One important thing to note here: the differences between MN3205 and MN3005 chips will be much more pronounced if the MN3005 is actually in a pedal that runs at the higher voltage it was designed for. DM-2s all run at 9 volts (or at least they're meant to be), so the difference is not that great. However, if you compare, say, a 9-volt vintage Ibanez AD9 (with an MN3205) to 18-volt vintage Ibanez AD80 (with an MN3005), the difference is much more apparent. You can't run a MN3205 at those higher voltages (without the possibility of frying it), but you can run a MN3005 at 9 volts: it just won't sound as good as it is capable of sounding at a higher voltage. Accordingly, I suspect that at least a good bit of the differences between the two pedals you can hear in this video are just due to run-of-the-mill component differences and calibration differences between the two pedals rather than to differences between the MN3005 and MN3205. Having owned an MN3205 DM-2 and an MN3005 DM-2, I really don't think the difference in price over an MN3205 DM-2 is worth it. Having owned a AD80 and an AD9, however, the difference in price over an AD9 is definitely worth it. The AD80 actually runs the MN3005 at the voltage it was designed for: the DM-2 doesn't.
Good day, help with the advice, I plan to buy a boss dm2 but I do not know which chip is better to choose MH 3005 or 3205? The prices for them are very different, for so many years they could be spoiled not to buy quality not in Russia they can not be found only reissue waza kraft!
There are 3 calibration potentiometers inside the DM-2. 1 Bias - the sweet spot (somewhere close to the middle) causes self oscillation.. pot 2 is “cancel” -it rolls off the top-end eq of the echos.. pot 3 is for calibrating the delay time. My DM-2 has a MN3005 chip. I have not tried adjusting the internal bias pot on an MN3205 DM-2 but you may be able to make it self-oscillate. I figured this out after watching this video. My DM-2 sounded different so I opened it up. Thanks for the video!
I have 5 DM-2s, 4 with the 3005 and 1 with the the 3205. They all sound different due to calibration but you can adjust the 3 pots inside to what you prefer. (self oscillate, get longer times but more clock noise etc.)
These two DM-2 pedals sound very similar to me, but if I were back in the '80s, I'd probably want both a DM-2 and a DD-3 on my BCB board for murky and clean repeats. Pedal builders are doing wonders with the new 3005s and 3205s these days - they've figured out how to make them a bit brighter without hear that nasty noise, and I like how companies like Chase Bliss have figured out how to really manipulate the repeats with digital control.
Great comparison, thank you. My DM-2 self-oscillates like crazy at the higher settings and when I opened it up it's surprisingly the 3205. Must be some variation between units.
The22yardstare Yes well, your influences often dictate what gear you'll gravitate towards. Mine is Funkadelic, fusion jazz, later King Crimson, Queen and such. That heavy, greasy stuff. But it's good to have a couple of delays for certain applications.
I recently purchased a DM-2 with the 3005 chip. It sounds GREAT. I stack it in front of a Chase Bliss Tonal Recall (with the red knob mod) running at a longer delay time. Love this combination. Very trippy.
I would love to own a Tonal Recall - great sounding pedal. I'm digging some cheap pedals at the moment for experimentation. The Behringer Vintage Delay VD400 is an excellent clone of the Boss DM2 - I paid less than £20 for mine new on Amazon and it is very close to my Boss DM2 - in some ways I prefer it! Cannot fault it at that price and I have experienced no noise issues that some reviewers have noticed either. I also bought the Behringer Vibrato pedal which is based on the Boss VB2 - it doesn't cycle as slowly as the Boss but I followed some instructions online to replace a couple of capacitors to slow the speed range down. This worked very well but was very difficult to do as all the components are SMD (tiny surface-mounted which are not really supposed to be worked on by hand).
The truth is, it's not about the chip, it's about how the internal trimpots were calibrated. I can easily calibrate a 3205 chip to go into oscillation.
I'm not sure on that front. Some pedals just won't oscillate full stop. My favourite analog delay is the Pearl AD-08. I've had three of them and it didn't matter how you calibrated them, they wouldn't oscillate. I actually liked that feature as it meant you could make them repeat for ages without the feedback. Perfect for ambient drones.
Bizarrely - the Pearl analog flanger from the same series/era does self-oscillate. Just picked one up cheap and it's great. It oscillates very differently to a delay and has added some new sounds to my pallette.
Thanks for the explanation. I was trying to figure why on Ebay the 3005 chip price difference was substantial. I have a DM-2 with the 3205 chip(not sure of the year) and it will oscillate like your demo of the 3005. Dwayne and the22yardstare have some good points!
My behringer vd400 (that is an analog clone), has the longer delay time of the 3205 but also does the oscillation thing like the 3005 with the feedback (intensity) at around 2:00 o clock. I also have to say that I messed around with the internal trimmer to get longer delay.
