The NUX Duotime can in fact run both delay lines in series as described on the website of the manufacturer. Just connect OUT1 to IN2 with a cable. I just got mine and tested this. Sounds great btw.
I've only ever owned a Strymon El Cap...but I have a Nux Analog Delay (pink one) and it sounds great, love the tone. Just got the DuoTime and I've got it strapped to the aux send of my mixer (I'm a synth user) it sounds great for the money! Not knocking the Strymon, but for the money...Nux nailed it.
Australia: DIG: @$500 Duotime: @$230 Analog dry through in the DIG, I believe. The Duotime has a display. That's a bonus. EDIT: After another listen, I prefer the tone of the NUX's repeats. The DIG seems a little hard, harsh. Very percussive.
@@doves9204 I had a Time Force, was my first multi-function delay. I loved it, great fun., but it had an issue with the power supply. Got it sorted, after chatting with a fellow pedal-head,. I used it a lot, sold it, moved on. I kinda miss it. This generation of NUX pedals are definitely at a higher standard, but I would not expect Strymon QC. That's unrealistic. The only Strymon pedal ever to really capture me is the Deco. What a unit, masterful.
@@marekw7562 That's true, and probably does more credit and respect to Bill Vencil. I was just kidding, knowing Bill also used to like rock music back in the day.
Hi there Bill, Hope you are doing extremely well and thanks for another excellent video. One of the functions I love about the Strymon DIG is the ‘Golden Ratio’ setting. I play in my local Church worship band and think that function would go down a treat especially alongside the Big-Sky. Is there a ‘Golden Ratio’ type setting in the available subdivisions at all. Thanks once again and keep up the great work 😊
Hi Bill, great video highlighting that great tones don't have to cost a fortune. To my ears (frankly which after decades of amplified damage should not be trusted) the differences are, for the directly comparable features, negligible. My only foray into slightly higher priced echoey things to date has been an Ocean Machine (which I'm delighted with). It's also one of the very few pedals I own that wasn't "previously enjoyed" which brings me to my point, that with such a glut of pedals on the market, secondhand purchases are the way to go for those of us on a budget. Secondly there's just so much to choose from now that I've reached option paralysis and I'm deliberately taking a break from pedal acquisition. I can remember pressing my teenage nose against a shop window in the 80's and marvelling at the vast array of literally a DOZEN pedals! In one shop! How do you deal with the bewildering array of choices?
Dude, have you seen pedal prices, or guitar realm prices? We are at a major peak in prices right now. Used is like 5% cheaper than new right now. And trust me, I am thoroughly a used guy. I'm so broke, I'm usually a broken used guy, and hope I can fix it. But used isn't making much sense right now. Unless you have an angle on used pedals I don't know about?! Try and find a used Way Huge Conquistador for any appreciable discount off the new price!
Very nice Bill! I was already wondering on how these two would compare. Nice surprise is that soundwise the difference is minor. There are some essential differences, which you have very clearly and simply demonstrated. My choice, when money saving (and spending) is an option again, would still be the El Capistan for unparallelled simulation of analog tape, and the duo time for alternative delays. Especially the combination of 8 and 16 notes with triplets appeals to me. Thanks for this nice demonstration video!
Hi, Bill! Love your direct comparison demos! There's a detail on the NUX with the delay times I've read on their website - they are different for the models. The max length is 1,5 seconds on the MOD setting, while the analog one only goes to 400 ms.
I was debating between an EQD Avalanche Run and a Strymon El Capistan for a new delay pedal. The decision just got more difficult. I was a human chainsaw of a guitarist until I stumbled into ambient playing over the past year. This channel is exactly what I've needed to figure the rest of it out.
Those are both great pedals. Since you’ve got a hard choice, think about your requirements and the ways you would likely use a pedal. Hopefully that will bring some clarity.
