The Visual Sound Dual Tap Delay is a delay pedal with two independent delay channels in one enclosure, each with its own control section and synchronized tap tempo. The maker, Visual Sound, is now known as Truetone, and the pedal is no longer in production: Pedal of the Day's 2016 review notes it was discontinued and predicts it "will be a sought-after item in years to come"1. Guitar World listed it at $249.95 in its April 2012 review2.
Two delay channels in one pedal
Like many Visual Sound pedals, this is a two-in-one design4. Each of the two separate delays features the same control section, and both channels can be used simultaneously41. Truetone's product page for the V3 version sums up the concept plainly: "Two delay channels. Tap tempo on both. Synchronized."3
Channel one adds a modulation control that can blend chorus into the delayed effect4. The pedal is physically large: Pedal of the Day's reviewer noted "this thing is BIG!"1
"A fine piece of kit for occasional, old-school delayists."
The controls
Each channel carries the same set of controls, per MusicRadar's review4:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Time division | Selects the delay's time division |
| Delay time | Sets the delay length, up to a maximum of one second432 |
| Repeats | Sets the number of repeats |
| Effect level | Sets the delay's level in the mix |
| Manual/tap switch | Switches between manual delay time and tap tempo |
| Mini tone | Shapes the tone of the repeats |
| Modulation (channel one) | Adds chorus to the delayed effect4 |
Three hefty footswitches operate each channel's on/off status (both can be used simultaneously) and the tap tempo4. There is also an external Tap Tempo jack, which Pedal of the Day describes as "enabling easy on-the-fly tempo tapping"1.
Inputs, outputs and stereo use
The pedal is a mono delay, but it has two outputs: one mono, plus an output to a second amp, which can be switched to effected or dry4. Pedal of the Day confirms "there are 2 separate Outs on the back panel" for running in stereo1.
The input side has an extra jack as well. Guitar World's review describes a 1/4-inch input that accommodates either an additional tap footswitch or a click-track input signal using the optional Time Bandit external click track converter2. That converter, the Visual Sound Time Bandit, was announced for release later in 20122.
The Dual Tap Delay is a mono pedal. Its two outputs serve mono-plus-second-amp setups or stereo rigs, but the delay engine itself is not stereo.
MIDI clock and sync
The Dual Tap Delay does not use MIDI Clock itself, but Molten Voltage's blog lists it among pedals with a tap input jack that can sync to MIDI Clock using their CTL-Sync adapter, "even though they don't use MIDI Clock"5. A later Molten Voltage index repeats that it can sync to MIDI Clock using Molten Voltage's CTL-Sync6.
Analog or digital?
MusicRadar classes the circuit as a "hybrid analog/digital circuit"4. The same review describes the tonal range the tone control offers: "we hear the clarity of digital with the tone turned up, with the option of more analogue sounds with reduced tone and po[tential for self-oscillating mayhem]"4. The reviewer found it "dead easy to use"4.
Related pedals and where it fits
The Dual Tap Delay is a mono delay pedal, but it carries two outputs: a standard mono output plus a second output for a second amp, which can be switched to effected or dry signal4. Channel one also has a modulation control, so you can add chorus into the delay4. For other delay options, see the site's Delay Pedals page.
Videos
Guitar World
Sweetwater
Premier Guitar
Questions
Is the Visual Sound Dual Tap Delay analog or digital?
MusicRadar's review classes it as a hybrid analog/digital circuit. The reviewer described hearing the clarity of digital with the tone control turned up, with the option of more analog sounds with the tone reduced, and the potential for self-oscillating mayhem at the extremes.
How long is the maximum delay time on the Dual Tap Delay?
Both delay channels provide a maximum delay time of one second, a figure given by Guitar World's review and confirmed on Truetone's product page for the V3 version, which lists one second per channel.
Can the Dual Tap Delay run in stereo?
It is a mono pedal, but it has two separate outputs on the back panel. MusicRadar describes one as mono, plus an output to a second amp that can be switched to effected or dry, and Pedal of the Day notes the two separate outs can be used for running in stereo.
Can the Visual Sound Dual Tap Delay sync to MIDI clock?
Not directly. Molten Voltage's blog lists it among pedals with a tap input jack that can sync to MIDI Clock using their CTL-Sync adapter, even though the pedal itself does not use MIDI Clock.
Is the Visual Sound Dual Tap Delay still made?
No. Pedal of the Day's 2016 review notes it is no longer in production, and predicts the pedal will be a sought-after item in years to come. The maker is now known as Truetone.
Does the Dual Tap Delay have tap tempo?
Yes. Three footswitches operate each channel's on/off status and the tap tempo, and there is also an external Tap Tempo jack for on-the-fly tempo tapping, according to MusicRadar and Pedal of the Day.
Sources (6)
- Visual Sound Dual Tap Delay, Pedal of the Day (pedal-of-the-day.com), 2016-01-07
- Review: Visual Sound Dual Tap Delay, Guitar World, 2012-04-06
- V3 Dual Tap Delay, Truetone, 2026
- Visual Sound Dual Tap Delay review, MusicRadar, 2012-01-30
- MIDI PedalBoard Devices: 28 Effects that can sync to MIDI Clock with CTL-Sync, Molten Voltage (blog.moltenvoltage.com), 2014-06-12
- MIDI PedalBoard Devices: Guitar Effect Pedals that Sync to MIDI Clock, Molten Voltage (blog.moltenvoltage.com), 2014-10-07
