Electronic Audio Experiments Sending V2

Released in its first version in 2018, the Sending is Boston’s Electronic Audio Experiments’ love letter to the Bucket Brigade Device, the chip that makes analog delay possible.

Based, just like the original, on a pair of MN3005 reissues, this stompbox was completely redesigned with the goal of extending its sonic range and capabilities by combining the nostalgic charm of bucket brigade devices with a cutting-edge digital control system.

Together with the usual knobs for Time, Feedback and Mix, it also has in common with v1 a colored preamp stage that adds saturation and even “console-style grind” to the affected signal, capable of adding subtle enhancements or a warm saturation that beautifully complements the delay line.

These are the many new features of the Sending V2:

  • The full second of delay can be now extended to 2 (increasingly aliased) seconds via tap tempo or MIDI.

  • Multi-function LFO to modulate the delay time

  • 3 presets via the front panel, up to 32 via MIDI
  • Fully controllable via MIDI

  • High-Pass / Low-Pass filter
  • Ramping feedback effect when holding down the Tap Tempo footswitch

  • An insert loop to add external effects to the delay path

  • Assignable expression control

  • Firmware updatable via the MIDI via an online portal

The controls are delegated to seven knobs whose functions are doubled thanks to an alternate function system that allows access to often unusual parameters that will intrigue the more creative musicians, like Chaos (which randomizes the LFO wave modulating the delay line) or Swell time (which adjusts the speed of feedback swell when Tap is held), but also to essential settings like Wave Shape (you can pick from sine, triangle and square) and Subdivisions.

The EAE Sending V2 should be shipping towards the end of July 2023, here are the first videos of it.

Electronic Audio Experiments Sending V2, Builder’s Notes

Sending is an analog delay that melds the archaic voice of bucket brigade devices with a fully modern toolbox of digital control. It embraces the character and idiosyncrasies of the medium while delivering high quality sound and performance-friendly features worthy of the modern musician.

Using two MN3005 BBDs and comprehensive analog processing techniques, Sending can delay a sound up to a full second without clock noise, and it can be pushed to even longer times for compelling sonic degradation. At the input is a discrete preamplifier capable of subtle enhancement or warm saturation that melds perfectly with the delay line. A dual-mode feedback filter shapes the repeats into deep pulses or dub-style bright echoes. Its flexible LFO engine can modulate the delay time to create gentle movement or musical chaos. Conducting this analog ensemble is a 32-bit, 100MHz processor granting deep user control, preset functionality, and MIDI access to every parameter.

Sending is our love letter to the antiquated yet enduring technology of analog delay. As you explore its many shades of interplay between past and future, we hope you find it as immersive as we do.

Controls

Each knob has a primary and secondary function. Access secondary functions by pressing Shift once. Press again to return the panel to normal.

  • Time: delay time from <5ms to 1 second

    • Div: tempo divisions

  • Color: adjusts preamp gain while keeping level consistent

    • Trim: adjust volume up/down by 6dB

  • Mix: wet/dry blend

    • Mix Mode: Sets Mix knob as a crossfader between wet/dry or as a delay level control only

  • Feedback: sets the number of repeats, from one repeat to self-oscillation

    • Swell time: adjusts speed of feedback swell when Tap is held

  • Filter: cut lows or highs in the delay line

  • Rate: LFO rate

    • Chaos: LFO randomization

  • Depth: LFO intensity

    • Shape: Set LFO waveform

  • Preset Select Buttons (I, II, III): long press to save a preset, short press to recall

  • Engage Footswitch: turn effect on/off. Hold for 2 seconds to change the bypass mode.

  • Tap Footswitch: tap to set the delay time as a running average. Hold to ramp feedback up to max!

Electronic Audio Experiments Sending V1

sendingfrontcropped1

 

Sending was designed one goal in mind: to be the most tonally rich analog delay ever created. We upended nearly every design element of classic pedal and rackmount analog delays to create our most ambitious work to date.

Starting with a pair of MN3005 reissue Bucket Brigade Devices (BBDs), we added tap tempo and a unique, all-discrete preamp. Sending is capable of delay times from near unison to 1000 ms of clear repeats and up to two full seconds of gritty, aliased ambient wash using the tap tempo control.

The gain of the preamplifier can range from transparent to a unique console-style grind that enriches your delayed tone as well as providing a significant boost to whatever amp or pedal is downstream. The powerful companding system and digitally controlled clock enhance the fidelity of the pedal beyond what was previously thought possible, while still preserving the fundamental character of an analog delay. A simple tap tempo function guarantees modern standards of control without an excess of functionality. Sending also features an FX loop which patches in after the delay line, where a TRS insert cable may be used to add additional effects to the delayed signal.

We are proud of how much we fit under the hood (as well as the hundreds of hours spent doing so) and we are excited to hear the music you make with Sending for years to come.

Controls:

  • Pre – input gain, from clean to saturated
  • Post – global master volume
  • Time – delay time, from near unison to 1000ms
  • Mix – relative levels of the original and delayed signals, from fully dry to fully wet
  • Feedback – amount of repeats, from a single echo to self-oscillation
  • Tap Tempo – press twice to set a tempo, can go far beyond the range of the Time knob

Sending also includes an FX loop which patches in after the delay line, where a TRS insert cable may be used to add additional effects to the delayed signal.