Korg SDD-1200 Dual Digital Delay
Last Update 11-10-2013
The SDD-1200 is a dual digital delay/sample playback with knobs,
with nice patching I/O options on the rear panel. It can be used
for stereo or for dual independent delay processors. It really
excels at modulated delays (chorus) in stereo. There is no memory
storage or MIDI control. These can be cheap, I found one in a
store for US$75. I have a pair of them, one dedicated to
bass/ostinato synths the other for studio processing (great for stereo
doubling).
Specifications
The delays in the SDD-1200 can go from 0.5 to 1024 milliseconds with
16Khz bandwidth and
you can apply 12dB/oct lowpass or highpass filtering to the feedback
path. The sampling rate varies as to the setting of the FACTOR control,
but the 16Khz bandwidth is maintained through the entire delay
range. If you chain the delays in series using the rear panel I/O
you can get 2048ms (2 seconds)
of delay.
Each delay can be used
as sampling units for playing over looped audio, and you can use a
footswitch to trigger each unit.
The input controls have enough gain to accept anywhere from -10dBv to
+4dBu signals so it will work with pro audio gear or with guitar
rigs. Four segment LED level indicators are provided for each
unit.
The feedback (regeneration) can be inverted, the *key* to killer flange
effects, and you can get up to 110% feedback for runaway loops.
Each
delay can be used as sampling units for playing over looped audio and
you can trigger the loops with a footpedal. Unfortunately,
changing
the delay time interupts the audio signal which is common for a digital
delay; analog delays don't have this problem.
Each delay has its own LFO, and when using it in stereo mode you can
run
each LFO independently, in-phase, or out-phase. Out-phase LFO is
the key to lush stereo chorus that doesn't cancel in mono. But
the best part of the SDD-1200 is that the LFOs are real analog. That means
smooth modulation with no discrete stepping. Neither the SDD-2000
or SDD-3300 have that.
The rear panel sports an excellent I/O matrix;
for each unit you have input, +/- outputs (pseudo stereo which
disappears when you play back in mono mode), effect out, direct out,
bypass, hold/trig (in sampling mode) and feedback in. This is the
first digital delay unit I've seen with a feedback input. The
bypass
is very effective for popping in chorus or doubling processing "on the
fly".
The knobs are the dual concentric type with separate controls for
each delay unit. It's real easy to experiment until you get "the
sound".
You can configure this unit in Parallel mode (dual processors), Serial
mode (output of one processor feeds the input of the other, IE chain
them for a 2 second delay), Cross-feedback mode (effect out of each
processor are crossed to the feedback input of the other), or Open
Feedback loop (effect out of one processor feeds feeds the input of the
other, then that output feeds the feedback input of the first).
The
"B" input is normalled to the "A" input for easy stereo processing of
mono signals. With a patchbay you can go hog wild.
Changing the delay time interrupts the audio signal which is common for
a digital delay. This is not a box you'd use
for live realtime tweaking.
The manual is well-written. It explains the functions and has
some
good examples as starting points for patches. Only thing missing
is a
block diagram, it's printed on the top of the unit but it's nice to
have it in black and white.
I personally like the sound of
these units for stereo chorus and doubling, they have an analog quality
to them. In my experimentation it worked best on vocals, percussion,
and guitars from my multitrack. It is very effective for stereo
synthesizer bass. I used to use an ART
Multiverb for modulated delay FX but it was too noisy and the internal
chorus algorithms clip too easy. When
my SDD set grew, I then dumped the ART.
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