Strymon EC-1 Single Head dTape Echo

We’re excited as always to bring you the latest creation from our friends at Strymon to you all today, and this one features my all-time favorite effect genre: Delay/Echo. The EC-1 Single Head dTape Echo is based on a classic, vintage tape machine we all know and love, but with modern options, a smaller package size and ZERO expensive maintenance, rebuilding or upkeep costs. Sounding glorious in Stereo as usual, this little gem is the next favorite delay on your pedalboard…

Grab an EC-1 from Sweetwater https://sweetwater.sjv.io/e1E2or

Experience the dreamy sound of a classic ‘60s tape echo complete with the harmonic richness of the accompanying tube preamp. Enjoy organic and ethereal modulation produced by countless subtle mechanical imperfections, and easily dial in anything from warm slapback to expansive echo feedback beds with a strikingly gorgeous stereo image. With beautifully-tuned low frequency response, lush tape saturation and sublime echo decay, EC-1 provides all the best of what a tube driven tape echo can deliver.

Selectable tube-modeled preamp voices. Artifact-free tap tempo. Discrete stereo operation for independent processing of the left and right stereo inputs. Straightforward controls and expression pedal capability. High-impedance, ultra-low noise discrete Class A JFET stereo input preamp for exceptional touch sensitivity, dynamics and feel. MIDI control of tempo, patch save/recall and more. Premium components, rugged construction and a USB jack for performing firmware updates or controlling the pedal from a computer.

Strymon’s unique dTape technology, first developed the wonderful for El Capistan, has been expanded to reproduce all the inspiring nuances they encountered while studying a recently-acquired tube Echoplex that was in uncommonly superb condition. This system allows precise replication of every aspect of every tape echo Strymon studied, and in EC-1 this includes the effect of the moving head, the tape condition, the bias setting, the mechanical effects of motors, capstan slippage and all the irregularities that add up to create the unmistakable, inspiring sound of vintage tape echo repeats.

There’s so much going on in this little pedal, and we’re absolutely here for exploring every sonic nook and cranny. In the demo below, we dive into the control panel, create some new sounds and generally investigate all that the EC-1 Single Head dTape Echo has to offer. There’s a TON of information about it on the Strymon website, so be sure to head there after you watch our demo video – and grab one of these for yourself from Sweetwater HERE, cheers!!