Hi Bill, not related to this video but just a quick question. Do you rate the EHX Freeze for ambient / drone use? I know if I get an older one I'd need to do the soft switch mod, but just wondering if you recommend it / any alternatives?
I'm curious as to how much the NUX benefits from Strymon's R&D -- is it basically a cloned circuit with a few different features? Donner, Caline, and Joyo make unabashed clones of boutique pedals and sell them at budget pedal prices. I'm not very familiar with NUX. Are they in the same camp?
The digital pedal is based on the algorithm. It's not related to the circuit. The main difference between the other Chinese brands you mentioned is about the developing team. For this kind of digital product, you need algorithm engineers, and embedded(DSP) engineers. So it's unlike the movie that you can hack the source code...
@@Monkcustom Movie? What movie? I mean the question seriously, since I don't know much about how DSP works. Reverse engineering in general is an age-old practice that I first encountered decades ago when I bought an Earth amplifier that was basically a reverse-engineered Peavey built with cheaper parts and sold for about half as much as the original. The pedals I mention above continue that tradition. I just wondered if it was possible for someone to do that with the Strymon and then, when you mentioned the algorithm, I wondered if it was possible to clone it if you had the processing chip from one of their units. Anyway, I love movies, I'm going to go watch one now.
Good comparison , makes you wonder how strymon & source audio - etc could charge so much , is there any info. On how much processing power the duo time has ? , I know the source audio has high quality processors and you can hear it but this nix sounds pretty good for the average player ,My prediction is the war is over and I hope the kings have saved their profits cause Nux is going to kill them with prices like 150 dollars
Good demo Bill .. I own a Dig and based on your demo I'd say it's the better sounding delay. But then the DuoTime is a lot cheaper so may suit an ambient guitarist on a budget. What's the build quality like? I love my Strymon pedals as they are built like tanks and are designed to take pedalboard punishment.
Yes - I did not address build. The NUX pedals that I have are all pretty good build quality. I don't think that the controls are as robust as a Strymon pedal, however, for studio use and non-touring live use, the pedal should hold up well.
I’m there with you, price being made in China of course but it will be something for someone who wants a lot of options for price and can’t get a timeline. I’m DIG 100% based on sound
@@MATTE.U.K No. LOL. But, knowing them, they will. They are laser focused on the synth market and doing an amazing job IMHO. With all the cheap pedals out now, not sure what they would gain actually. Time will tell.
I had a feeling the NUX was a Chinese brand. It is. Guangdong province. Hence the rock-bottom price. The quality is probably very close, but I'd imagine the California made Strymon has way better customer service.
I bought a NUX Duotime Stereo Delay Pedal based on this review. I was excited to get the pedal but was confused as to why there was an instrument cable included in the package. When I disconnected my current pedal and tried to plug in this pedal, my standard instrument cable would not fit in the pedal jacks. I'm seriously annoyed and am returning this pedal the same day I got it. totally frustrated with this nonsense but I would suggest you purchase the Strymon; what a load of crap.
I know, right; I have purchased many pedals and this has never happened. I do wonder why they sent a 10' instrument cable that I did not purchase; that has never happened before either. Anyway, I returned it to China and am looking forward to my new Strymon Dig.
IMHO in standard mode (DIG 24/96 vs NUX Digi) Nux sounds more defined. Better blend of dry and wet signals. Good mix. But other modes didn't inspire me. There are lot of better analog simulator pedal. And Verb mode sounds messy. Also DIG with enabled modulation eats NUX alive.
Sorry but this comparison should be also done with high gain lead sources ala Dream Theatre/QR All digital delays sound similar with pristine clean tone. What matters is can it get close to the 12 bit magic of a TC 2290 etc etc The Dig pulls that off insanely well. Some Strymon are ex TC employees I think. The Dig is a hell of a piece. There are many good “budget” pedals but Strymon is always a cut above. YMMV but the Dig has better sound even clean IMO….and I bet when it comes to handling high gain you’ll see the difference more.
