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Help with Tape Delay Options

Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 6:54 am
by Musjagjazz
There are so many Echoplex, Echorec tape type delays out there - just wondering which would be people's favourites?

Not sure of the exact differences in sound between the two but would like to hear people's opinions.

Catalinbread has the Echorec and Belle Epoch

MXR Carbon Copy

Dunlop Echoplex

Source Audio Collider and Nemesis - there is a tape setting on each

Strymon El Capistan and Volante (too expensive for me)

TC Alter Ego x2 ( has a Echorec setting but can't adjust setting?)

Any others?

Just got an Adineko, which I really like but is an oil can delay, maybe that is all I need, without going overboard?

Pedals can be a huge rabbit hole. :squint:

Re: Help with Tape Delay Options

Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 7:25 am
by dc
Hermans could make anything sound good, but this seems to be well regarded and it's cheap as dirt:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYqqXSR3H-g

Re: Help with Tape Delay Options

Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 9:16 am
by Musjagjazz
Thanks dc, liked the demo but not cheap as dirt here in Canada.

For some reason, Nux pedals are not well represented here.

Only place that has it is Amazon.ca for $191 CDN :wtf:

Edit: Didn't know Thomann ships to Canada, $125 CDN ($93.50 USD) which includes UPS shipping and should be here in 2 days , have ordered!

Re: Help with Tape Delay Options

Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 2:38 pm
by stevejamsecono
The only real tape delay I've ever played was a WEM Copicat, so grain of salt here.

I had the Dunlop Echoplex and I currently have the TC Flashback 2 that I use on the "tape" setting. Both sound great. Only reason I don't have the Dunlop anymore was because it didn't have tap tempo subdivisions which are a must for me. I've had the TC for a few weeks and so far it sounds great, I don't know how "authentic" or not the tape sounds are, but they sound really great to me. You can also go deep on editing with Tone Print, I had Echoplex models from both PGS Andy and Andy Summers as well and they both sounds cool.

What kind of sounds are you trying to cop exactly? I think the key with any delay (and admittedly this is an ongoing search for most of us) is figure out what you're trying to do and then see which type suits it. For me it was Analog for a long time because of the nice dark repeats, but playing with faux tape has made my repeats more distinct which is nice.

Re: Help with Tape Delay Options

Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 3:16 pm
by Musjagjazz
Sounds I'm trying to cop?

I like slapback, a Alex Chilton Bangkok type of sound, like 50's rockabilly .

Maybe Dub-type Reggae stuff, spacey grooves, no real destination, just playing for fun.

I play mostly clean, would like to have a different sound and experiment... thanks for the suggestions!

Re: Help with Tape Delay Options

Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 4:37 pm
by fuzzjunkie
Musjagjazz wrote:
Mon Sep 28, 2020 3:16 pm
Sounds I'm trying to cop?

I like slapback, a Alex Chilton Bangkok type of sound, like 50's rockabilly .

Maybe Dub-type Reggae stuff, spacey grooves, no real destination, just playing for fun.

I play mostly clean, would like to have a different sound and experiment... thanks for the suggestions!
You didn’t mention the Roland Space Echo, but for Dub, Spacey grooves, clean and clear echo tones, you want a Space Echo. It can do slap back just fine on the single, short repeat settings. The extra playback heads make it more versatile than an Echoplex.

People like the Echoplex and Echorec because they’re less hi-fi than a Space Echo, but I think they sound better through a Tweed type amp or something with a little tube overdrive happening than a clean tone. Just my opinion on the last bit.

Re: Help with Tape Delay Options

Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 7:23 pm
by Musjagjazz
Hey fuzzjunkie,

The Roland Space Echo wasn't on my radar but from the sounds you describe, maybe it is the type of sound I'm looking for.

Do you have any tape delays and if so, any that stand out to you?

Just trying to school myself on what pedals are out there, as for example, I had not heard of the Nux pedal mentioned by dc in his post.

Thanks!

Re: Help with Tape Delay Options

Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 7:44 pm
by ElephantDNA
My only experience with these are the boss pedal and wampler faux echo along with various settings on things like TC. I really tend to only use it if I want a really "out there" tone, so I usually go to the extremes with this effect. Of the pedals I've seen out there, the bell epoch seems like one of the better ones. But as people have said, if you're on a budget, a lot of the digital stuff does a decent tape impression these days.

