Total Recall Video Comparison

[LaceSensor]

Hi

A friend of mine asked me to compare my Deluxe Memory Man pedals.
Here is the video. Below is some blurb from me.

I actually have four. One is a beat up older revision of the 90s reissue, with 2x MN3005 chips, and true bypass by 3PDT
The second one is a really clean later revision of the big box, with 4x MN3008 chips, with relay true bypass
Thirdly, I have a Total Recall that I built with 2x MN3005 chips, and true bypass by 3PDT

Not featured is my XO Reissue in the small die cast case. This has 4x MN3008 chips, and true bypass via 3PDT
I did a comparison myself and this sounds very close to the others, too.

I should note that for all these pedals (even the unfeatured XO), the 100k input resistor has been changed to a 1Meg trim, and typically set to between 300k-500k
Anyone who has built this circuit knows that tweaking all of the many trims is an artform, and the different delay chips, feedback trim positions etc define how much you want to drive the front end of the preamp, hence the variation. This is referred to as the Analogman input impedance mod (although Im sure Howard Davis would take credit also).
Additionally, I have tried to clock the max delay time as close to 7.5khz as I can, by tacking on small parallel capacitors around the 240pF stock cap, which is frequently referred to as the Analogman clock or delay time mod. Analogman goes a bit far in my opinion pushing it to 600ms delay time; mine are clocked for as close to 550ms as is reasonable. YMMV but I dont really need that much delay time (I think the sweet spot is about 400-450ms, depending on play style) and once you go to 600ms+ there is a clear introduction of ring-mod-ish sounding clock noise artefacts.

For what its worth, I think any of the pedals I have really work for the classic DMM sound (eg the Edge, Eric Johnson and many others) and the corksniffers will tell you the MN3005 ones are the best. The honest truth is, whichever one is biased and set up the best will sound the nicest. A poorly calibrated MN3005 will sound like ass compared to an XO, or a 4x3008 clone done right.

The Big Box ones are undeniably cool, but in real estate starved boards particularly for live/road use, I see no reason not to build a Total Recall.

Enjoy, and happy to answer questions.

[gordo]

Great demo but I nearly blew chunks once the camera started swinging around :-)

[LaceSensor]

Great demo but I nearly blew chunks once the camera started swinging around :-)

Fair. It was done quickly, and I dont have a iphone tripod.
Best to look away and listen for differences tbh, then examine later if you think one sounds much better than the other.

Incidentally my friend thinks this:

"Interesting. I think I can tell a difference, although just a slight one. The obvious one to my ears is that your dmm with the 8-chips just sounds waaaay better and really has that "trebly" airy DMM sound. (Maybe it was set a little louder too? I feel it just cuts through more). The other two sound very similar but I feel the clone is slightly darker, "smudgier" and a little less airy than the other one. I think the beat up DMM sounds more like your crazy clean one but more "tired". But that might be my imagination too. Would you agree with all this?"

I think its probably the fact that the 3008 unit was set a bit louder on the input or the blend was marginally higher so the repeats popped a bit more maybe. Who knows. Its almost impossible to set them identically.

[selfdestroyer]

The honest truth is, whichever one is biased and set up the best will sound the nicest. A poorly calibrated MN3005 will sound like ass compared to an XO, or a 4x3008 clone done right.

Agreed!

Great comparison.

[nzCdog]

Sweetness! 
Thanks for the demo.  Total Recall build procrastinator here... 

[gordo]

I have to admit, the audio quality is very good. I miss my old original. The band I was in back then did a couple of "Flock of Seagulls" tunes over the course of the night and the DMM nailed it.

[LaceSensor]

Done another vid including the XO with a bit of a competition going on

http://www.madbeanpedals.com/forum/index.php?topic=29826.0

Ian