Electro-Harmonix 16 Second Digital Delay User Manual

Electro-Harmonix

16 Second Digital Delay

- Description -

Congratulations on your purchase of the Electro-Harmonix 16 Second Digital Delay! An
anticipated reissue of the classic 16 Second Digital Delay, we redesigned the circuit with
modern components but kept the functionality the same as the original, improving on it
where needed.

The new 16 Second works in the more musical format of Bars, Beats and Tempo instead
of seconds. Now you can create loops by setting the number of bars and the tempo. After
recording a loop, you can play along with it, overdub as many layers as you like on top of
it, or punch in and out to fix performance mistakes. It’s also environmentally friendly:
after recording a loop, the 16 Second will automatically save the loop into its Magna
Storage and keep it there. You can turn the power off, come back the next day and Play
or Overdub the loop as if you never turned the 16 Second off. You can bring the 16
Second to a recording studio or even another continent and it will keep your loop safe in
its memory.

Special Features of the 16 Second Delay:

• Record for more than 4 minutes.

• Keep the loop in memory after power cycling.

• Change the Pitch and Tempo of the loop in ½ step increments, with a total

• Change the Tempo of the loop while the pitch remains constant.

• Reverse loops while Playing back. Overdub on top of the reversed loop.

• Use Loop Mode as well as Short Delay Mode to make it a true echo pedal.

• Add Sweep to your loops or use the 16 Second as a Flanger/Chorus.

• Separate control over the Dry Output, Effect Output and Clix Output signals.

• Analog Input Gain control with Signal and Clip LEDs.

• Maintain visual indication of the tempo with two LEDs that blink on the beat.

• Control with three Footswitches: Record, Play and Bypass.

• Connect an external Remote Foot Controller (sold separately) for hands-free

WARNING: Use only the 9VDC/500mA AC adapter the 16 Second comes

supplied with. Do not use any other AC adapters. Using other AC adapters,
even those made by Electro-Harmonix, could cause harm to the unit, the
adapter or you. The 16 Second does not use batteries.

range of 2 octaves.

operation.

16 Second Terminology -

Here is an introduction to some important terms that will often be used during the course
of this manual.

RECORDING: Occurs when you are recording a new loop. RECORDING LED is lit.
OVERDUBBING: When you record new audio over a loop that has already been

recorded. Both the RECORDING and PLAYING LEDs are lit.
PLAYING: Occurs when a loop is Played back. You are listening to the loop not
Recording or Overdubbing over the loop. PLAYING LED is lit.

LOOP Mode: Allows the 16 Second to be a Looping Recorder.
SHORT DELAY Mode: In this mode the 16 Second is a Delay/Echo.
TRUE BYPASS: In TRUE BYPASS, a computer controlled mechanical relay is used to

connect the input jack directly to the output jack. The I/O jacks are completely
disconnected from the 16 Second Delay circuitry.
DSP BYPASS: In DSP BYPASS, the audio goes into the A/D Converter, passes through
the DSP, and then out of the D/A Converter. The DRY OUT slider will affect the output
level in DSP Bypass.
CLIX: The Clix is a metronome that clicks on each beat, at the same tempo as the
internal tempo of the 16 Second Delay. Clix is useful when laying down loops and
overdubbing.

- Quick Start -

You’ve just bought a brand new 16 Second Delay! Let’s get into it right away by learning
how to:

• Record a 2-Bar Loop

• Change the Pitch and/or Tempo of the Loop

• Reverse a Loop

• Use the 16 Second as a Delay/Echo

How to Record a 2-Bar Loop:

1. Hit the BYPASS Footswitch so that both CLIX LEDs light.

2. Set the COARSE Slider to 2. This sets the Loop’s length to 2-Bars.

3. Set the FINE Slider half way. This will give you a mid tempo beat.

4. Set the LOOP Switch to C. This will let you continuously Overdub.

5. Set both the SPEED and DEPTH Sliders down all the way.

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6. Set the FEEDBACK Slider to the very top of its travel.

7. Set CLIX to the top. Now you will be able to hear the metronome Clix
during Recording.

8. Set the EFFECT OUT and DRY OUT Sliders to about half way.

9. Set the INPUT GAIN Slider so that the green LED lights up but the
orange LED does not.

10. Hit the RECORD Footswitch. Immediately you will hear the metronome
Clix and the RECORDING LED will blink rapidly. This means that the 16
Second Delay is giving you a 4-beat count-in before it starts to Record.

11. After the 4-beat count-in, begin playing. The 16 Second Delay will record
your loop.

12. After 2-bars (or 8-beats) the 16 Second will enter Overdub mode. The
PLAYING LED will light while the RECORDING LED remains lit and
you will hear what you just recorded.

13. Now you can Overdub or record over the original loop that you recorded.

14. To turn off the metronome Clix, move the CLIX Slider approximately half
way down.

How to Change the Pitch and/or Tempo of the Loop You Recorded:

1. If you are currently in Overdub Mode, hit the RECORD Footswitch to put
the 16 Second Delay into PLAYING Mode. The RECORDING LED
should go off, but the PLAYING LED will remain lit.

