Re: The Maxon AD900 Appreciation Thread.....

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Re: The Maxon AD900 Appreciation Thread.....

Post by Maggieo » Mon Nov 25, 2013 2:26 pm

I have successfully resisted the lure of Maxon for six years now!!! ;) :ph34r:

Current "pedalboard":

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Re: The Maxon AD900 Appreciation Thread.....

Post by zhivago » Mon Nov 25, 2013 2:26 pm

kosmonautmayhem wrote:I thought I read the PT Nano doesn't have room underneath???

Z: is your slim pedalboard above a PT Nano? Can you confirm of deny?

when I took the pic the nano or mini didn't exist...so what I actually did was take my 1st version Pedaltrain 2, and sawed it in half.

I had two small boards that way for different music projects.

here is the other half

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those were strange days...there was not much choice on the pedal train front, although the pedal scene was exploding...nowadays there's too much choice!

...but the one annoying thing is that Pedaltrin won't allow for space for power supplies (unless you buy that new battery thingie they make)


I will most likely make my own board...if I ever go down that route again.
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Re: The Maxon AD900 Appreciation Thread.....

Post by Ursa Minor » Mon Nov 25, 2013 2:30 pm

zhivago wrote:I will most likely make my own board...if I ever go down that route again.
This.
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Re: The Maxon AD900 Appreciation Thread.....

Post by analogsystem » Sat Nov 28, 2015 2:00 pm

Bumping a crazy old thread!

Sooo.....my beloved AD-900 won't self-osccelate anymore! Anyone know which trimpot I can nudge to try to regain the glory?

Thanks!

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Re: The Maxon AD900 Appreciation Thread.....

Post by Ursa Minor » Sat Nov 28, 2015 3:36 pm

Did it ever self oscillate before? It seems strange that it would just stop doing it all of the sudden. It usually oscillates or it doesn't. I would suspect something awry with a dirty repeats pot, a electrolytic cap that suddenly exploded or lost major capacitance or that the trim was messed with. The only of these things that is likely though is the trimmer being adjusted.

FWIW...My current AD-900 is a recent eBay snipe. Really got a stoopid deal on this one. ;D
It's a 4 chip version is it doesn't self oscillate at all. I was thinking of messing with it, but it's the cleanest and nicest sounding 900 I've had and I've had a lot of them, both 2 and 4 chip.

How does it sound otherwise? Any other symptoms that would suggest more is going on?
How are you powering it? Is the pedal getting its proper negative 12 volts?
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Re: The Maxon AD900 Appreciation Thread.....

Post by JJ Gabor » Sun Nov 29, 2015 10:31 am

kosmonautmayhem wrote:How does it sound otherwise? Any other symptoms that would suggest more is going on?
How are you powering it? Is the pedal getting its proper negative 12 volts?
^^^

Sound advice, always check the PSU is working to spec before opening it up and messing with trim pots.

Also, it could be the signal going into the input is weaker to begin with. Different pickups give different outputs, absence of buffer in bigger pedal chains will cause it, or some of the pedals before it on the chain giving low output etc...

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Re: The Maxon AD900 Appreciation Thread.....

Post by analogsystem » Sun Nov 29, 2015 3:36 pm

Thanks dudes,
I believe it was in fact due to the guitar I was using! I tried it with another axe and it worked fine. Truth be told, my entire pedalboard got drenched on Turkey day when my practice space flooded. I dried all my pedals out and they all seemed to work, including the AD-900, other than the lack of self-oscillation. That said, it is working fine now.... :derp:

This is really the only delay I've found that sounds good into the front of a really dirty amp so it's pretty essential for the setup I'm using with my metal band. Love this thing!

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Re: The Maxon AD900 Appreciation Thread.....

Post by Ursa Minor » Sun Nov 29, 2015 3:49 pm

Glad it's working again! In true form of the appreciation thread, it really is a phenomenal delay! It may not have a lot of bells and whistles, but it works so well in so many venues.
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Re: The Maxon AD900 Appreciation Thread.....

