DFX94 Digital Delay / Sampler

DFX94 Digital Delay / Sampler, from late 1997

The DFX94 Digital Delay / Sampler was introduced in late 1993, effectively replacing the DFX91 as the "pro"-level delay in DOD's lineup. At the time, the DFX94 was (to the best of our knowledge) the only compact digital delay pedal to offer 4 seconds of delay time. (The Boss DD-5, introduced in 1995, offered only 2 seconds of delay but also offered reverse delay and tap tempo, among other features.) The DFX94's basic circuit was similar to the DFX91, but with a maximum of 4 seconds of delay or sampling time instead of 1 second. The DFX94 was effectively discontinued with the announcement of the (never produced) DFX98 at Winter Namm 1998.

• Controls:
  • two LEDs (left LED indicates delay effect is on; when the Range/Mode switch is set to Sample, the right LED is lit after a sampled phrase is recorded)
  • Level
  • Repeat
  • Delay
  • 6-position Range/Mode rotary switch:
    1. up to 250 ms of delay
    2. up to 1 s
    3. up to 4 s
    4. Infinite repeat
    5. Trigger
    6. Sample
  
  
• Using the DFX94 as a sampler: Operation of the DFX94 appears to be exactly the same as the DFX91, including its sample/trigger functions, but with a maximum of 4 seconds of delay time. We do not yet have a copy of the DFX94's instruction manual, but an archived post at Looper's Delight (see below) describes how to use the DFX94 as a looper.
  
  
• Technical info:
  
  
  • Recommended battery type: The DFX series included a note in their instruction manual, and inside its battery cover, that only alkaline batteries should be used (specifically an Energizer no. 522 9-volt, though any brand will work), as other batteries may not even provide enough power to start up. The DFX94's exact current draw is unknown, but we recommend always using an AC adapter for any digital effects pedal.
    
    
  • Notable IC chips: SCX6218/V4 micro CMOS gate array chip, socket-mounted dynamic RAM chip (exact type is unclear), two 4558-type op amps
    
    
  • Internal trim pots: three; however, we do not recommend messing with trim pots
    
    
  • Component-side circuitboard image: December 1997
    
    
  • Related circuits: DFX9, DFX91
  
  
• FX heritage: DFX91 DFX94 DFX98
  
  
• External links:
  • @ discofreq's FX site
  • @ harmony-central.com
  • @ Looper's Delight (how to use the DFX94 for looping)
  • @ noiseguide.com
  
  

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