2. Set the FINE Switch to “P” so that both Pitch and Tempo will change with
the FINE Slider.

3. Slowly push the FINE Slider up to its top position. The loop’s pitch will
go lower and the tempo will slow down.

4. Slowly push the FINE Slider all the way down to its bottom position. The
pitch and tempo of the loop will increase. When the FINE Slider is at the
same position that the loop was recorded at, the FINE LED, above the
FINE Slider, will light up.

5. Now set the FINE Switch to the “T” position. Right away the pitch of the
loop should jump back to the original pitch it was recorded at but the
tempo is still faster. This effect works best when the tempo is near its
original tempo.

How to Reverse a Loop and then Overdub over it:

1. Put the 16 Second Delay into Playing Mode: If you are in Overdubbing
Mode, hit the RECORD Footswitch, if you are in Bypass, hit the PLAY
Footswitch.

2. Slide the Reverse Switch. The loop will now play in Reverse. If the loop is
at its original Pitch and Tempo, the FINE LED will blink rapidly to let you
know the loop has been Reversed.

3. Hit the RECORD Footswitch. The RECORDING LED will light, you are
now in Overdubbing Mode.

4. Important! Please note: when you Reverse a loop or change its Pitch or
Tempo, you must Overdub over the entire loop through one full cycle,
otherwise the 16 Second Delay will chop off the portion of the loop that
was not Overdubbed.

How to Use the 16 Second Digital Delay as a Delay/Echo:

1. Hit the BYPASS Footswitch to enter True Bypass Mode.

2. Move the LOOP Switch to the SHORT DELAY position.

3. Set the COARSE Slider to the 32-Bar position.

4. Set the FINE Slider about half way up.

5. Set the SPEED and DEPTH Sliders to the bottom.

6. Set the FEEDBACK Slider to approximately ¾ of the way up.

7. Set the CLIX LEVEL Slider to the bottom.

8. Set the EFFECT OUT and DRY OUT Sliders to about half way.

9. Set the INPUT GAIN Slider so that the green LED lights up but the
orange LED does not.

10. Hit the RECORD Footswitch to enter Short Delay Mode.

11. Move the FINE Slider for different delay times

12. Adjust the COARSE Slider for more dramatic changes in the delay time.

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-Front Face of 16 Second Delay-

- Controls, Indicators & I/O-

The following descriptions detail all of the sliders, switches, LEDs (lights) and I/O jacks
on the 16 Second Delay:

1. LOOP / SHORT DELAY Slide Switch – This is a 3 position slide switch that selects
between two Loop Modes (C and S) and Short Delay Mode:

LOOP C: Continuous Loop Mode. The 16 Second will continually record and
play the loop.
LOOP S: Single Loop Mode. The 16 Second will record the loop once through
and then the 16 Second will automatically switch to Play mode and then play
the Loop continuously.

SHORT DELAY: In Short Delay Mode the 16 Second Delay works as a
dedicated echo/delay pedal with a delay time up to 1 second. When in Short
Delay mode, the 16 Second will also record while delaying. So if you switch to
either of the loop modes from Short Delay mode, the audio in the loop will be
up to the last 4 minutes that were recorded while in Short Delay mode. You can
also hear the loop you have been recording by hitting the Play Footswitch (16)
while in Short Delay mode.

2. COARSE Slider – In Loop Mode, the COARSE Slider sets the maximum loop
length. It is calibrated in bars, where each bar is 4 beats long. The position of the
COARSE Slider is only relevant at the instant that a new recording is started. Moving the
COARSE Slider after a loop has been recorded will have no effect on the loop. When in
the >32 position, the 16 Second Delay will continually record until you hit the Play
Footswitch to stop recording audio. In Short Delay Mode, the COARSE Slider selects
the range of delay time.

3. FINE Slider – In Loop Mode, the FINE Slider sets the tempo of the loop. The range
is from 60 bpm (topmost) to 240 bpm (bottommost). In Short Delay Mode, the FINE
Slider sets the delay time of the echo. In both modes, the tempo that the FINE Slider is
set to will be output as MIDI Clock on the MIDI OUT Jack (23).

4. FINE Switch - Varying the FINE Slider (3) while Playing back a loop will change the
Pitch and Tempo or just the Tempo of the loop. The FINE Switch chooses between these
two modes. If set to “P”, both the Pitch & Tempo of the loop will vary with the FINE
Slider. If set to “T”, the loop’s Tempo will vary but the Pitch of the loop will remain
constant.

5. FINE LED – This LED is located directly above the FINE Slider (3). After recording
a new loop, the FINE LED will glow solid. This tells you that the current position of the
FINE Slider (3) is at the same position that the loop in memory was recorded at. If you
move the FINE Slider, the FINE LED will turn off, if you move the FINE Slider back to
its original position, the LED will light again. If the FWD·REV Switch (18) is toggled
while the FINE Slider is in its original position, the FINE LED will blink. When entering
Overdub mode, after the FINE Slider has moved or the REVERSE switch has been
toggled, the 16 Second will need to cycle through the entire loop one time to save the
changes to the loop. You will see the FINE LED go solid after this one cycle through the
loop.

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