tech21 Boost D.L.A. d User manual

POWER REQUIREMENTS
* Utilizes standard 9V alkaline battery (not included). NOTE: Input jack activates battery.To conserve
energy, unplug when not in use. Power Consumption: approx. 50mA, for battery life of approximately
10 hours.
* USE DC POWER SUPPLY ONLY! Failure to do so may damage the unit and void warranty.
DC Power Supply Specifications:
-9V DC regulated or unregulated, 100mA minimum;
-2.1mm female plug, center negative (-).
Optional factory power supply is available: Tech 21 Model #DC2.
WARNINGS:
*Attempting to repair unit is not recommended and may void warranty.
*Missing or altered serial numbers automatically void warranty. For your own
protection: be sure serial number labels on the unit’s back plate and exterior
box are intact, and return your warranty registration card.
ONEYEAR LIMITED WARRANTY. PROOF OF PURCHASE REQUIRED. Manufacturer war-
rants unit to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for one (1) year from date of purchase
to the original purchaser and is not transferable.This warranty does not include damage resulting from
accident, misuse, abuse, alteration, or incorrect current or voltage. If unit becomes defective within war-
ranty period,Tech 21 will repair or replace it free of charge.After expiration,Tech 21 will repair defec-
tive unit for a fee.
ALL REPAIRS for residents of U.S. and Canada: Call Tech 21 for Return Authorization Number.
Manufacturer will not accept packages without prior authorization, pre-paid freight (UPS preferred) and
proper insurance.
FOR PERSONAL ASSISTANCE & SERVICE:
Contact Tech 21 weekdays from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, EST.
MADE IN THE U.S.A.
T: 973-777-6996 • F: 973-777-9899
E: [email protected] • www.tech21nyc.com
©2009 Tech 21 USA, Inc.
Owner’s Manual

TECH 21, THE COMPANY
Tech 21 was formed by a guitarist possessing the unusual combination of a trained ear and
electronics expertise. In 1989, B.Andrew Barta made his invention commercially available to
players and studios around the world. His highly-acclaimed SansAmp™ pioneered Tube
Amplifier Emulation in professional applications for recording direct and performing live, and
created an entirely new category of signal processing.There have since been many entries
into this niche, yet SansAmp continues to maintain its reputation as the industry standard.
With a full line of SansAmp models,Tech 21 also offers effect pedals and MIDI products, as
well as “traditional” style amplifiers for guitar and bass. Each product is thoughtfully and
respectfully designed by B.Andrew Barta himself with the player in mind. Our goal is to pro-
vide you with flexible, versatile tools to cultivate, control, refine and redefine your own indi-
vidual sound.Tech 21 takes great pride in delivering consistent quality sound, studio to studio,
club to club, arena to arena.
PRODUCT OVERVIEW
The Boost D.L.A. is an analog delay emulator pedal that uniquely incorporates a clean boost
function for up to 9dB of additional volume.With boost and delay in a single pedal, your solos
will jump out with greater dimension.The Boost D.L.A. offers an abundance of easy-to-use,
intuitive controls in an incredibly compact pedal --and it’s battery operable.
This pedal is designed with user-tweakable,“lo-fi” analog technology. By manipulating the
controls, you can infuse degrees of warmth and life characteristic of vintage delays.The cir-
cuitry intentionally injects the inherent imperfections of vintage delays, which is what makes
them so seductive and nostalgic.
Features include a dedicated footswitch for Tap Tempo to avoid confusion during your per-
formance.A single, continuously-variable Time control provides a full sweep of delay, up to
1000 milliseconds. Flutter introduces modulation which adds a slight shimmering/chorus-like
effect of a vintage tape echo.The Mix, Feedback,Tone and Level controls are 100% analog
for warm, organic sounds.The Boost D.L.A. enables you to explore and custom tailor such
delay styles as digital, vintage tape and bucket brigade.
As with each Tech 21 product, the controls are designed to give you the flexibility to obtain
your desired sound. It is our hope that the Boost D.L.A. will be a useful tool for stimulating
your creativity and, ultimately, providing the inspiration to play your best.
THE INS AND OUTS
1/4” INPUT: 1megOhm high impedance input, same as traditional tube amps.Also switches
battery power on/off.To avoid battery drain, unplug when unit is not in use.
1/4” OUTPUT: 1kOhm low impedance output drives long cables without loss of signal
integrity, even in bypass.
SIGNAL LEVEL TO INPUT/CONNECTIONS
The Boost D.L.A. is designed to accommodate instrument level signals to the Input, such as
the output of a guitar, the output of distortion pedals, etc. For normal operation, signal level
to Input should be close to that of a standard electric guitar (approx -10dBm / 250mV).
NOTE: Some amplifier effects loops are line level, which will cause the Boost D.L.A. to dis-
tort. It will also compress the signal and reduce the output.The same may hold true for
mixing boards.Therefore, you may need to obtain a level matching transformer.
Be aware that line level signals will not damage the Boost D.L.A., however the resulting
sound may not be particularly desirable.
GUIDE TO CONTROLS
TIME
Controls the amount of delay.This single, continuously-variable control provides a smooth,
full sweep, ranging from 30 milliseconds up to 1,000 milliseconds.At 12 o’clock,Time is
approximately 300 milliseconds.You can easily dial in the exact amount of delay desired with
one turn of the knob.Turning the Time control while playing will transpose the pitch of your
guitar note, just like a vintage analog delay.
TAP TEMPO
Dedicated footswitch makes it simple to just tap in the delay tempo you want during your
performance.Tap Tempo will override the Time setting (and conversely, turning the Time
knob will override the Tap Tempo).The Tap Tempo works in Bypass so you can set it ahead
of time.
A special feature of the Tech 21 Tap Tempo is that it will not change the pitch of your guitar
tone when you change the pace from faster to slower or slower to faster.This provides a
seamless transition for on-the-fly adjustments if your drummer drifts.
TRIPLETS
Works in conjunction with Tap Tempo.The up position (off) = 1/4-note mode where the
repeats match the tempo you tap. Engaged, it shifts the timing so the repeats play back in
triplets.
TONE
100% analog shelving filter of 6dB per octave.Affects the tone of the delayed signal.At max (5
o’clock), it has no effect.As you decrease the setting, it will reduce the high-end to round off
the signal and add warmth. So that, like an analog echo, each successive repeat will be darker.
ToneTips: To slightly warm up the sound, experiment between 1-3 o’clock.To radically dark-
en the tone, experiment between 12-7 o’clock.With the D.L.A. in front of a distorted or
slightly distorted amp, set the Tone control to make the repeats darker than the straight signal,
between 11-1 o’clock.This will keep the straight and delayed signal from “fighting” with each
other.
FEEDBACK
100% analog circuit. Feeds back the delayed signal to the input of the pedal to generate the
number of repeats.At minimum (7 o’clock), you will hear one repeat.As you increase the set-
ting, the repeats will follow accordingly until they are almost infinite.At max, it will self-oscillate.
FeedbackTip: With the Boost D.L.A. in front of an amp, the amp will compress the signal
and make the low level repeats louder.Therefore, you will most likely need to have the setting
lower than you would when running through an effects loop. For instance, you may find a
Feedback setting at 10-11 o’clock through an effects loop will yield 3-4 repeats. However,
through the front of an amp, you may find a setting of 4 o’clock will yield the equivalent.