The Strymon was also developed from the ground up by the people in the USA. The Duotime is probably using existing technology that is probably easier to come by. No wrong choice though.
@@chrisfit Besides the production location, the marketing strategy is totally different. NUX has to carry factory(production line), it means they need quantity to keep workers and also engineers. For Strymon, it's more like a design house without a production line. So it has to be more expensive and keep the boutique image.
@@mattgilbert7347 If you mean coerced by the necessity of making a living, sure. But do you want to be coerced by the nature of life into doing a job YOU relatively choose WHERE YOU relatively choose to live, or do you want to be coerced by the govt of another race/religion into labor that THEY FORCE you to do where THEY FORCE you to live? Pretty easy choice, eh?
The Duotime has clicks on the loop points! It sounds horrible. Unusable. Was just about to pick it up, too. The looper pushed me over the edge, I was gonna bite. But all those repeating stacked click clunks... why?! Just why!? Come on. Cool edit pro in the 90's could take care of those loop point clicks. It's 20 years later and my watch is more powerful than my computer from back then, and we still have clicky loop points? ARGH. Can you tell I'm pissed?
Good catch. I missed it the first time around, but I wouldn't miss it after buying and playing it. It's unacceptably shoddy. Even the $35 Rowin nano looper does not have that problem. I'm upset too.
Well, there's a USB port, so there's hope it's not the circuit and that it can be fixed with firmware. I think even their old Time Force multi-delay had the exact same issue.
The NUX Duotime can in fact run both delay lines in series as described on the website of the manufacturer. Just connect OUT1 to IN2 with a cable. I just got mine and tested this. Sounds great btw.
great to know! thank you
Are others pedals able to run delays in series? Mooer d7? Anything else? Thanks
This is a pretty cool tip
Both sound good to my ears, I’m just happy listening to your playing, great tone as well
NUX has a nice display that shows the ms and bpm and the looper track.
I've only ever owned a Strymon El Cap...but I have a Nux Analog Delay (pink one) and it sounds great, love the tone. Just got the DuoTime and I've got it strapped to the aux send of my mixer (I'm a synth user) it sounds great for the money! Not knocking the Strymon, but for the money...Nux nailed it.
Definitely a lot of value for the $$ (or whatever your currency symbol may be :-))
Australia:
DIG: @$500
Duotime: @$230
Analog dry through in the DIG, I believe.
The Duotime has a display. That's a bonus.
EDIT: After another listen, I prefer the tone of the NUX's repeats. The DIG seems a little hard, harsh. Very percussive.
dig is only 299€ over here
$150 USD is equal to $230.78 AUD, so pretty much the same cost.
@@doves9204 I had a Time Force, was my first multi-function delay. I loved it, great fun., but it had an issue with the power supply. Got it sorted, after chatting with a fellow pedal-head,. I used it a lot, sold it, moved on. I kinda miss it.
This generation of NUX pedals are definitely at a higher standard, but I would not expect Strymon QC. That's unrealistic.
The only Strymon pedal ever to really capture me is the Deco. What a unit, masterful.
@@doves9204 Yeah, I am getting towards that point myself. I'm too old now to carry heavy amps.
Both pedals are cool, but your beard is magnificent :-) good to see you again sir
True. I'm wondering whether he is preparing to join ZZ-top, as a solid rock alternative to all that ambient ....
@@agerven he is more like Gandalf
@@marekw7562 That's true, and probably does more credit and respect to Bill Vencil. I was just kidding, knowing Bill also used to like rock music back in the day.
With that boyish face, he would look 20 years younger without it.
Neither I nor my family want to see what is underneath the beard at this point. Way too scary to contemplate!
2020 Bill reminds me of a first century Desert Father. St. Ambience
Recommend wearing headphones or monitors
You find that bounce back nicely.
Now to talk about how nice that tone is.
Good job as always
I'm still happy with my sdd 3000 pedal
Hi there Bill,
Hope you are doing extremely well and thanks for another excellent video.
