Deltalab DL-2

The Deltalab DL-2 (often accompanied with an MB-4 Memory Module) was a digital delay device first introduced in 1979. It was used by Peter Gabriel as one of his go-to effects devices throughout the 1980s and 1990s. It was useful for providing stereo delay effects on certain instruments, particularly on Peter's synths. For years he coupled it with a Roland SDD-320 Dimension D.

Larry Fast was the one who introduced the DL-2 to him - probably during the PG3 tour in 1980 - which he took a liking to, thus the Security album was the first album he used it on.

Interestingly, during the making of Up, there was a moment when the Deltalab DL-2 (which Peter said was "crapping out" at the time) was jammed and started malfunctioning, the sound produced from which Peter liked. He sampled and looped the sound in the intro to "My Head Sounds Like That" to create an atmosphere of a depressed state of mind.

Quotes on the Deltalab DL-2
"It has a variable stereo imaging thing, and although one or two of the modern units have come close, there's still a life and vitality to that, which I love and which I've never heard anywhere else."