Question:
I was at my local Guitar Center, and they have the Digidelay for $100 and the Echo Park for $120. Twenty bucks is not a lot of difference (although I think the Echo Park usually goes for $150, in which case I would have a hard time justifying the $50 difference). These two pedals both seem good, and I feel like I could go either way.
I'm interested in:
-which has the most useful settings/features for playing contemporary/progressive worship?
-which is easier to use?
-which sounds the best?
Thanks for any input you guys can give me!
Answer:
This is not even a contest. ECHO PARK. Don't even consider the Digitech. So go and buy the Line6 and be happy. You need reasons? YOU DON'T NEED ANY. Now did I say go?

Answer:
Originally Posted by jamforchrist123 You need reasons? YOU DON'T NEED ANY.
Thanks, Jam, but if I'm going to spend $100 or so, I would really like reasons!
Answer:
Well, the tap tempo on the digitech is not as practical as the echo park. Having to hold it for 3 seconds to activate then another 3 to deactivate makes on the fly tempo adjustments impossible. The ability to add modulation to any setting, rather than a dedicated modulated model is very nice. Various echo patterns paired with tape, analog, or digital resolution adds up to a lot of options.
Wow, I sound like a line 6 rep. or something.
Answer:
I purchased the Echo Park after comparing it to the Boss DD-6, Boss dd-20, and the Line 6 dl4. The DL4 is nice but this was my first delay pedal, and the extra freatures just didn't justify the large price diff in my mind.
I use the normal, dotted 1/8th, swells and the multi 1 settings regularly. The built-in tap tempo with the two "stops" is also very handy and was one of the two factors that led to me picking the Echo Park over the DD-6. You don't have to press and hold it down to activate it like others. The other factor was the way the DD-6 changed the tone. One down side is that I need to use a seperate adaptor for the Echo Park. All of my other pedals are powered by a single Godlyke adaptor. I do see the usefulness of having memory presets that are featured in the DD-20 and DL4 but to me it's not worth the extra cost.
Have not tried the Digitech delay so I cannot comment on ease of use. The Echo Park wasn't hard to figure out but i still had to sit down and fiddle for a bit. Also, it has many useful settings but I still don't think I make use of even half of them.
Answer:
Originally Posted by edriver Well, the tap tempo on the digitech is not as practical as the echo park. Having to hold it for 3 seconds to activate then another 3 to deactivate makes on the fly tempo adjustments impossible. The ability to add modulation to any setting, rather than a dedicated modulated model is very nice. Various echo patterns paired with tape, analog, or digital resolution adds up to a lot of options. I agree wholly. I had an XDD for a very short amount of time. It sounded GREAT, but the way the tap tempo was set up was too confusing for me. I traded it for a BOSS DD-5. I really like having the external tap even if it means sacrificing some tonal variation.
Answer:
They both have good reputations. The echo park here moreso than the digidelay, but the DigiDelay has it's fans too. As far as tap tempo goes, I really didn't like the way Line6 did their's, not intuitive to me at all. I have a DD6, which has a tap tempo function similar to the DigiDelay. Mor intuitive than the Line6...but still kind of counter productive. There is a trick to get around changing tempo's on the fly. If you need the delay on though more than just one song, just leave it in tap tempo mode,, and tap a new tempo whenever you need it. The DD5 and GigaDelay have got it right with the external tap though, only way to go in my oppinion.
As far as sound goes, you'll just have to try them out yourself. If you like the echopark and can talk them down on the price even more then I'd reccomend it. I don't really think it's worth more than the DigiDelay, but it's just as good. Check used though, you can generally get a used DigiDelay for like $60 on craigslist...
Answer:
Thanks for the input--between those two, I think I'm starting to lean toward the Echo Park. But hey, here comes a curve: as I was checking out Musician's Friend, I came across the Ibanez DE7Delay/Echo. The price is nice on this one--only $70, which would make this nicer to justify to my wife . But it apparently doesn't have a tap function.
So here comes a new question: how important is a tap function in worship settings? And does anyone know anything good/bad about the Ibanez DE7?
Answer:
unleses you're really confident with your ability to remember delay settings and in your band to play a song the same way every time, tap tempo is nearly a must, because it allows you to set the tempo by tapping your foot with the beat instead of trial and error knob turning.
that being said, I used to use a Danelectro PB&J as my primary delay in a worship band. I used it enough that I had a pretty good feel for what situations I wanted to use it in, and what settings I would need for those situations.
Now, the Ibanez DE-7, like the Danelectro PB&J is considered a budget gem. Many players consider the lack of tap tempo to be the DE-7's only downfall. It's supposed to be one of the better sounding digital delays on the market.
Answer:
I'm with thesteve on this one. To me, tap tempo is absolutely essential for P&W...for me, it is the most essential thing on my board. Trying to remember settings is just too hard when you're doing 4-5 songs per week every week. It is soooo simple just to tap along with the drummer when he counts off at the beginning of the song and then poof....delay time set precisely to the song.
Also, something about my brain just doesn't work well with the delays that have the built in tap tempo. Something about having the on/off and the tap function in the same pedal was just not right. So I purposely got a used DD-5 because it relies on the external tap tempo. So much easier, to my feeble brain, to have the on/off in the pedal switch and the tap switch (I used some generic keyboard sustain pedal, no need to get the Boss switch) lying on the floor in front of me.
To the original poster, the DD-5 has a lot of good functions, and the external tap if that's your thing, and one used would be at or below the price of the ones you're looking at (I got mine for $90 on ebay).
Answer:
I compared an echo park and a digitech directly, and even though I didn't buy either one, had those been my only two choices I would have bought the Echo Park for sure. I thought it sounded much better overall.
Answer:
I have yet to try one, but people I trust have said that the DE-7 is nearly as good as high end analog delays like the Diamond Memory Lane. Actually....I need to get one, but I'm trying to save my money for a new computer...
Answer:
Thanks for all the great advice--I think I'll save my $ for the Echo Park. The tap tempo is something that I can grow with, and I'll probably be glad that I have it when I get used to it.
Answer:
If you are running a high gain amp make shure you will will run the Echo Park through the loop if not look elsewhere for a delay. I bought one of the Line 6 Echo Parks and I mean these are NOISY BIG TIME!! I went back to my old Dan Echo ( the old analog Dan Echo I have is MUCH MUCH quiter than a Echo Park!! ) and DUMPED the POS Echo Park. My MM and several members of our praise team all complained about all the noise the first night I used it!! Not only did the Echo Park unleash an absolute WALL of white noise HISS it also had a wierd SKOINK sound going on as it pulsed in the bypass mode. I am running a pair of Fender Prosonics and they have insane amounts of gain in the crunch channel. The effects loop levels are too hot for pedals so it forces me to run all my effects into the front end. I lost my shirt on that one and I won't be looking at trying a Line 6 pedal again!!
Answer:
shread, was your Echo Park power supply daisy chained in line with other pedals on your board?