One of the functions I love about the Strymon DIG is the ‘Golden Ratio’ setting. I play in my local Church worship band and think that function would go down a treat especially alongside the Big-Sky.
Is there a ‘Golden Ratio’ type setting in the available subdivisions at all.
Thanks once again and keep up the great work 😊
Hi Bill, great video highlighting that great tones don't have to cost a fortune. To my ears (frankly which after decades of amplified damage should not be trusted) the differences are, for the directly comparable features, negligible. My only foray into slightly higher priced echoey things to date has been an Ocean Machine (which I'm delighted with). It's also one of the very few pedals I own that wasn't "previously enjoyed" which brings me to my point, that with such a glut of pedals on the market, secondhand purchases are the way to go for those of us on a budget. Secondly there's just so much to choose from now that I've reached option paralysis and I'm deliberately taking a break from pedal acquisition. I can remember pressing my teenage nose against a shop window in the 80's and marvelling at the vast array of literally a DOZEN pedals! In one shop! How do you deal with the bewildering array of choices?
Dude, have you seen pedal prices, or guitar realm prices? We are at a major peak in prices right now. Used is like 5% cheaper than new right now. And trust me, I am thoroughly a used guy. I'm so broke, I'm usually a broken used guy, and hope I can fix it. But used isn't making much sense right now. Unless you have an angle on used pedals I don't know about?! Try and find a used Way Huge Conquistador for any appreciable discount off the new price!
I really wish the timeline could make the sounds of the Dig and El Capistrano but i think it would make it too good of a deal.
Sold my DIG & bought NUX for $130 on Reverb - no regrets. I have a separate looper, so any looper issues are not a problem for me.
What about noise? Is the NUX quiet? Also was wondering if it has Trails.
Yep, it's quiet, and it has trails
Thank you so much. This answers my question.
Very nice Bill! I was already wondering on how these two would compare. Nice surprise is that soundwise the difference is minor. There are some essential differences, which you have very clearly and simply demonstrated.
My choice, when money saving (and spending) is an option again, would still be the El Capistan for unparallelled simulation of analog tape, and the duo time for alternative delays. Especially the combination of 8 and 16 notes with triplets appeals to me.
Thanks for this nice demonstration video!
Hi, Bill! Love your direct comparison demos! There's a detail on the NUX with the delay times I've read on their website - they are different for the models. The max length is 1,5 seconds on the MOD setting, while the analog one only goes to 400 ms.
Glad I have the DIG.
This comparison does not detract from the wonder of the DIG. :-)
You might consider doing a video that gives possible plugin alternatives to expensive Strymon pedals....
I've done a bunch here on the channel. Here are 2 examples: ua-cam.com/video/ZAyCIkvrhf0/v-deo.html and ua-cam.com/video/4KFuNFa30Rc/v-deo.html
Would be nice to compare these and the DD-200, two of them are mid range priced delays
I was debating between an EQD Avalanche Run and a Strymon El Capistan for a new delay pedal. The decision just got more difficult.
I was a human chainsaw of a guitarist until I stumbled into ambient playing over the past year. This channel is exactly what I've needed to figure the rest of it out.
Those are both great pedals. Since you’ve got a hard choice, think about your requirements and the ways you would likely use a pedal. Hopefully that will bring some clarity.
NUX, IT's a no-brainer, plus you have a loop and u can use the delay at the same time u use the loop.
Seems like a better comparison would be to the timeline considering the multiple delay types on the Duotime
and perhaps balance the mix on both. The dig mix value was WAY dryer
Whoa that ping pong is EVERYTHING
That guitar sounds fantastic!
Hi Bill, not related to this video but just a quick question. Do you rate the EHX Freeze for ambient / drone use? I know if I get an older one I'd need to do the soft switch mod, but just wondering if you recommend it / any alternatives?