Nice video, but the problem is I've got a DM-2 with the 3205 chip and it oscillates like the 3005 on your demo, which suggests there is variability between units.
Looks like you were using a Voodoo lab power supply or something similar (12v), but if you "chain" the 3205 DM-2 using a 1Spot power supply (9v) this will dramatically reduce the difference between the units. For some reason the 3205 works better when sharing the same ground with a pedal placed before in a chain. This will increase the "intensity" and affect the self oscillation (in a good way of course). I used to have both versions and sold the 3005 when I realized I could keep the 3205 on the board while making a reasonable amount of money with the rarest 3005. Love yr. demos, cheers from Italy
ciao, interessante questa storia relativa al miglioramento del suono se il delay condivide la stessa alimentazione con un pedale posto prima. Ho un Jam Delay Llama (mn3205) e proverò. Ho sempre pensato che la modalità di alimentazione ottimale fosse quella isolata. Parli per esperienza personale? Vale solo per i delay analogici?
Cosmo Mazzotta Che io sappia è un difetto del DM-2 MN3205 (la versione MN3005 ad esempio funziona benissimo con l'alimentazione isolata). Io mi sono accorto del problema quando ho acquistato il power supply di voodoo lab, il delay in pratica funzionava a metà e non autooscillava, esattamente come nel demo. Adesso uso sempre lo stesso alimentatore ma metto in catena solo il DM2 col pedale precedente e ho risolto. L'alimentazione isolata è sempre l'ideale per qualsiasi effetto sia analogico che digitale (anche se io di digitali non ne ho), ma nel caso specifico del DM2 è inutilizzabile. A onor del vero il DM2 MN3205 (quello che ho tenuto e uso tutt'ora) comunque è meno estremo del MN3005 anche alimentato a catena, non oscilla con il pot "intensity" a ore 2.00, ma di certo non suona neanche così debole. Il mio DM3205 è a metà strada tra i due, ha una bellissima oscillazione molto musicale e "analogica" se tiri a canna i controlli, ma per il resto suona bello pieno e ha quel tipico "warble" sulle ripetizioni. E' di gran lunga il mio delay preferito perché hai più "range" a disposizione per muovere i controlli senza mandarlo in autooscillazione, ma se ti serve basta che porti i pot "intensity" e "echo" oltre ore 3:00. Il delay lama ho sentito che è ispirato al dm2, magari ha un'alimentazione simile (anche se mi sembra strano...). spero di esserti stato utile
Lady Snowblood grazie per la risposta esauriente! Se non sbaglio il Delay Llama (sì, è ispirato al dm2) dovrebbe avere un trim pot interno per la regolazione del livello max di ripetizioni; con l'impostazione di fabbrica oscilla a metà del pot "repeats" se suono con un livello alto di level del pedale overdrive.
You could read the amout of material on the net about MN3005 and MN3205 for weeks on end. It's amazing how guitarist seem to be obsessed with them and the respective effects they were used in such as Boss DM-2 and DM-3 to name the most popular. I own a DM-3 simply because I prefer it's warmth over the DD-3 which I happily used for over 18 years and I never had an issue with it but I had a Copy Cat Tape echo and loved that sound even though it was noisy. I think the DM-2 and 3 sound good not just because of the chips but the because delay is warm and pleasing to the ear but when used for Slap Back it gives a great Rock N Roll sound and after all it's Rock N Roll we need!!!
Ohh my God , i went out and purchased some crinkle cut chips and also some thicker straight cut chips. Which taste best. I will lose too much sleep. I must answer this question. They both sound fantastic. Players should stop obsession over the quest for sound perfection. Get a good sound and just fucking play.
I got the MN3205 chip in my DM-2. But stand-alone it kinda sucks it doesn't self-oscillate. Somehow my Klon Centaur Clone seems to push my delay that far, it's on the edge of self-oscillation... someone can explain me how this is entirely possible?
I have a 3205, brought it to a local shop and they adjusted the bucket brigades in it basing it off a 3005. Saved myself hundreds of dollars not dishing out a 3005 chip model while obtaining the same Echo repeats, Oscillation, and louder repeats.
At the end when he says "that's how they compare" remember he is comparing just *those two* pedals. My 3205 goes into self oscillation and has a louder level then his does. He says nothing of component differences and calibration.
I am not trying to be negative because response and inspiration are very important in the creation of music. I just feel obligated to remind folks that the human factor has not been eliminated or minimized in this comparison. One would need a loop recorder and a true bypass loop switcher to do that.
Hopefully someone can help me out. I recently got a 3205 model and will be replacing it with a 3005 chip I ordered in. Is the chip the only difference between these 2 pedals or are there other component to match the 1981 model?
I brought it to many techs, and they said the same thing "it would require more than just replacing the chip". There is also the time clock and many other things on the circuit board that would need changing. At the end of the day it would cost more money and the chance of the unit not working. The only mod I did on it was fix the LED and DC in to hookup to my board.