Re: Help with Tape Delay Options

Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 10:37 pm
by fuzzjunkie
Musjagjazz wrote:
Mon Sep 28, 2020 7:23 pm
Hey fuzzjunkie,

The Roland Space Echo wasn't on my radar but from the sounds you describe, maybe it is the type of sound I'm looking for.

Do you have any tape delays and if so, any that stand out to you?

Just trying to school myself on what pedals are out there, as for example, I had not heard of the Nux pedal mentioned by dc in his post.

Thanks!
I have a Roland CE-301, it’s an actual multihead tape echo. It’s like the Space Echo with a few more settings.

I also have a Strymon El Capistan. It does a decent Space Echo simulation. I got it because the CE-301 isn’t leaving the studio to get bounced around. Both of those are outside your budget though.

Boss makes a good Space Echo pedal called the RE-20. I don’t know what the used market price on those might be, but new they’re above your budget too.

There are probably Tone Prints for the Space Echo.

Re: Help with Tape Delay Options

Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2020 8:18 am
by Beltone
I missed out on a cheap used Adineko once and ended up with an Empress Tape Delay which I'm really happy with. It is very versatile because it can go from clean dotted 1/8s Edge style delay to dark decaying atmospheric stuff the more switches you flick to the right. It covers the slapback you mentioned too. Worth a look if you want to supplement your oil can sound.

Re: Help with Tape Delay Options

Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2020 8:59 am
by Musjagjazz
Thanks beltone, fuzzjunkie and elephantdna for the advice/suggestions.

Have recently started using pedals, as I normally just use reverb and tremolo on my amp.

Wanted to know what people are using as when you watch numerous pedal demo videos, it may sound good but may not be right for you or there might be some pedal I don't know about as there are so many options now.

Re: Help with Tape Delay Options

Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2020 1:17 pm
by cestlamort
The Catalinbread Belle Epoch deluxe is absolutely fantastic (although out of your budget here). I haven't tried the non-deluxe version.
The Boss RE-20 sounds pretty great as well, although falls way short of an actual RE-201.

The Ibanez analog delays do a nice slapback (the mini analog delay is a bargain, too).

Re: Help with Tape Delay Options

Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2020 3:25 pm
by fuzzjunkie
cestlamort wrote:
Tue Sep 29, 2020 1:17 pm
The Catalinbread Belle Epoch deluxe is absolutely fantastic (although out of your budget here). I haven't tried the non-deluxe version.
The Boss RE-20 sounds pretty great as well, although falls way short of an actual RE-201.

The Ibanez analog delays do a nice slapback (the mini analog delay is a bargain, too).
Since you already have a delay pedal, something like the Ibanez might be enough to get both the sounds you want?

Use the Ibanez for slap back echo, then stack it into the Adineko for the spacier sounds. That could be enough to simulate the multihead Space Echo tones. Set one for a single short echo and the second for longer rhythmic repeats and you could be in Dub City.

Re: Help with Tape Delay Options

Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 3:22 am
by Beltone
fuzzjunkie wrote:
Tue Sep 29, 2020 3:25 pm

Since you already have a delay pedal, something like the Ibanez might be enough to get both the sounds you want?

Use the Ibanez for slap back echo, then stack it into the Adineko for the spacier sounds. That could be enough to simulate the multihead Space Echo tones. Set one for a single short echo and the second for longer rhythmic repeats and you could be in Dub City.
This is great advice. Another thing to consider since you're new to the pedal game is researching the main types of pedals and deciding whether or not you want one from other representative categories. You might find that the Adineko is enough to "represent" delay pedals for you and be glad you added something else.

I was able to control my spending by getting one each of a tremolo/vibe, plate reverb, delay, looper, and fuzz and ruling out a drive, distortion, chorus, and flanger. My one mistake was buying two different types of reverb pedal early. Once I got an amp with onboard spring reverb, one pedal got relegated to always on duty with my #2 amp.

Re: Help with Tape Delay Options

Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 12:34 pm
by Musjagjazz
Thanks to all for the advice - ;D

I ordered the Nux Tape Core, should arrive late tomorrow, which is based on the Roland Space Echo.

Beltone, Fuzzjunkie - yes, will now have 2 delays but they are different types, Oil Can and Space Echo. Will have to try Fuzzjunkie's advice and stack them

Has 7 presets, which use tape heads 1, 2 or 3 separately then 1+2 together, 1+3 together, 2+3 together and finally 1+2+3, so 7 options in total.

There is tap tempo and if you hook it up to a computer, can adjust parameters and add reverb.

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