Binson Echorec by T-Rex & its predecessors

[echorec]

The new Echorec is either going to be a momentous triumph for delay freaks, or a bitter-tasting misfire. Agree/disagree? ---Or maybe it will fall somewhere in the middle like most creative endeavors. (tongue-in-cheek smiley?)

Here's an enlarged teaser pic of a revised Echorec design by T-Rex in Denmark. The Danes have been dropping hints for a while about some new boutique stuff handmade in Denmark. This would seem like an ambitious and unique way to set the tone for such a line.

Here's the link, which Ruiner shared a couple of days ago. https://www.instagram.com/p/BPUdkUShTkV/ -----I first became acquainted with the Echorec about 15 years ago, so seeing that rendering still feels incredibly surreal and disorienting, no matter how many times I glance at it.

If you go by the right-side of the top face, you can see duplicate VOLUME/SWELL pots in a vertical orientation, alongside a Head 4 activation switch. I speculate this is repeated from top-to-bottom, so that possibly tells us two things about this new design---it will have 4 individual heads (not tape) adjacent to the internal magnetic recording drum, and each head will have independent volume control. For people unacquainted with multi-head layouts, each head is at a different distance with a different delay range, which provides rhythmic repeats as shorter delays ricochet off longer delays.

I've contacted some dealer reps, and it seems T-Rex hasn't leaked much, if anything about this project yet (no price or arrival timeframe). I guess we'll all know more in a couple of days when demo clips and more images are unveiled.

[echorec]

I've bought all the simulators, and so far the Dawner Prince is my favorite. I've had (2) Echosex units, (2) Catalinbread Echorecs, an Alter Ego (gold), the Boonar, and (3+) Alter Ego X4s. Each had their strengths & limitations.

A) Echosex: sounds exceptional for a PT2399 circuit, very transparent, can do vintage textures, but lacks head control (the cascading heads are what defines the Binson signature). If you want a delay that doesn't color your guitar, this is a good choice, although the price is a bit high for something that doesn't pack much variety. Several delays can do much more for less---but if you don't want modernized or wacky delays, this might be the best fit.

B) Boonar: spacious...on the brink of self-oscillation, it is delightfully huge with tremendous presence, the most-authentic simulator for me because of how the heads interact. I love the kuh-klink, kuh-klink of the repeats skipping through the virtual heads. I've honestly considered getting a second one, but the price is a bit of a deterrent there, as other delays offer more options for less cash.

C) Alter Ego (small footprint, gold): honestly I liked the DMM preset much more. the Echorec part had way too much modulation and needed external distortion to help cover much of that up---which is why it wasn't suited for synths. I didn't want to do Gilmour solos on a maple neck Strat.

D) Alter Ego X4: I love this delay, which is why I still have two. I love stacking a Copicat with an Echorec or a rack delay with a Memory Man. If you blend the different banks with other external effects in a larger mix, you would be hard-pressed to distinguish the X4 from its inspirations. One Echorec setting is much more agreeable to me than the other (that pesky, too much unnatural modulation problem). --Again, no control over the depth of the modulation or head selection. It's hard for me to recommend this as an Echorec alternative, but for the money, you can't beat the variety (about $149 in the US for 12 vintage delay modes feels like a steal).

E) Catalinbread Echorec: I think this works great for guitar parts that need multiple head combinations. It's not a dead-on simulator unfortunately, but it does sounds exquisitely ethereal on all my synths, so I can't judge it too harshly. If you want a wash pedal, this is a great choice. I would never part with these, even if it's not as accurate as the Boonar. All-in-all it's probably the second-best choice, though, if you're looking for an Echorec experience on a typical budget.

[UglyCasanova]

Related: Source Audio released a free Binson sound engine for the Nemesis yesterday. Its pretty stunning. Catalinbread's version is still my favorite though. But, yeah. Free awesome stuff!

[echorec]

Related: Source Audio released a free Binson sound engine for the Nemesis yesterday. Its pretty stunning. Catalinbread's version is still my favorite though. But, yeah. Free awesome stuff!

I remember the rumblings that they were planning to do one, but I wasn't sure if/when it'd be finalized. Does it have selectable rhythms or multi-head variations? ---I still need to get deeper into editing my Nemesis. It's just been waiting on a rainy day for a while. (too much stuff, not enough space to set up the lab the way it used to be)

Also, sticking with multi-engine digital delays, I wonder what Empress has planned for their EchoSystem. It has a multi option, so it could have 3-5 sub-banks (Space Echo, Binson, et cetera).

[01010111]

I don't have any experience with these at all, but I am very excited.

Based on nothing other than the fact that these are based on some kind of metal as opposed to tape I feel like they might require less mantenance?

[echorec]

I don't have any experience with these at all, but I am very excited.

Based on nothing other than the fact that these are based on some kind of metal as opposed to tape I feel like they might require less mantenance?

Yes, there's nothing to load (like you would have to with tape reels). Over the years, many Echorecs have received upgraded motors, thus reducing the noise levels for quieter and smoother operation. If you've seen Marcello's shop online, he uses a mixture of NOS products with new motors for better operation. That's the most obvious advantage of modern electronics over vintage units.

The T-Rex Replicator tape machine requires less maintenance than a vintage unit, but theoretically a revised Echorec could require even less upkeep (more durable motor & various other parts). If engineered properly, most of the internal components would be permanent/semi-permanent fixtures. The rendering provided by T-Rex shows screws on the face covering, so I imagine that's for easy access to clean the heads.

Magnetic drums were actually found in the pre-mid century computers. Here's some video clips of general maintenance and some magnetic drum history (cheesy, but short). That's a good reference point for becoming acquainted with them.

[youtube][/youtube]

[youtube][/youtube]

Marcello's channel has several videos on units he's either built or restored over the years.

https://www.youtube.com/user/specialbinson/videos

[01010111]

This makes me terribly excited to try one if these. Definitely seems less prone to mechanical failure! Why weren't these more popular? It seems like this'd be a lot better than tape machines when it comes to reliability and getting a consistent sound?

[Ruiner]

I don't have any experience with these at all, but I am very excited.

Based on nothing other than the fact that these are based on some kind of metal as opposed to tape I feel like they might require less mantenance?

I still haven't made a proper demo but here's a demo of a demo that i did showing the sounds of the newer Binson models made by Marcello in Italy using 95% NOS parts

[youtube][/youtube]



As far as the T-Rex version goes... i'm curious to see what they come out with but man... i just wouldn't want something as big as that as a stompbox... would rather just have a unit with a footswitch for on and off. Maybe that's just me though. I heard the T-Rex Replicator had tons of issues and didn't sound great so hopefully they learned from their mistakes and come out with a quality product because it's definitely not an easy sound to nail and the real thing sounds oh so good.