Delay

Me, I have an analogue, but for U2, digital is going to be simpler. I just spent some time adjusting carefully for the intro to Streets, which is a delay nirvana.
Making all the changes will be much easier with a digital unit, and I am thinking about adding one for that reason. I love to play Floyd as well, and the same reasoning applies.

I use delay almost exclusively, and have done for years. The Edge basically stole John Martyn's approach to echo and delay (and every guitarist using the device takes from JM, knowingly or not). John was the father of echoplex guitar experimentation, and everyone from Fripp to Page to Brian May to U2 owes him an enormous amount of credit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n7KUUUdIOg

That's 1973.

He's using a Maestro Echoplex. There's really nothing like the warmth of a good old fashioned tape delay. However, they're large and unwieldy for gigs, and you're at the mercy of tape that could break at any time.

As for digital delay, I use a Yamaha DDS-20M, one of the first real digital delay sampler stompboxes on the market. (Much better than the Boss DD-2 a couple of years earlier). It's the only non-racking system effect Abbey Road Studios use, but that doesn't mean it's too pristine or clinical. You can tweak the feedback knob and get some tape-like sounds.

I know someone in Cambridge who gets a nice amount of loop from a Line 6, and someone else who uses a Boss Loopstation. The problem with those pedals is that although they give you many seconds of delay (the Line 6 is supposed to give you about 16 seconds but it's more like 28 seconds if you fart around), they sound a bit twee and gimmicky and don't provide that ambience you want, unless you're using a backline and other effects to shape your tone (rather than relying on a DI box/soundboard).

Fin... Cool link for John Martyn.

This is a good link for Edge fans

http://www.amnesta.net/edge_delay/

As you'll see from the link Edge's live pro rig in the late 80s, and even for several tunes on recent tours has used TC Electronic rack units. For this reason I'd recommend you try out the new TC Electronic Nova delay.

http://www.tcelectronic.com/NovaDelay.asp

Should be the least expensive way to replicate Edge sounds. Tape delay is definately an amazing experience... but perhaps not the best fit if you are trying to cover edge or anyone else. The great thing about tape is it tends to have a unique sound and feel of it's own depending on the unit, speed of the motors, type of tape, cleanliness of the tape transport etc. If instead of looking to cover anyone you are simply looking to bliss out on some spacey echos though... Tape is definately worth exploring... though its not cheap. Hiwatt makes a solid state unit for about $500, fulltone a tube based unit for about $1100. Anything else you'll have to buy used, which is a dicey proposition with fragile tape mechanisms. It's easy to get burned buying used tape delay units on ebay.

If you are really tight on cash try the line6 echo park... a hair more versatile than the boss dd6 which is also a very solid delay pedal. Other contenders in the digital space will be the Boss DD20, and Line 6 dl4. My personal feeling is the Nova has raised the game over these two similarly priced units. There is also the T-Rex Replica which is a beautful digital pedal for about $400. Sounds great. As for Analog delays, they are great... but not a fit if you are trying to emulate the Edge in particular. Edge started out with an Analog Memory man, but pretty much scraped that for a Digital by the time the band finished recording their first albums with Steve Lillywhite. Nearly all the sounds you've heard from him are most often based on Digital delays. Again if you aren't specifically focused on Edge so much as trippy echos, then Analog is worth checking out too. Used Boss DM3 and DM2s are a reasonably safe buy on ebay and usually go for $150 - $175. Mike uses one on his pedal board and they add great atmosphere... though perhaps not spot on repeats. With Analog you get echo... with Tape and Digital you get repeats of what you played. There are plenty of contemporary high end analog delays as well, though in my opinion if you are going to spend over $500 on a delay, it makes sense to go with tape. After all, all these units are imitating tape delay. The only advantage to digital, as Lucy wrote is tweakability. You can peg the *exact* delay time with a unit like the Nova. With tape... factors as out there as room temperature can affect the speed at which your motors are running. Oh... my last 2 cents... the Roland Space Echo tape delay emulator isn't worth it... just a slightly more tweakable version of the tape sim sound on the DD20 which is otherwise more versatile... and still not quite so strong a contender as the Nova. (again in my opinion).

Heres a good explanation of Edges rig and delay use !!


http://guitar.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ/Ya&sdn=guitar&cdn=hobbies&tm=4&f=22&tt=14&bt=0&bts=0&zu=http%3A//www.amnesta.net/edge_delay/

if your a u2 fan why not buy the visual sound h2o
thats what the edge uses.
ive got one, its a delay and chorus pedal, and they are both great sounding
a little more expensive than a regular delay, but much better, and you get a chorus pedal as well!