What are the most obscure tape echoes out there?

H

Hollow Root

New member
I'm aware of all the major sweet tape echoes (and many of the minor ones too) like...

- Space Echo RE 150,200, 201, 301, 501, 555
- Echoplex EP-1, 2, 3, 4, Sireko, Groupmaster
- Fulltone
- Korg Echo
- Evan's Echo
- The Plex
- Binson Echorec (not a tape echo but still...)
- Meazzi Echomatic
- The 8-track style TE's (Univox)
- Klemt Echolette
- Dynacord Echocord
- Copicats
- Lem Echoes
- Fender's attempt at a TE
- Vox' tape echo
- Eccofonic
- Hohner echo

Are there any others that are worth noting and why?

Personally, I love the sound through the Echoplex, Tube Copicat and Echocords the best. I haven't heard a Binson live yet, nor the eccofonic, or Vox but would love to know more about their sound.

I'm a tape echo nerd /:
 
I've got one you didn't mention.... a Multivox MX-201.

It's basically very similar to the Roland Space Echo stuff. Endless loop tray, 5 heads for echo, spring reverb, plus it does single/plural sound-on-sound, variable speed...and has a feature that I think is unique, a "Swell Reverb" option, that sort of lets the reverb "bloom" in rather than kick in.

I bought it new back in '78-'79, still works as new.

Here's what it looks like (it's not my unit, mine is in better shape.... just got the picture off the web).

image.jpg
 
Looks like the Multivox does have a lot in common with the Space Echoes. I have the SRE-555 and they seem pretty close in terms of options. My 555 has a very clean echo with a touch of wow & flutter. I use it mainly as a aux effect on the mixer because it's so clean and quiet. The reverb is a nice option too on both. I'm guessing the Multivox has the same cleanliness.

On the flip side... that is why I love the Echoplex's and other tube type tape echoes - because they can get dirty and I find them much better suited for instrumental effects. I think if I ran my echoplex through the mixer it may get too noisy. But for guitar and keys, vox I love'em.

But I digress...
Certainly there must be more tape echoes out there. Most were made in the US, UK, Italy and Germany. I think there were some Russian ones, but I'm not familiar with them. Any others???
 
I have a Mirano echo chamber T4, it is not working at the moment but one day I will fix it.

Looks like this, but this is not my actual unit (don't have a photo of mine).

Alan.

mirano.jpg
 
Mirano, nice! I don't think I've heard of that one. Sounds Italian? Is it tube or SS? What's wrong with it? I'd love to know how it sounds. Kinda has a little bit of a Watkins Copicat feel to it in terms of options and layout. Interesting transport system... like a mini reel-to-reel.
 
The Mirano I have, which sounds Italian but is made in Japan, This one is solid state, found this info here.

I used to use it a lot during the 90's, usually on guitar tracks where we wanted a retro echo, I would have also used it on vocals. It's been a while since I had it apart, but from memory the first thing that broke was the drive belt, which is probably what has broken again. It used to break tapes all the time, but I did not have the correct tape loops, but back then there was plenty of 1/4" tape stock around the studio so I would just splice one. What I used to do is get the effect we wanted then record it to a track in case the echo stopped working again LOL. It sounded a lot like a Watkins copy cat, which I have owned in the past as well (sold it unfortunately).

This thread has me revved up, I may pull it apart again and see if I can get it working.

Alan.
 
Cool info on the Mirano... I had a similar problem with a fender echo I got. The drive belt was dangling out ): But I bought a vacuum cleaner belt with the same diameter and trimmed a piece near the width of the broken belt and it worked great.

I know tape echoes can be testy, but when they work well they sound like no other. I think the coolest thing on your unit is the variable tape speed, that's cool for a unit like that. I hope you get it working again!

Hopefully there are more that can shed light on other tape echoes that lay dormant in the shadows :-)
 
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