Post by i love sharin foo » Thu Apr 04, 2019 8:32 pm

13 years this thread has been rolling along. It's been dormant for a few, but it's time to wake it up! I've always been interested in the AD900s. I have a handful of other, older pink analog delays. All of which I love and use a LOT. But I have a need for more delay time... so it's time to finally expand. I've always wanted an AD900, but found a good deal on an AD999 instead. I like the idea of even more delay time with the 999 and a dirtier (though brighter) tone. Then I stumbled upon an even more awesome deal on an early two chip AD900 , so I bought that one too :fp: Both with boxes and paperwork and everything :D Now, the decade-plus long debate I've had with myself about which I'd prefer to own and use is solved... both! As soon as they are both in hand, I'll put up some first hand comparison thoughts. I'm pretty stoked about it.
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Re: The Maxon AD900 Appreciation Thread.....

Post by zhivago » Thu Apr 04, 2019 9:55 pm

Welcome to the club, Justin!

I've gone back full-time to the AD900, after a few years with the Echoczar...loving the simplicity and of course, the sound. :)
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Re: The Maxon AD900 Appreciation Thread.....

Post by i love sharin foo » Fri Apr 05, 2019 6:48 am

zhivago wrote:
Thu Apr 04, 2019 9:55 pm
Welcome to the club, Justin!

I've gone back full-time to the AD900, after a few years with the Echoczar...loving the simplicity and of course, the sound. :)
Thanks Yannis!

Your original "chocolate flakes" description has stuck in the back of my mind all these years :D

You hit the nail right on the head with the simplicity. There are so many great delay pedals out there these days, but I know what I like and I don't need anything more than 3 knobs! The digital Strymon stuff sounds amazing, but I just don't have the patience to try to adjust everything to where it sounds right. The Lovetones are more than enough complication in my rig As-Is :fp: The Moog has been my #1 for so long now and I've always run a short delay into it when I wanted a bigger wash (either DM-2 or 3, old Ibanez AD9, or old Maxon AD80). At this point, I am aiming for more density in the longer delays. Stacking for really dense waves of sound and noise. I was leaning toward one of the Minifooger delays, but then had a moment of clarity and remembered the AD900/999. I think it made more sense as the Minifooger is at heart a very similar tone to the MF104Z from what I understand. Also made more sense as I was able to pick up both for what just the one Minifooger is selling for right now. This way I'll have more options too. Long delay, and a distinctly different tone than the MF104Z. Analog delays and ring modulators are definite weaknesses of mine. Well, among many others :ph34r: But it has been almost a decade since I acquired a new one of either category :D I was overdue for one (or two).
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Re: The Maxon AD900 Appreciation Thread.....

Post by zhivago » Fri Apr 05, 2019 9:51 am

Hehe the chocolate flakes description is definitely spot on!! I am loving the simplicity after the long Echoczar stint...I think the AD900 is the best kept secret, great chip set for under £200 all day long! :)
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Re: The Maxon AD900 Appreciation Thread.....

Post by Ursa Minor » Fri Apr 05, 2019 6:18 pm

Be still my heart! Welcome, welcome.

My AD-900 love has stood the test of time. It is just a perfectly simple, thick and beautiful delay. There's something very real and tactile about it.

Its pretty much been the only delay I run anymore. I still have my 70s DMM but the Maxon isn't nearly as fragile and is waaay more accurate and reliable. I've wondered for a long time how the MF104Z compares. Sad I missed the boat on those when they were more reasonable. But from the videos that exist (decent ones at least) the base tones seem pretty similar. Very curious what you think about the two.

I may get a 999 some day just to see. They're very reasonable used. It'd be cool to have a whole 900ms once in a while. They seem dirtier (in a good way) but with all the good Maxon AD flavor.

Love pairing the 900 with other delays too. The high headroom has a lot to do with how it handles different situations and combos - drive into delay anyone? Would love to test drive a 999/900 combo. I really dig the DMM (short, high repeats) / AD-900 (long repeats, edge of oscillation) combo a lot. Another fun pair was with my Ibanez AD-80, but i sent that one packing in favor of the 900.

VIVA chocolate flakes!
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Re: The Maxon AD900 Appreciation Thread.....

Post by zhivago » Sat Apr 06, 2019 1:36 am

kosmonautmayhem wrote:
Fri Apr 05, 2019 6:18 pm
VIVA chocolate flakes!
Indeed!!! MN3005 Goodness! 8)

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Re: The Maxon AD900 Appreciation Thread.....

Post by Jaguar018 » Mon Apr 08, 2019 7:56 am

It really is an elegant and simple delay. I have five different delays that I mess around with on a regular basis and this one is like the ultimate clean simple great sounding delay.

If it wasn't for the Moogerfooger 104M I could whittle my collection down to just that one.

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