A well-crafted delay can arguably be the MVP of the modulation world. Just think of Albert Lee’s cascading lines. Hell, The Edge has made a career out of creatively using echo. Emergent among all the multi-function delay units around with a million different settings and three times as many presets as you’d ever need is the Bullseye Delay from GMF. It sports a refreshingly simple layout, with the standard trio of controls that encourage you to twist and explore the old-school side of analog delay.
Since it’s an analog delay the time control maxes out at about 360 ms—plenty for most applications, but not enough for the super-ethereal minded. The sound is typical analog: warm, plenty of response, and no weird digital artifacts or glassy high end. When dialed to it’s lowest delay setting (approx. 140 ms), the DL-1 sat in that interesting place between a slapback and some sort of slightly claustrophobic ’verb. On the other end of the spectrum, the longer delay sounds can cover the always-on Lukather solo setting and more spacey and self-oscillating tones when you crank the repeat knob. Overall, the DL-1 is a tank and what it might lack in fancy features it makes up for in usable sounds.