We can't think of another player whose use of delay is as distinctive as The Edge, so we're surprised it's taken this long for a pedal to hone in on his sounds. But while the MXR Joshua Ambient Echo isn't a signature delay pedal, its name and possible hardware inspirations suggest the U2 man's influence looms over it.
The company describes it as “a tonal recipe expertly concocted for those who seek atmospheric perfection” and it draws from vintage rack units. The Edge has used Korg SDD 3000 and TC Electronic 2290 units in pairs over the years to fuel some of his most iconic moments.
Who knows, since the guitarist is even more open to integrating pedals into his rig than ever these days, he might even add this one!
The stereo Joshua Ambient Echo offers Delay, Modulation, Voice, Regen, Division and Mix controls alongside Trail and Echo 2 buttons. That last feature is especially important as The Edge's delay on songs including Where The Streets Have No Name relies on two different delays set at different times.
In addition, the Voice control allows a sweep blend of -1, +1 and +2 polyphonic octave signals.
MXR has helpfully gone deep with a video manual above to explain the features in full but this already looks like a very impressive compact digital delay pedal in terms of features.
Pricing on this pedal seems to be favouring the US market at this time. The MXR Joshua Ambient Echo is $239.99 at Sweetwater and Guitar Center, but over in the UK it's £269 at Andertons and Gear4music.
