Vox Time Machine Delay

Overview

The Vox Time Machine is what happened when Vox got together with Joe Satriani and decided to create a delay pedal. It is very clean sounding and easy to use, but at the same time it has enough features to take care of business. Simple yet effective! The two delay modes, vintage and modern, give you subtle shifts in the overall delay flavor. The time machine even comes with a Hi-Fi/Lo-Fi switch for a bit of custom “Satch” tone.

My favorite things about this pedal are quality of the sound and the tap-tempo, a must for any delay pedal on my pedalboard. The delay range knob doubles as a subdivision knob when you are using the tap-tempo. This is a very cool feature and it is super-useful for gigs where you have to come up with cool delay sounds on the spot.

Price   -   8/10

$199.99

This might seem a bit expensive for a single pedal but when you compare it to other delay pedals of the same quality and with the same features, I think it is pretty reasonable.

There are other delay pedals out there around this price with a lot more features and settings, but if you like to keep it simple you might want to stick with the Time Machine.

Sound Quality   -   8.5/10

The Time Machine is a very clean sounding delay pedal and it seemed to be pretty quite too, even at higher volumes.

There was not a huge difference in the sound between the vintage and modern modes but there was enough to notice a change. I guess I was expecting more of a drastic contrast between these two modes but it was pretty subtle.

Build Quality   -    9/10

No complaints on the build quality, I would say that this one is quite a bit above average. The On/Off and Tap-tempo buttons were quite nice and seemed to be of great quality. Nice and quiet, not the clicking kind.

Features   -   8/10

• In/Outputs: 1 x INPUT, 1 x OUTPUT, 1 x DRY OUT, 1 x DC9V

• Max Delay Time: 5800 milliseconds via Tap-Tempo, 1000 milliseconds via Delay control

• Power Supply: 9V battery or AC adapter (sold separately)

• Current Consumption: 60mA

• Dimensions: 143(W) x 121(D) x 58(H) mm / 5.63”(W) x 4.76”(D) x 2.28”(H)

• Weight: 600g /1.32 lbs (without batteries)

• Included Items: 9V battery (included)

• Options: 9V AC adapter (not included)

Ease of Use   -  8/10

You don’t have to be a genius to use a Time Machine, at least not a Vox Time Machine. This guy was pretty easy to just plug in and play. The only time I had to consult the owner’s manual was when I wanted to see how to use the delay range knob to set the subdivisions for the tap-tempo function.

I also read through the manual a bit to see the exact functions vintage/modern button and Hi-Fi/Lo-Fi switch.

Pros

• Easy to use
• Sounds great
• Great build quality
• On/Off and tap-tempo buttons seem to be of really great quality
• It’s not as large as some of the other high-end delay pedals out there

Cons

• Power supply not included

• Differences in delay modes seems to be a bit too subtle

• Subdivisions for tap-tempo are not indicated on the actual pedal

Overall Rating   -   8.3/10

If you want a great sounding delay pedal that is easy to use and doesn’t take up too much space on your pedalboard you might want to go check out the Vox Time Machine.

If you are looking for a delay pedal with tons of different options, settings, and modes you might want to look at something else.

I was impressed with the overall sound of the Time Machine and the ease of use, but there are a couple of things that I like in a delay pedal that were not included. I would like to have a few more modes to play with just in case I found myself at a cover or studio gig that called for them. That’s just my personal preference though.