Anyone else ever come to the slow realization...

[CZ Rider]

Man, I thought I was the only musician left on earth who still used a CRT monitor. Glad I am not alone!

That is actually a nice one to cart out as it is a B&W monitor with something like a 7" screen. Very light compared to a color one. Found for $10 at a computer show and it was probably for an old cash register type thing. Was needed for the WIN95 computer stuffed with Soundblasters using the EMu8000 chip and 32MEGs RAM each. Just can't let go of my Soundfont ambient pads, and I am only playing those soundcards from the Voyager. Those Soundblasters each have built in delay too, and really adds to the ambience.
That pic was from a throwback show done live on the radio. We time-traveled backward and started the set at 1:59AM, played for 59 minutes, and ended the show at 1:58AM, a minute before we started.

[EricK]

CZ,
I love the EP-4, yours looks like its held up nicely also.

The sound of the decays are incredible. It is almost as if it has some filtering going on. Like the echoes get shot out into space and wrapped in this orb of excellence and gradually disappear.

The RE-301 absolutely won't touch that sound.

[CZ Rider]

Eric, good description of the Echoplex tone. I can still remember the first time I heard a Minimoog and Echoplex live. Was Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group back in October 1976. Jan played "Darkness / Earth in Search of a Sun" solo on a Minimoog and Echoplex. Never heard anything like that! He shook the building and it sounded like a "tunneling" effect when he pulled back on the pitch wheel.
Another memorable show with heavy Echoplex was seeing Jean Luc Ponty doing the Cosmic Messenger tour. Jean Luc made that voilin and Echoplex sound his own. I like the solid state delays for their lack of maintenence, but the tone on that tape Echoplex is unique.

PS: On my third Echoplex motor, second set of heads, and probably about 20th tape cart. Gotta oil those motors!

[EricK]

I posted this last month, but in case anyone wants to hear the Echoplex and the 301 side-by-side, they can do it here:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz0ICtXISXE
It get's really good around the 7 minute mark, but it's worth it to listen all the way through.




Here them in stereo on a piece:
https://soundcloud.com/rhythmicons/301echoplex



Add to this a 104z, a Roland DC-50 (Chorus, it is a BBD Delay effect) though this isn't many delays, it sure packed an oomph in my wallet.

Still longing for that Binson Echorec though.


CZ,
What kind of oil and how often?

[CZ Rider]

CZ,
What kind of oil and how often?

Might be a question for an Echoplex user group. Wish I knew, but I'm on my third motor. First one gave out around 1980. Second one about 1986. Did not get around to sourcing a new one untill a few years back. Back in those 70's/80's it did get used continuously and it is a system that will literally wear itself out from use. First sign the motor went bad is it won't start by itself and have to coax it to start. The bearings just let go. Did read about the required oiling on a clone brand user site when I was sourcing a new motor.
Found the motor here, but is out of stock now.
Echoplex replacement motor and belt

[Vsyevolod]

Love that Mackie LM3204. 16 stereo in's, my only big complaint is that two of the Aux sends are mono while the other two are stereo...

Stephen




.

[Voltor07]

Honestly, delay isn't my thing. I have an EHX #1 echo that I occasionally use on the Taurus 3. It's the only echo I feel a need for. It does what it's meant to do, even has a bit of analog warmth...not bad for a $100 digital delay. Simply can't live without my MF-102 and 103, though. Been contemplating the Minifooger versions of both those.

[stiiiiiiive]

I bought a MF-103 recently; I'm on holidays for a couple of weeks, I'll be trying it out I used it only once with a rhodes patch: could not swith it off, amazing!

In the meantime, I've bought two more delays, mind you -pink Catalinbread Montavillian and Ibanez ES2. That being said, none of them puts the spot of my 104M in my pedalboard in danger. Im ust say I'm awaiting some serious rival with the next JAM Pedals Delay Llama version... coming in september.

[Kenneth]

I sold my Akai Headrush and a couple other pedals because I bought an Eventide TimeFactor

[_DemonDan_]

I recently picked up one of the MF-104MSD Super Delays (I already have an MF-104M, and used to own an MF-104) and was pleasantly surprised by all the cool things you can do with the extra delay time.

But I can also make it enough like the MF-104M to use them together for stereo tricks.

[thealien666]

The only thing I don't like about the MF104's is the very dark repeats (high end heavily filtered out) even on short delay times, when compared to other BBD delays from other companies.
Is the MF-104MSD still the same ?

[_DemonDan_]

The only thing I don't like about the MF104's is the very dark repeats (high end heavily filtered out) even on short delay times, when compared to other BBD delays from other companies.
Is the MF-104MSD still the same ?

Yep, it is. It's why I have a plethora of delays. Each has something special.

Nothing else seems to radically modulate delay times as organically as an MF-104 (any version).

For "sparkly" delays I go with:
Digitech TimeBender
Strymon TimeLine
TC Flashback & Flashback x4
HardWire DL-8
because they each can still bend delay times (if you don't go too crazy)
without the original riff getting chopped up.

{Note: The above delays all need to be in their "Analog" mode to bend time.}

[thealien666]

Thanks for a quick reply Dan !

For my "analog delay" needs, I use Boss DD-7 in analog mode...
But, hey, in a mix it's difficult to tell it's not really analog.

[Voltor07]

Thealien666, it's the same way with the EHX #1 Echo.

[thealien666]

Yeah Voltor, most BBD delays include some sort of filtering to remove/eliminate clocking artifacts, but some filter a little less than others, at the price of some "aliasing" on long delay times (EHX Deluxe Memory Man for example).