Return Of The Rack

A revered rackmount digital delay makes a welcome comeback in pedal form.

- Trevor Curwen

TC ELECTRONIC 2290 P DYNAMIC DIGITAL DELAY £299

CONTACT TC Electronic WEB www.tcelectronic.​com

What You Need To Know

1 2290... isn't that a vintage rackmount unit?

Spot on! And this is the 2290 P, a pedal version of that digital delay that was launched in the 1980s and became a vital component of the rigs of many prominent guitarists.

2 Is this exactly the same, then?

Well, TC describes it as a recreation with added modern features, improved bits and pieces, and expanded selected effect parameter ranges, particularly with the guitarplaying experience in mind.

3 What's so special about it?

It can deliver a wide range of delay and modulation effects - but it's particularly known for delays that react to playing dynamics.

When it comes to analogue delay pedals and echo, units there’s plenty out there that deserve classic status such as the Echoplex, Space Echo, Memory Man and DM-2. But the list is arguably shorter for digital delay. One, though, whose name is sometimes spoken in hushed tones is the TC Electronic 2290. First seen in 1985 and in production for 20 years, the rackmount unit has been a staple in recording studios and found its way into the rigs of many pro guitarists including, of course, The Edge.

There were many factors that made the 2290 the unit of choice, and those live on in the new 2290 P pedal version, which TC Electronic tells us is a faithful recreation of the original with some choice extra features. This pedal is a source of intricate delays, with or without modulation, but perhaps it should really be defined as a time-based effect generator in that it also offers chorus, flanger, tremolo, vibrato, panning and more.

In Use