Arion Digital Delay / Sampler DDS-4

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Arion

Submitted by Dan from Pensacola, FL (10 points) on Sep 13, 2006
I purchased my Arion DDS-4 in 1988 at the same time I purchased my Les Paul Custom. Through the years they have been a good match especially for studio work. My Arion went out a few years ago,(circuit board short). I have tried other delay/samplers..they just don't match my old Arion. I desperately want to have it repaired and even purchase another as a back-up. If anyone can give me a lead on how to accomplish both..contact me at techscape@cox.net I own and operate a garage recording studio..have been recording and tracking for decades. i am an old rocker that likes his old tools..HELP!!!!
Good Points: Lots of capabilities with tight control on delay intervals..sampler massages ones imagination to create unique riffs. A great studio SFX tool.
Bad Points: Didn't last forever
Price Paid: US$0.00
Purchased At: Pallus music Jacksonville FL.
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Submitted by Ian from BRIGHTON (16 points) on Sep 8, 2005
I bought one of these when they first arrived in this country. 1987? It has put up with much and never let me down. Everything still works and the length of the loops for the time are incredible. It replaced my Electro Harmonix Memory Man and I can even get that sound too! I have written entire instrumentals using loops on this machine. It's a fantastic piece of kit; why they don't still make them I will never know. Ace - if mine ever breaks I will be heart broken. I am, however, going to get an Akai Headrush 2 as a back up when I can afford it.
Good Points: Virtualy everthing is great about it.
Bad Points: You have got to run it off a power supply. It eats a Duracell in half an hour!
Price Paid: US$100.00
Purchased At: Tiger Music Brighton England
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Submitted by nkondi from Portland, OR (610 points) on May 3, 2003
probably their best. a great delay sampler, which does all what the more expensive guys do, and way better. it has a great range of delays when using this how its supposed to...but is that what were really here for? no this is probably one of the best feedback loop starting points ive heard. it rumbles itself into a nice distorted mess that is wonderfully rhythmic, and beautifully loud on its own...of course coupling it with distortions and other pedals is always a plus...if this were to break i would deffinately hump a beached whale to get another.
Good Points: not as expensive as those other delay samplers...
Bad Points: arion in their short sightedness decided to not make these any more...shame on them. so now all those bitch ass collectors are naturally jacking up the price...
Price Paid: US$40.00
Purchased At: ebay
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Submitted by maarten from Twello (64 points) on Aug 29, 2002
this delay is great! you can mess around for hours making nice loops and overdubs and again. one thing which i like is the possibility for making very short loops and then strech them, you can get unexpected sequences if you are lucky. this thing sounds good and you also have the ability to shape the delayed or looped signal.
Good Points:
Bad Points: it's getting older and older and so things are breaking and stuff.
Price Paid: US$50.00
Purchased At: shop
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Submitted by K. from Sealy, TX (528 points) on Nov 19, 2001
By far the coolest delay I own, and that's compared to several DOD/Digitech pedal and rack delays in the studio. The controls on this unit are the standard fare, level, repeat, delay time, the tone control is a nice feature, but one I seldom use, and it doesn't really affect the tone greatly. The really cool thing about this unit is the mode switch which allows you to choose four different delay times in the delay mode. Fairly similar to the Digitech PDS 20/20, but unlike the Digitech there is no dropout of the signal when switching between delay times on the Arion. So when switching from a very short delay time to say two seconds it has the effect of stretching out the previous delay, should add that the repeat control should be full clockwise for best results. I'm fairly certain Masonna has used one of these extensively. The sampling function is pretty standard, but still useful. Definitely recommended if you can find one.
Good Points: No drop-out of the signal when switching between delay speeds.
Bad Points: None
Price Paid: US$50.00
Purchased At: Rockin' Robin in Houston,TX
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