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A non-existing delay: Vestax DDG-1 & similar units

by Jane is K.O.

A friend working in a DJ equipment store in Berlin around 1997 recommended buying a preproduction delay unit by Vestax called DDG-1. Soon after I regretted i hadn’t already gotten two of them, as this one got to be a permanent companion right away. Unfortunately it never got into a full production then, CE certificate issues, i heard. A non-existing delay unit.

So here’s a Vestax DDG-1.

(image from approx. 2006, looks much worse now)

This table unit has a unique combination of features in one unit, which i couldn’t find anywhere after.

- It’s relatively small
- It’s digital (probably 16bit/32KHz)
- It has a hold switch, to loop data in delay buffer.
- It has delay time modulation with depth and speed (approx. 0.05 Hz to 10Hz), capable of extreme sounds, working both in delay and hold mode. LFO waveform is roughly a sawtooth.
- It has 5 delay ranges, 2, 8, 32, 128 and 512 ms, all variable with a separate dial 0.5x – 2x. When you switch the range, old audio remains in buffer until overwritten. Good for interesting hold loops.
- Big silver delay time knob and LFO give you pitch control as clean as on a tape machine.

That delay fun sound like this:
That small loop starting to pitch there and going on with various alterations.

Since my unit is already more than 15 years old and has mechanically worn out extremely i had to look for replacement parts, which were impossible to obtain. The dials for instance are Japanese ALPS, 4-pin PCB mounted RK11K114 ... (I'll post a separate article on reparing those potentiometers some time)

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So i looked around and found, that Vestax or predecessors Vesta Fire and Vesta Kozo had produced various alterations of this unit already:

A Vestax MDD-9 is mono, but has nice extra output and remote control options. Beware, it runs on 15V.

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A Vesta Fire D-1x with additional LFO unit, stompbox-style. This one lacks the 2 ms range of the DDG-1. The hold function only works in 256-1024 mode – but the LFO unit has two switchable waveforms. My unit arrived with a broken LFO unit, i am still repairing. Unfortunately the D-1x has no option to listen to delay only. As a foot pedal it is yet great. It self-oscillates to a greater extent, than the DDG-1 and it’s overall sound is very analog. Recommended unit for compressed signal, input needs a good minimum level to escape the noise floor of the unit. Youtube video, not from me.

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Also look for the Vestax DIG-400,

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the Vesta Kozo DIG-411 (and 411B) rack unit includes a high cut filter on the feedback line

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Finally the ideal variation, unfortunately without hold switch. Vesta Fire MDX.

Compliments to such variety, Vestax/Vesta Fire You might want to consider to get those legendary units back into production ;)

Thank you to the Looper’s Delight mailing list for helping research all those options.

If there’s anything similar i haven’t covered: Please comment. Thank you.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jane is K.O. aka jayrope is a Berlin-based composer, producer and musician.
More info: jayrope.com