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Our editorial team has compiled a short review of the Behringer Vintage Delay VD400 budget effects pedal for you. Today we're going to take a closer look at this unit and tell you about all of its features, what it sounds like, and what VD400 can really do. First, let's tell you a little about Behringer and its product-making philosophy.
Behringer is a German audio equipment company/brand that was founded in 1989 by engineer Uli Behringer. At the same time, Behringer is part of the holding company Music Tribe, and Music Tribe includes such famous brands as Midas, Klark Teknik, Bugera and Eurotec, Lab. gruppen, TC Electronic, Aston microphones, Turbosound (if you are not new to the world of audio equipment, many names will be familiar to you). But the main thing about Behringer is that it produces budget audio equipment at very reasonable prices. And of course, the Behringer Vintage Delay VD400 and a series of effect pedals from this company are the embodiment of the philosophy of inexpensive and affordable products.
The Behringer Vintage Delay VD400 costs about 20-25$ and of course, Behringer manufactures all of their gear in China in their own factory in Guangdong province. It is worth mentioning that today Behringer VD400 is one of the best-selling pedals in the world (~1500-2000 units of this effect pedal are sold per month). To give you an idea about Behringer, let's mention that their factory produces 2.5 million units per year. But how good is this cheap VD400 pedal? And who is it best suited for? - You'll find the answers in our article. But before we get to the Behringer VD400 review, let's start with the unit's specifications, as usual.
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Best Price on Behringer Vintage Delay VD400
The Behringer VD400 is a budget-friendly pedal that excels at delivering warm, vintage-style delay tones. The VD400 is reminiscent of classic analog delays. |
Classic Package
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We're getting into the main part of our Behringer VD400 review, but before we talk about the pedal's sound, let's take a look at its design, overall construction, and what's inside the box. The Behringer VD400 comes in a typical cardboard box with quite colorful information printed on it. Inside the box we find the pedal itself wrapped in a thick plastic bag, a quick start guide, and a user's manual in several languages. No additional accessories, no battery or power supply, no branded stickers like in more expensive pedals, everything is exclusively in the tradition of a cheap/budget device. So don't forget to buy a 9V battery beforehand.
The Behringer VD400 feels like a plastic toy when you pick it up, the entire enclosure is made of hard plastic (ABS plastic). The encoder knobs and footswitch also feel cheap, but they work perfectly and do their job. The battery compartment is located under the footswitch cover, which you have to pull back to access (it is quite uncomfortable and unpleasant to open this cover). What might confuse you is the color of the Behringer VD400's case. On the box, the VD400 is white, but in reality, the housing is light gray and you should not be confused by photos on marketplaces. We also noticed that the color of the chassis varies from batch to batch, from light gray to dark gray with greenish tones (some confusion). But let's not focus on this issue, we don't care what color the body of this budget pedal is, the main thing is that it works!
Apparently Behringer saves as much as possible on plastic raw materials and works with the batch of plastic that was supplied to them (also the color of the case in the photos is very different depending on the lighting as in the example with the pictures above and below). Can't complain here, the manufacturer wants to keep the final cost at the counter at ~$25.
What else does the Behringer Vintage Delay VD400 have to offer? The pedal has a 1/4" (6.3mm) TS DIR OUT connector that sends the unprocessed signal to a separate amp, for example. If only the OUT connector is used, the affected signal is sent, and if it is deactivated, the unaffected signal is sent. When both OUT and DIR OUT are used, the VD400 acts as an A/B box. That is, when enabled, the OUT sends only the echo signal, while the DIR OUT sends the unaffected signal. When deactivated the OUT is muted while the DIR OUT sends the unaffected signal. Not every pedal in Behringer's effects lineup has this feature, which certainly adds value to the VD400!