MIX
100% analog circuit.Adjusts ratio of direct and delayed signal.The Tech 21 Mix control
sweeps from 100% dry to 100% wet (while most delays provide a max 50/50 mix ratio via a
level control).You have more flexibility when running through a parallel effects loop without
annoying phase cancellation, and to make the delayed signal louder than the direct signal for
special effect.
FLUTTER
Introduces modulation which adds a slight shimmering/chorus-like effect of a vintage tape
echo.At minimum (7 o’clock), there is no effect.At maximum, there will be a drastic shifting
of the pitch, which can be used for extreme
special effects.
LEVEL / BOOST
100% analog circuit.Adjusts the overall output level. Increasing from unity gain (12 o’clock)
provides additional boost, up to 9dB.
Level tip: If you have a 100% wet signal going through a parallel effects loop, use the Level
to adjust the mix of dry and effected signal.
BYPASS
Buffered bypass eliminates the shortcomings associated with “true bypass” (pops and clicks,
and high-end loss when multiple pedals are connected together), as well as signal loss associ-
ated with other types of switching circuits.
TRAILS
Works in conjunction with Bypass and is particularly useful when Feedback is set at 11
o’clock or higher.The up position (off) = standard operating mode. Engaging Trails causes the
delay signal to gradually and smoothly diminish for up to 5 seconds when you go into bypass
mode, rather than stopping abruptly. Once you go into bypass, the guitar signal is no longer
fed into the delay circuitry and allowed to decay naturally. Note: If desired, you can lengthen
the Trail time for more than 5 seconds simply by holding the Bypass footswitch down until
you want it to stop.
PLACEMENT NOTES
The general rule of thumb with time-based effects, is to place them last in the signal chain.
Here are some points to consider:
1) Into an amp’s effects loop. Gives the cleanest, most true representation of the effect
because it is after the amp’s tone shaping, compression and distortion. It’s the closest way to
replicate how delays are used in recording studios.
2) In front of an amp.The amp’s tone, compression and distortion will all change how a
delay sounds.The amp will distort, brighten and raise the level of the Boost D.L.A., which
will give you more of a ‘70s sound. For a more natural sound, reduce the Mix, Feedback and
Tone controls as needed.
3) After an amp emulator (such as a SansAmp) or distortion pedal into an amp.
Set your amp completely clean to achieve similar results to running through an effects loop.
NOTEWORTHY NOTES
1) Interaction with your other gear. You may need to use radically different settings for
each individual way you use it. Do not be discouraged or suspect something is wrong with the
unit. If you’ve got your sound, you’ve simply found the right balance to complement each indi-
vidual type of gear.
2) When recording through a studio mixer, set the Boost D.L.A. at 100% wet. Use the
AUX send/return of the mixer and use the effects knob on the mixer channel to bring in
the desired amount of delay.
3) Stereo imaging for a ‘70s jazz chorus sound. With, for instance, two Tech 21
Trademark 60 combo amps, plug your guitar into one amp, use the Effects Send to the
Boost D.L.A. set at 100% wet, a short delay and Flutter at 12 o’clock.Then run the Boost
D.L.A. to the Effects Return of the second amp.
4) The Boost D.L.A. is very responsive. Our controls are unusually sensitive and tend
to perform beyond what would be considered “normal.”
5) LED indicator light. When battery runs low, the LED becomes noticeably dim. Power
consumption is 50mA.With a fresh battery, you can expect approx. 10 hours of continuous
use --more than enough for a full gig.To conserve battery life, unplug unit during breaks and
other times when not in use.We recommend opting for a power supply (Tech 21 Model
#DC2 or equivalent), as it is environmentally-friendlier, will ensure operation, save money, and
relieve stress trying to remember when you last changed the battery.