Dig vs Walrus Mako D1?
personally use a dd200. maybe not as good as a specific delay pedal in a similar pricerange but very usable and flexible
It is a fine pedal!
And the DD200 has sends Midi Clock so you can sync it to other devices or your DAW. A huge pro for the Boss.
Great video as usual. Questions; is the NUX quiet and does it have trails?
Yes and yes to both.
Great channel
Can you use any of the delays with the loop feature on the duotime? Great video, thanks!
yes indeed. In my general demo of the Duotime, I show that capability
@@chordsoforion thank you! For some reason I missed that. Watching your frippertronics video from 2015. Great stuff!!
Are they pretty much the same size or is the NUX a little bigger?
They are pretty close.
I'm curious as to how much the NUX benefits from Strymon's R&D -- is it basically a cloned circuit with a few different features? Donner, Caline, and Joyo make unabashed clones of boutique pedals and sell them at budget pedal prices. I'm not very familiar with NUX. Are they in the same camp?
The digital pedal is based on the algorithm. It's not related to the circuit. The main difference between the other Chinese brands you mentioned is about the developing team. For this kind of digital product, you need algorithm engineers, and embedded(DSP) engineers. So it's unlike the movie that you can hack the source code...
WRONG not the same circuit, since the DIG is Analoge dry though
@@Monkcustom So, you can't reverse engineer an algorithm?
@@cmcg5788 Don't watch too much movie. ^_____^
@@Monkcustom Movie? What movie? I mean the question seriously, since I don't know much about how DSP works. Reverse engineering in general is an age-old practice that I first encountered decades ago when I bought an Earth amplifier that was basically a reverse-engineered Peavey built with cheaper parts and sold for about half as much as the original. The pedals I mention above continue that tradition. I just wondered if it was possible for someone to do that with the Strymon and then, when you mentioned the algorithm, I wondered if it was possible to clone it if you had the processing chip from one of their units. Anyway, I love movies, I'm going to go watch one now.
Good comparison , makes you wonder how strymon & source audio - etc could charge so much , is there any info. On how much processing power the duo time has ? , I know the source audio has high quality processors and you can hear it but this nix sounds pretty good for the average player ,My prediction is the war is over and I hope the kings have saved their profits cause Nux is going to kill them with prices like 150 dollars
American designer wages aren't cheap.
Can i play with just one delay?
I own a Dig and play with one delay quite often. Just roll the mix of the delay 2 to zero.
Good demo Bill .. I own a Dig and based on your demo I'd say it's the better sounding delay. But then the DuoTime is a lot cheaper so may suit an ambient guitarist on a budget. What's the build quality like? I love my Strymon pedals as they are built like tanks and are designed to take pedalboard punishment.
Yes - I did not address build. The NUX pedals that I have are all pretty good build quality. I don't think that the controls are as robust as a Strymon pedal, however, for studio use and non-touring live use, the pedal should hold up well.
Rocky!
I’ve just ordered a walrus d1 to replace my triple delay would love to see you review it
I use a pigtronix echolution phi going into a t-rex replicator tape echo and love these delays
Nothing wrong with that!
@@chordsoforion I kinda want my jhs panther cub v2.5 back now but 3 delays is a little much haha
@@lightwarriors7778 More delay is more better!
I prefer the strymon sound...but of course, the duotime has a great price...
I’m there with you, price being made in China of course but it will be something for someone who wants a lot of options for price and can’t get a timeline. I’m DIG 100% based on sound
Can't wait for behringer to release $50.00 versions of all of them.
Did they?
@@MATTE.U.K No. LOL. But, knowing them, they will. They are laser focused on the synth market and doing an amazing job IMHO. With all the cheap pedals out now, not sure what they would gain actually. Time will tell.
I just bought Duotime for 60e from a dude... Wow looks like I got good deal.
Sweet!
The strymon definitely sounds best.
NUX was great!
you seem less enthusiastic about the NUX…?