Here we come to the "Sound Quality" section of our Behringer VD400 review. Let's start with the fact that the VD400 is considered to be a clone of the famous BOSS DM-2W analog delay pedal, one of the most respectable delay pedals that BOSS re-released in the "Waza Kraft" line. We would like to say right away that the Behringer VD400 is virtually indistinguishable from the BOSS DM-2W in terms of sound, except that the DM-2W has a longer delay time and an expression pedal control for the rate knob. We also noticed that the DM-2W has louder repeats and that the Behringer VD400 has a slightly muddier sound with softer transients. But that's all lyrical, most people won't notice a difference. And of course, the main difference is the cost of the devices: ~159$ for BOSS DM-2W | ~25$ for Behringer VD400, if you want to save money - the choice is obvious!
Let's get back to the Delay effect controls on the Behringer VD400, which are pretty primitive:
The delay time specified by the manufacturer for the VD400 ranges from 20ms to 300ms. But as it turns out 300ms is not the limit, you can do a simple modding, unscrew the bolts from the bottom, get to the circuit, and adjust the trim pot. We'll leave a link to the post where we found this possibility.
And finally, we'll leave you with two videos where you can check out how the Behringer Vintage Delay VD400 performs.
Now to our observations. As already mentioned, the effects controls are quite primitive and straightforward. To fully appreciate the sound, we set all knobs to 12 o'clock. The result was very pleasant, the sound was warm and analog. When the ECHO knob is turned down: the delay becomes stunted, the warmth of the sound disappears, and background noise appears. As the ECHO is increased, the background noise is reduced and the sound becomes richer. Turning the INTENSITY knob to maximum will give you an unpleasant sustaining sound, setting it to the right position will give you clarity and punch. We also wanted to try the wet/dry sound of VD 400, so we connected the pedal via line out to a combo amplifier, and via direct out we connected the pedal to a tube amplifier. We ended up with a great ping-pong stereo effect, we recommend you try it as it's a great field for experimentation, and thanks again to Behringer for the Direct Out.
Q: Behringer VD400: Who Is This Pedal For?
A: This pedal is for everyone. We can recommend it to beginners to familiarize themselves with the Delay effect as well as to avid guitarheads, and bassists. Fans of analog synthesis can also add VD400 to their collection, many musicians use this pedal with synthesizers. In addition, the purchase of Behringer VD400 will not hit your budget. The SoundGale editorial team boldly recommends the pedal to absolutely everyone for purchase, you will not be disappointed. If you are a fan of experimenting with sound, VD400 may limit you a bit by a delay time of a maximum of 300ms, but the problem can be solved by modding or you can look at other delay pedals.
Q: Is the Behringer VD400 Good Value for Money?
A: No doubt about it. For ~$25, you probably won't find a delay pedal that sounds as good as the Behringer VD400. Yes, the manufacturer has skimped on the plastic body and knobs (as we mentioned, it feels like a plastic toy in your hands), but the sound has not suffered and it is on the level. This is the rare case where you get a good device for the price of breakfast in a cafe. For example, we did a review of the Behringer Super Fuzz SF300 and there is a more ambiguous picture. SF300 is from the same line of Behringer pedals as VD400, but the sound of Behringer SF300 can't compete with expensive pedals (apparently a quality fuzz effect still costs more than 25$), while VD400 can compete with more expensive delay pedals.
Here we are at the end of our Behringer VD400 review, time to summarize the results. The Behringer Vintage Delay VD400 is an excellent choice for guitarists seeking vintage-style delay tones on a budget. Its analog circuitry delivers warm, natural delay sounds that are perfect for classic rock, blues, and retro-inspired genres. While its plastic construction and basic feature set may not cater to every player’s needs, the VD400 excels at providing authentic delay effects with a nostalgic character. For those who appreciate the charm of old-school delays without the high cost, the VD400 offers great value. Whether you’re looking to add a subtle echo, a rhythmic slapback, or some analog flavor to your sound, the Behringer VD400 is a solid, affordable option that punches above its price point.
We hope you enjoyed our review of the Behringer VD400. Please feel free to leave your comments, questions, and suggestions in the section below. We will be happy to answer them all as soon as possible. If you already own a Behringer VD400, don't forget to share your impressions and tell us what you liked or disliked about this pedal.
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6.8
/10
Our Score
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