The Digitech Hardwire series were affordable, feature-rich pedals intended to directly rival Boss. The DL-8 is fairly similar to the Boss DD-7, but it offers slightly longer delay time and a few extra settings, such a Lo-Fi and Slapback. With the DL-8, you can dial in an impressive delay range—from 15 milliseconds to 8 seconds—or Loop in true stereo for up to 20 seconds. In addition to Lo-Fi and Slapback (which is also a lot more flexible than slapjack functions on other pedals), it has four other preset modes: Reverse, Modulated, Analog, and Tape.
The controls are straightforward: Level, Repeats, Time, and of course the Mode selector. From there, the built-in Tap Tempo function and Tails on/off switch feature make the DL-8 at home on any pedalboard. As with all HardWire pedals, the DL-8 is tough and rugged, designed to perform night after night, tour after tour.
This used DigiTech Hardwire DL-8 functions 100% as it should and produces rich, musical delay sounds. Some of the metal parts are a bit tarnished (in particular the jack nuts and the metal around the LED), and the original velcro bottom has picked up some lint and pet hair over time. There may be some scuffs around the edges, but it sounds fantastic.