 1/4") that accepts a low impedance 10K ohm expression pedal to control all the knobs per preset
- An external switch jack (stereo TRS 1/8") for a momentary dual footswitch, with three modes: BYTP (Bypass Tap), PrSt (Instant Preset Mode) and PrS2 (Jump Preset Mode)
- An external tap switch jack (mono TS 1/4")
Power
The Discovery runs on 18V DC, center negative, through a 2.1mm x 5.5mm barrel connector, and draws 220mA53. It has reverse polarity protection5, and MusicRadar reported at launch that it ships with an 18V DC power supply10.
The 18V requirement means the Discovery cannot run on a standard pedal supply or a battery. Check that your power brick has an 18V center-negative output rated for enough current before adding it to a board.
Other specifications from the manual: input impedance 470KΩ, output impedance 100Ω, dimensions 4" (W) x 5.33" (T) x 2.36" (H), weight 1.3 lbs., and RoHS compliance5.
The Dark Discovery version
Suhr also makes the Dark Discovery, a Black Cerakote Edition that is the same circuit as the original Discovery Analog Delay in a different finish71. Cerakote is a thin-film ceramic coating7. Players comparing the two are choosing a look, not a different delay.
Where it came from and what reviewers said
Suhr launched the Discovery in July 2021, and it arrived in a year when several makers brought out analog delays: That Pedal Show noted that Suhr, J Rockett and Mythos all launched analog delay pedals in 2021, ranging from simple to feature-rich2. Gearnews described it at launch as a preset-capable analog delay built on MN3005 chips49.
Pete Thorn's verdict, quoted by Delicious Audio when the pedal began shipping, was strong on tone9:
"at least equal if not better than any other analog delay that I have ever played, but with more headroom and more fidelity"
In 2024, Pedal of the Day reviewed the pedal and found the combination of the analog core and the modern control layer added up to unusual flexibility, calling it "creating one of the most versatile delays of any kind we've seen yet"8.
Videos
Pete Thorn
Suhr Custom
Suhr Custom
News
Questions
Is the Suhr Discovery Analog Delay true bypass?
It can be. The bypass mode is selectable in the global settings between true bypass and buffer bypass, and the factory default is true bypass. In buffer bypass mode the input to the delay path is disconnected, so repeats trail off and decay naturally instead of cutting off abruptly.
How many BBD chips are in the Suhr Discovery?
Four. The all-analog delay path is built on four reissued versions of the MN3005 bucket brigade analog delay chip, the classic device used in vintage analog delays. Suhr describes the pedal as a bucket brigade style analog delay in its user guide.
Is the Suhr Discovery stereo?
No. The output is a single mono 1/4 inch TS jack. The pedal does have a MIDI Out/Thru on a 5-pin DIN connector, plus a mono input, an external tap switch jack, an expression pedal input and a MIDI In.
Where is the Suhr Discovery made?
Suhr lists the Discovery Analog Delay as assembled in the USA.
Sources (10)
- Discovery, Suhr.com
- Why Choose An Analog Delay Pedal? Suhr Discovery, J Rockett Clockwork, Mythos Oracle & Memory Man, That Pedal Show, 2021-09-03
- Dark Discovery Analog Delay by Suhr, RockBoard (www.rockboard.de), 2026
- Discovery, Suhr (www.suhr.com)
- Discovery-Delay-User-Guide-Rev.1.5.pdf, Suhr (media.suhr.com), 2021-08-03
- Suhr Discovery Analog Delay: The ultimate boutique delay?, gearnews.com, 2021-07-01
- Dark Discovery Analog Delay, Suhr
- Suhr Discovery Analog Delay, Pedal of the Day, 2024-06-20
- Now Shipping: Suhr Discovery Analog Delay, Delicious Audio, 2021-07-16
- Suhr seeks out new frontiers of boutique pedal design with the Discovery Analog Delay, MusicRadar, 2021-07-02
