Echorec Vs Belle Epoch

[Devillian]

Belle Epoch user here, but yesterday i managed to score a used Echorec on the bay for a decent price.

Just wondering- who has used both, and what kind of sounds did you use them for?

I've read good things about the echorec and have watched the demos, but still not really sure what all those different modes and tape head combos do. Looking forward to plugging it in and exploring that little box of wizardry.

I've been using the Belle powered at 18v for a light ambient swirl with the mix and mod levels both pretty low. It's pretty nice like that.

Hoping i'll be able to pull some edgier, more textural sounds out of the Echorec.

 

[Obsessed]

Congrats on the score! I've been GASsing for the Belle Epoch, but Andy's (Pro Guitar) demo of the Echorec is impressive. I can hardly wait for your report after some use of both.

BTW, where did you end up placing the BE in your pedal chain?

Edit: I see that you posted your pedalboard on the "Show me" thread, but still can't figure out the order.

 

[Devillian]

Hey thanks! Will definitely post my echorec experienced, but you might have to bear with me- it looks complicated, so I could be a while.

Yeah my board is a bit…weird. I’ve got the Belle Epoch pretty much right at the start, before the dirt and reverb, for no other reason than the Catalinbread folks recommended placing it up front, so I tried it in there and it sounds nice!

 

[telerocker1988]

I've been wanting to get the BE, simply for that great long tape echo. It could replace my Flashback so I'd have a DM-2 for short country slap and the Epoch for long tape delay.

 

[Devillian]

^^^ Sounds like a nice combo to me!

 

[vjf1968]

Belle Epoch user here, but yesterday i managed to score a used Echorec on the bay for a decent price.

Just wondering- who has used both, and what kind of sounds did you use them for?

I've read good things about the echorec and have watched the demos, but still not really sure what all those different modes and tape head combos do. Looking forward to plugging it in and exploring that little box of wizardry.

I've been using the Belle powered at 18v for a light ambient swirl with the mix and mod levels both pretty low. It's pretty nice like that.

Hoping i'll be able to pull some edgier, more textural sounds out of the Echorec.

The Echorec is a pedal version of the old Binson Echorec. It basically is a multi-tap delay, being that the Echorec originally had multiple heads around a magnetic drum. The choosing of different heads gave you different rhythmic delays. So the Echorec and Bell Epoch represents two different vintage echo units.

 

[Devillian]

Just got my new echorec and played it a little last night.

Wow- it's a complex beast. Getting some great sounds out of it, but i think it's going to take me a long time to get it figured out.

Initial impressions are that it doesn't have the base tonal coloration of the Belle Epoch, which is a good thing imo.

in terms of the delays- i don't really know how to characterise it. Seems to be infinitely variable and has a more staccato attack than the belle, but with plenty of little sonic artifacts left behind in the wake (if you want them).

Sounds great to me so far. I think it will be useful both as a songwriting pedal (coz it kind of makes you play to it) as well as a good live pedal for some textured sonic wash over the top of rhythm parts.

Part of the steepness of the learning curve with me is that i'm not at all familiar with either the binson echorec or the echoplex, which these pedals model. So i'm kind of feeling my way around in the dark a bit here. But so far, so good.

I'd really like to keep both on my board, but might have to move one on due to lack of remaining power spots on my pedal power ISO 5. I'll wait a few months before i make a call on that one way or the other, but I feel like if i could only have one, it'd be the Echorec. It sounds more present overall to me than the Belle Epoch

 

[Obsessed]

Thanks for the update. I'm basically thinking of the same uses as well. I know it is early and I would expect it to take quite some time to learn about both of these pedals, but are you saying that the Echorec has a cleaner bass tone?

BTW, I'm still leery of the placement way up front of the chain for the Belle Epoch, but I guess that is because of the "always on" pre amp. I suppose, you must have another delay for slap back?

 

[Devillian]

Thanks for the update. I'm basically thinking of the same uses as well. I know it is early and I would expect it to take quite some time to learn about both of these pedals, but are you saying that the Echorec has a cleaner bass tone? BTW, I'm still leery of the placement way up front of the chain for the Belle Epoch, but I guess that is because of the "always on" pre amp. I suppose, you must have another delay for slap back?

Yep echorec has a clearer base tone than the belle.

No slap delay here. Not a slapper. Sometimes i use one but not as an all the time thing.

I've committed myself to a board powered by a powersupply with just the five outlets as a way of having to make choices and stick with them, the idea being that imposing some finite limits on the number of pedals i use can actually foster creativity, tweaking, honing of sounds etc.

The echorec looks like a good fit for that (maybe even a bit of a cheat), coz the possibilities seem endless!

 

[xtrajerry]

Yep echorec has a clearer base tone than the belle.

No slap delay here. Not a slapper. Sometimes i use one but not as an all the time thing.

I've committed myself to a board powered by a powersupply with just the five outlets as a way of having to make choices and stick with them, the idea being that imposing some finite limits on the number of pedals i use can actually foster creativity, tweaking, honing of sounds etc.

The echorec looks like a good fit for that (maybe even a bit of a cheat), coz the possibilities seem endless!

You can always daisy chain individual lines, just keep track of the total current draw of each line.

 

[tweedman2001]

Just for kicks you might want to try the Belle Epoch last in the chain. The original EP3 which it is modeled after works very well there. I have not tried one yet so this is only a suggestion.

The BE is on my want list. It would definitely be easier to carry than my EP3

 

[Obsessed]

Just for kicks you might want to try the Belle Epoch last in the chain. The original EP3 which it is modeled after works very well there. I have not tried one yet so this is only a suggestion.

The BE is on my want list. It would definitely be easier to carry than my EP3

I've read that some people are having issues with the BE being last, because of the built-in pre amp that can't be turned off.

 

[vjf1968]

I've read that some people are having issues with the BE being last, because of the built-in pre amp that can't be turned off.

Never heard anything about that. You can "turn off" the pre amp by putting the pedal into true-bypass.

 

[tweedman2001]

Never heard anything about that. You can "turn off" the pre amp by putting the pedal into true-bypass.

This. And the real EP3 always has the buffer on. Food for thought. :idea:

 

[Devillian]

You can always daisy chain individual lines, just keep track of the total current draw of each line.

Didn't realise that. Thanks for the heads up- will give it a shot

 

[Obsessed]

Never heard anything about that. You can "turn off" the pre amp by putting the pedal into true-bypass.

Oh, so good to hear! Thanks. It can still be in the running for me.

 

[Obsessed]

This. And the real EP3 always has the buffer on. Food for thought. :idea:

Hmmm, very interesting. Good to know, thanks.