GAS attack = new tape echo...echo...echo

[Hawkman]

I've always been a big fan of analog tape delays... Echoplex's, Roland Space Echo's, Univox, etc. I own a few of these old vintage machines, but alas, they are, as reported by many users, often very unreliable - especially when gigging live. They are also very BIG machines. My Space Echo takes up 4 spaces in my rack!

So, when I heard about a new, reliable, one rack space tape echo unit designed by some tone tweakers in Japan and marketed as Hiwatt, I had to have one. $550 later, it arrived a few weeks ago, and it's simply the best analog tape echo I've heard. This thing has up to 2 seconds of delay, 3 echo settings, and a voltage controlled input to change the delay time on the fly (I just hooked up an old Roland volume/expression pedal and now I can quickly go from 20ms delay to 2000ms delay time)

I just wanted to share this product with any of you hard-core analog junkies who crave the latest tone generating gizmos based on technology of a generation ago.

More info is available at Musictoyz

[Mincer]

Re: GAS attack = new tape echo...echo...echo

I head EH is reissuing its 16 second 'fripp in a box' delay. me, i like my digital echoplex pro.

[Gearjoneser]

Re: GAS attack = new tape echo...echo...echo

I'm all over that like tubes on a chassis! So, you're saying it is an actual analog tape based unit, not digital? What's the deal with all that tape? Does all of that tape in
the unit's window actually feed into the wheels? I'm sometimes hesitant to get into those tape machines, like you have, only because of the maintenance and reliability issues, like you said. Hiwatt, and Japanese for that matter, don't make junk, so
tell us more about it.

[Hawkman]

Re: GAS attack = new tape echo...echo...echo

I'm all over that like tubes on a chassis! So, you're saying it is an actual analog tape based unit, not digital? What's the deal with all that tape? Does all of that tape in
the unit's window actually feed into the wheels? I'm sometimes hesitant to get into those tape machines, like you have, only because of the maintenance and reliability issues, like you said. Hiwatt, and Japanese for that matter, don't make junk, so
tell us more about it.

Yep...ALL ANALOG, no ADA digital converters at work here. The mechanics of this tape delay are much like a Roland Space Echo having a free floating tape of about 6-7 feet in length. The rubber pinch roller presses against the flywheel moving the tape across a recording head and two playback heads at varying speeds (user controlled with VC expression pedal). The cool thing about this unit is that the pinch roller stops rolling when there is no input signal. So, when you stop playing, the tape stops rolling. This preserves tape life. On Echoplexes and Space Echos, the tape is continuously rolling. Besides playing through them, I actually enjoy doing the routine maintenance on my old tape echos. Every few months I'll brew a pot of coffee and sit down with my 3 tape echos and give them a good once over... Clean the heads with some alcohol, remove any built up gunk or oxidized tape residue, demagnetize the tape heads, replace the tape if necessary, then throw some salt over my left shoulder and pray it's working better than it was before I worked on it.

So far this unit has performed flawlessly. The echo is very strong if you want it to be. Setting the echo time short (fly wheel moving tape quickly over the tape heads) gives you a very clear sounding delay. Setting the echo time to longer (past 50%) will give you that classic warm high end rolled off echo sound.

I think someone reviewed the unit on Harmony Central.

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: GAS attack = new tape echo...echo...echo

Looks like a clean wellmade unit.
Love tape-echos

[Curly]

Re: GAS attack = new tape echo...echo...echo

I'd like to see the new Fulltone in action.

[StefanM]

Re: GAS attack = new tape echo...echo...echo

I What's the deal with all that tape? Does all of that tape in the unit's window actually feed into the wheels?

Looks cool, but I'm with gearjoneser - curious as to why all that tape is free. Is is the only way you can have that long a length of tape and have it cycling continuously?