ADA Depot - A Forum To Support Users of ADA Amplification Gear
Other ADA Gear => ADA Effects => Topic started by: Chamai on March 10, 2022, 08:40:10 PM
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Hey friends,
Recently an ADA D1280 showed up at my local guitar store. Has anyone tried one? I couldn't find much info on it. I don't have a chance to try it out with my rig.
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Hey Chamai, unfortunately we never got any ADA effects in Oz but it looks like a good delay with some other nice time based effects. Others here like them, IIRC MJMP said it had a great flange :dunno: . When it came out it would have been one of the best long delay options (1280ms @ 15khz bandwidth). Have a look at the manual (attached)
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I bought one recently but only had a chance to experiment with it once and I believe mine may need repairs because my unit delay gets beyond crazy at the extreme settings but at the lower flange and chorus settings sounds better than I thought it would. I downloaded the manual here but haven't gotten any farther than that.
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Hey Chamai,
I never tried the D1280, but I do remember trying the D640 when they were a current item in the stores back in the day. I remember not being too impressed with the sound because it seemed to have a somewhat dark quality to it. At least to my ears it seemed that way, but remember, taste is subjective.
It's the predecessor to the 1.28i, which followed the D series delays. I like the "i" series as well as the "S" series delays because they do sound good. The 1.28i has a similar layout as the D1280, with a selectable waveform added, so I can choose between Sine, Triangle and Square waveforms.
All I can say to you is go audition it. try out a few different effects settings from the manual, and see what you think. If it sounds good to you, and the price is right, then go for it. In the early 80's, this was considered state of the art studio processing gear. By today's standards, it would be considered a mediocre pedal quality device to be honest, just like all my ADA effects processors.
Just like all the old ADA gear, it's all about the character of tone which I think is quite unique to ADA. (Just my opinion). All of the ADA processors have their own characteristic personalities if you will. Who knows? You might find a dedicated effect situation for it down the road. I certainly have for many of my "S" series delays and my "i" series delays.
Just my personal thoughts on it.
Harley 8)
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hey all, thanks for the response.
im going to test it out tomorrow and report back. the store wants $200 canadian for it. just realize its only mono though.
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Hey Chamai,
Yes, I forgot to mention that. All of the delays ADA made were mono, but could be used as stereo if you connected the effect output to one channel, and the dry output to the other channel.
Harley 8)
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Except for the D4 digitizer. :D
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Except for the D4 digitizer. :D
Not really, it's still set up the same way as the others with one effect output and one dry output. In theory, you could do the same connections with the other series delays. How they will sound is another matter. I haven't tried that, but it would make for an interesting shoot out comparison. I'll have to try that when I get my studio set up again downstairs.
Harley 8)
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No the digitizer is stereo, 100% sure of it. One of the outputs has the effect signal 180° out of phase.
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No the digitizer is stereo, 100% sure of it. One of the outputs has the effect signal 180° out of phase.
Seriously? On both of my D4 delays, one is labelled "Effect Output" and the other "Dry Output," so that made me wonder how it could be stereo. I was thinking a TRS at the effect out, that's why I haven't tried it yet. I'll have to see how that sounds on a delay setting with those connections.
Harley 8)
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We are talking about the digitizer right? Mine says output A and B and below that mix and invert mix. Even if you have a look at the manual, some of the presets say stereo ...
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I'm going to have to try that through the Classic or the MP-2 and see what happens. Yes, we are talking about the Digitizer 4.
It's odd that mine are labeled like that. Maybe they were left over chassis from something else :dunno:
By the way, I was looking on ebay a few minutes ago, and saw there is a 2.56i listed for a cheap price in Texas. I already own two so I wouldn't buy it. The only other "i" series I would buy would be another 1.28i.
Harley 8)
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You can see it on pic, can you take a pic of yours?
Well you can "rebuild" a 2.56 to a1.28, just remove 4 RAM chips and move U43 to U42 >:D, they are actually all the same units (i.64,1.28 and 2.56) just the RAM chips differ and the 1.28 has U42 installed and not U43 .64 and 2.56 have U43 installed and not U42. For the rest all identical.
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Hey MJMP,
Yes, I see the pic. I can't get to mine right now, they are packed up downstairs. Electricians came in last week and installed a new circuit breaker box and did some new wiring to the pole. There's also a new meter on the outside of the house. They still have some more work to do inside, but they won't be back for another two weeks. So all my ADA gear is packed up and moved aside until they finish.
I've been jamming on my Fender Cyber Amps in the meantime, and trying to figure out Cubase when I have time to spare.
I guessed the "i" series delays were probably very similar in design. I only used the .64i for Chorus or Flange. I've used the 1.28i and 2.56i to create a ping-pong delay by doubling the delay time on the 2nd delay and putting them in separate channels. Adding the modulation can make then kind of sea-sick sounding :lol:
Harley 8)
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Strange, well when you get a chance try it out, you can really hear the stereo effect.
I only own 2 i1.28, maybe I'll upgrade one to a i2.56 ;D
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I wonder if it's because of the way the chips are used in the 1.28i that is has a slightly different tone from the other two delays?
I can't see how that would affect the tone.
Anyway, I do love how the "i" series has a specific tone just like the "S" series does, they're both very good sounding delays IMHO.
Harley 8)
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They are just Dram chips so that won't affect the tone.