Strymon EC-1 Single Head Tape Delay Pedal

Experience the dreamy sound of a classic ‘60s tape echo complete with the harmonic richness of the accompanying tube preamp for an immediately nostalgic tape delay tone which has derived from the legendary Echoplex EP-2. Enjoy organic and ethereal modulation produced by countless subtle mechanical imperfections and easily dial in anything from warm slapback delay to expansive echo feedback in either mono or stereo, all from a compact pedal.

Key Features

• Switchable Saturation - Whether you want the cleanest repeats, subtle fattening or even downright dirty echos, you can instantly dial in the desired amount of tape saturation with the flip of a switch.
• Tape Age Dial - EC-1 allows you to faithfully reproduce vintage characteristics of the Echoplex EP-2 by turning up the Tape Age knob for warmer repeats or turning it toward minimum for the full-bandwidth sound of fresh tape.
• Tap Tempo - Confidently tap your tempos with no pitch shifting, no clicks, ramps or mutes.
• Full Stereo Capability - EC-1 features full stereo in and out capabilities, processing incoming stereo signals independently so that you can place it anywhere in your stereo effects chain.
• Optional 6db Boost - Both preamp choices offer an optional boost of up to +6dB, or the preamp can be bypassed for an unprocessed dry signal if desired.
• Connect An Expression Pedal - Straightforward controls and expression pedal capability.
• MIDI Control - MIDI control of tempo, patch save/recall and more.
• True/Buffered Bypass - Integrate into your pedalboard with ease, and keep the clarity of your signal clean.
• USB-C Connection – Use the USB jack for performing firmware updates or controlling the pedal from a computer.

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. Strymon have perfectly captured the fluctuations from motors and mechanical components were thoroughly studied to accurately capture their stunning imperfections, creating pure nostalgic tone.

The Story Of The EC-1

Development of the EC-1 started with the groundbreaking single-moving head algorithm originally developed for Strymon’s El Capistan pedal, which is renowned for its lifelike reproduction of vintage tape echo.

Strymon then sought out an Echoplex EP-2 that had been worked on by storied technician Cesar Diaz. Strymon discovered that several modifications had been made to the EP-2 including tweaks to the tube preamp for a warmer sound. The modifications seemed aimed at bringing the best aspects of the various vintage Echoplex models into a single unit, and the inspiring result significantly informed the development of EC-1

Two Preamp Circuits

The EC-1 features two authentically reproduced preamp circuits that lend a subtle vintage character to your input signal. One is based on the classic EP-2 tube preamp and features an enhanced high-end shelf perfect for brightening up darker humbuckers.

The default preamp produces a warm, balanced response based on the modded preamp circuit in the EP-2. This option adds a pleasing sense of heft, especially to single-coil pickups.

Strymon dTape System

The Strymon dTape system allows precise replication of every aspect of every tape echo they have studied, and in the 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.

The record level switch gives you a fast and easy way to match EC-1’s response to your input signal level to obtain the desired sound from any pickup type or pedalboard configuration.

Full Stereo Capability

EC-1 features full stereo in and out capabilities, processing incoming stereo signals independently so that you can place it anywhere in your stereo effects chain. It can also receive mono input and still produce stereo output if you’d like to use it as the stereo origin point of your signal path. EC-1’s single TRS input and TRS output allows for stereo operation while maintaining a compact form factor.

The dedicated rear panel Input switch allows you to determine the audio routing, selecting between Mono In → Mono Out, Mono In → Stereo Out, or Stereo In → Stereo Out (stereo in and out requires a TRS cable for each jack).

Specifications

• High impedance ultra low-noise discrete Class A JFET TRS stereo input
• Low impedance TRS stereo output
• Expression pedal input allows the connection of a TRS expression pedal, MiniSwitch, MultiSwitch Plus, or TRS MIDI connection
• USB jack for controlling via MIDI from a computer or for performing firmware updates
• Power requirements: maximum 9 volts DC center-negative, with a minimum of 250mA (power supply NOT included)

Audio Quality

• Premium JFET analogue front end
• Ultra-low noise, high performance 24-bit 96kHz A/D and D/A converters provide uncompromising audio quality
• 520MHz ARM Superscalar processor
• 32-bit floating point processing
• 20Hz to 20kHz frequency response
• Audio Input Impedance: 1M Ohm
• Audio Output Impedance: 100 Ohm
• Typical signal to noise ratio: 116dB

Dimensions

• 6” deep x 2.7” wide x 2.5” tall
• 7 cm deep x 6.9 cm wide x 6.4 cm tall