More more more fun fun than a barrel of monkeys-eys-eys.....

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

There have been a lot of questions lately about digital delays, analog echos and their use with (or without) reverb. Personally I don't use reverb live for anything other than surf music - to me it sounds washed out, indistinct (plus most reverb circuits accentuate the highs and sound tinny). If I recall correctly, Brad Sarno is another one that uses delay instead of reverb.

I have a bucketful of analog or digital analog-emulating units (analog delays lose some highs and fidelity as repeats continue, warming up the sound considerably. Surprisingly, you lose almost NO articulation and your signal still sounds very clean even though the delay repeats are "dirtier" (depending on the circuit) than the input signal.

But the whole idea of analog delay is to try to get the warmth of tape echo.

I've had this one sitting around for at least 15 years and it's been completely serviced electronically...but it still acted weird (delay level dropped to zero when turned all the way up) and the delay was muddy and indistinct. I'd rewound the two carts I had, but wen I ran across an ad recently for a rewinding service I figured I'd try it, not being sure how good the tape was I used (or the original tape). It cost $15 each for two cartridges - new tape and repaired pads.

The thing sounds brand new, and is amazing - not noisy or hissy, the repeats drop off evenly,and the bypass seems to be either well buffered or true bypass.

This one is the Maestro Sireko - essentially (except for the different tape cartridge shape) a tape Echoplex (made by the same company) without the little-used sound-on-sound feature.

Yeah, it's A/C powered and takes up a lot of room. Nevertheless I'll find a way to use it. I'm an analog delay junkie and this blows my boutique analog units out of the water!

IF you've never tried tape delay and like analog more than digital, try to find a Sireko or Echoplex. Prices seem to have leveled off (except on the rare tube units) and there is NOTHING that sounds like tape.

I just wish I had the tape cartridge cover! I have the box lid, but not the clip-on "Sireko" plate. BTW, you can use any normal on/off footswitch with a 1/4" plug. I use a Boss F5-5L - it's a small footswitch that uses a normal guitar cable - don't get the F5-5U; "L" means latching - it stays on or off. "U" mean "unlatched", or "momentary" - like a piano sustain pedal,and is only on when you keep pressing it.
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James Mayer · Posted 18 Jul 2009 12:47 pm

I have a Maestro EP-4. It's awesome but has it's issues. After running for about 15 minutes, it loses the ability to self-oscillate. I should probably take it to an expert.

I find I use my cheap Ibanez DE7 (in echo mode) more frequently. That little pedal has a lot of character.

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

SF,
I have an old green, tube Echoplex, with "the little-used sound-on-sound feature. " I also have a Roland Space Echo. Although they both sound great, the Echoplex is the clear winner. I've never felt that any stompbox comes close to the real thing. They sound okay, but they don't REALLY sound like an Plex!
jmiles

Ben Jones · From: Seattle, Washington, USA

My space echo is my favorite peice fo gear. I would like an echoplex also but havent found one that sounded good yet. There is an empty space in my rig waiting for the right echoplex to come along at the right price. One store had six of em , tube and ss and they were all just beat in one way or another.

My space echo is magic! One of my favorite peices of gear easily. Ii allows me to split the signal to two amps , and acts as a mini mixer and attenuator since it has level controls. excuse me. The space echo and I, need a moment alone now.... Cool

John Groover McDuffie · From: LA California, USA

I have one of these but the tape tends to get stuck. Where did you get the cartridges rewound?

I loved using it in a guitar trio, because when I kicked it on for a solo the hum filled out the sound subtly.

Gerry Simon · From: Ohio, USA

I also used an echoplex for years but now use an Eventide "Timefactor" for delay. It has a a tape simulator that warms the echo, add some warble and even lets me dial in all the hiss (up to a surf sound) that I care to!!

Cliff Kane · From: the late great golden state

Tape is king! For anything you can use it for it's going to sound better than the alternative. I have a Roland Space Echo (RE-150) tape machine, and it sounds great. My favorite rig is my Emmons to the tape echo to my Magnatone amp with tube vibrato and tube reverb. I haven't tried an EchoPlex since I was a kid and a friend had one at his house. We used to run a mic through it and hit bongos and yell through it.....we were heavy dub and didn't know it, it just sounded really cool. I'd like to A/B an EchoPlex with my Roland Space Echo some day.

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