Dig not having a controllable modulation was a big let down
it is true that the only options are a "light" and "heavy" option to the modulation. But - they are so amazing sounding...
@@chordsoforion Im thinking the Boss DD-200 might be the best of both, just wish it was smaller.
I had a feeling the NUX was a Chinese brand. It is. Guangdong province. Hence the rock-bottom price. The quality is probably very close, but I'd imagine the California made Strymon has way better customer service.
Dig
I still want an Ocean Machine
I bought a NUX Duotime Stereo Delay Pedal based on this review. I was excited to get the pedal but was confused as to why there was an instrument cable included in the package. When I disconnected my current pedal and tried to plug in this pedal, my standard instrument cable would not fit in the pedal jacks. I'm seriously annoyed and am returning this pedal the same day I got it. totally frustrated with this nonsense but I would suggest you purchase the Strymon; what a load of crap.
Really? I just bought one yesterday and my cables fit as per any other pedal. It's excellent.
I know, right; I have purchased many pedals and this has never happened. I do wonder why they sent a 10' instrument cable that I did not purchase; that has never happened before either. Anyway, I returned it to China and am looking forward to my new Strymon Dig.
Def Pink Floyd the Wall in there!
IMHO in standard mode (DIG 24/96 vs NUX Digi) Nux sounds more defined. Better blend of dry and wet signals. Good mix. But other modes didn't inspire me. There are lot of better analog simulator pedal. And Verb mode sounds messy. Also DIG with enabled modulation eats NUX alive.
What stereo delay pedals would you recomend for more the analog simulator in the dig or smaller size?
Sorry but this comparison should be also done with high gain lead sources ala Dream Theatre/QR
All digital delays sound similar with pristine clean tone. What matters is can it get close to the 12 bit magic of a TC 2290 etc etc
The Dig pulls that off insanely well. Some Strymon are ex TC employees I think.
The Dig is a hell of a piece.
There are many good “budget” pedals but Strymon is always a cut above. YMMV but the Dig has better sound even clean IMO….and I bet when it comes to handling high gain you’ll see the difference more.
Let's get really real. Duotime is cheaper because it's made in China, while Strymon is made in the USA. :-)
The Strymon was also developed from the ground up by the people in the USA. The Duotime is probably using existing technology that is probably easier to come by. No wrong choice though.
@@chrisfit Well, that depends on whether labor is voluntary or forced. Do we know?
@@genepozniak All labor is coerced.
@@chrisfit Besides the production location, the marketing strategy is totally different. NUX has to carry factory(production line), it means they need quantity to keep workers and also engineers.
For Strymon, it's more like a design house without a production line. So it has to be more expensive and keep the boutique image.
@@mattgilbert7347 If you mean coerced by the necessity of making a living, sure. But do you want to be coerced by the nature of life into doing a job YOU relatively choose WHERE YOU relatively choose to live, or do you want to be coerced by the govt of another race/religion into labor that THEY FORCE you to do where THEY FORCE you to live? Pretty easy choice, eh?
Both are digital! 😁
XOXO
Comment offering for the Algorithm Gods
I’ll be using this if you don’t mind :)
1st
In the very first comparison, the volume of the strymon sounds lower. Thus, invalid.
Let's Go Brandon!
The Duotime has clicks on the loop points! It sounds horrible. Unusable. Was just about to pick it up, too. The looper pushed me over the edge, I was gonna bite. But all those repeating stacked click clunks... why?! Just why!? Come on. Cool edit pro in the 90's could take care of those loop point clicks. It's 20 years later and my watch is more powerful than my computer from back then, and we still have clicky loop points? ARGH. Can you tell I'm pissed?
Good catch. I missed it the first time around, but I wouldn't miss it after buying and playing it. It's unacceptably shoddy. Even the $35 Rowin nano looper does not have that problem. I'm upset too.
Well, there's a USB port, so there's hope it's not the circuit and that it can be fixed with firmware. I think even their old Time Force multi-delay had the exact same issue.