T-Rex Replicator

Strat_a_tat_tat

... the tape delay pedal should be in the shops in a few weeks. 

Anyone planning on getting one - or has 'Helix-Fever' blinded everyone to other FX?

not_the_dj

Ooooo, I'd missed the news about these...(I'm drooling)

EricTheWeary

That had completely passed me by. £564 on thomann. :o3

littlethoughts

Despite the intense price I am really really tempted.

Strat_a_tat_tat

Yes... they're not cheap - but electro-mechanical stuff is always going to be a bit more expensive to manufacture... and it's still a fair bit cheaper than a Fulltone.

I'm intrigued.

not_the_dj

Strat_a_tat_tat said:

I'm intrigued.

Me too. 

I've had a few digital pedals that try to emulate a tape delay, so I'd love to at least try a real one....even if it's probably totally unsuitable for my set-up....and out of my price range.

I saw Rich Robinson with the Black Crowes on their last UK tour and he had a couple of tape units on top of his rig, sounded amazing.

Strat_a_tat_tat

I think it's using cassette width tape (and they claim it lasts a long time). Does anyone know if the Fulltone uses wider tape? I guess bandwidth is largely a function of tape width and tape speed.

EricTheWeary

As I can't afford one I shall be experimenting with a Boss DD3, the tape deck from a Nissan Micra and some duct tape.

not_the_dj

EricTheWeary said:

As I can't afford one I shall be experimenting with a Boss DD3, the tape deck from a Nissan Micra and some duct tape.

Could be just like a John Martyn gig where there's a whole section of him trying to get his echoplex back up and running.

EricTheWeary

not_the_dj;775893" said:

EricTheWeary said:

As I can't afford one I shall be experimenting with a Boss DD3, the tape deck from a Nissan Micra and some duct tape.





Could be just like a John Martyn gig where there's a whole section of him trying to get his echoplex back up and running.

I could do a whole John Martyn tribute - curly wig, get drunk, mumble and try to fix my fake echoplex. Possibly one long, incoherent song at the end.

Any way... Yes, I'd love to try one of these but out of my price range for a delay.

Sassafras

Strat_a_tat_tat said:

I think it's using cassette width tape (and they claim it lasts a long time). Does anyone know if the Fulltone uses wider tape? I guess bandwidth is largely a function of tape width and tape speed.

I think the fulltone uses 1/4 inch tape.

Sassafras

Only 2 heads though.

Strat_a_tat_tat

@Sassafras ... and cassette is just 1/8 inch - so, all things being equal, that'd mean better quality for the Fulltone... but I guess there are also other variables at play.

I'd  guess there'd be a fair few yards of cassette tape knocking around the universe - whereas I seem to remember reading that Mr Fuller had bought the last remaining stocks of the relevant 1/4 tape (not sure if that's true) and that was one reason why he was being careful about who he sold replacement cartridges to. Not sure if that's correct - or whether it's myth.

dindude

That looks lovely. I want to buy one just to stare at.

menamestom

Tape delays are not meant to be hifi, I think quality could be a moot point on something that is lauded for sound degradation. I would imagine a new one of these sounds a bit fresher than a 30 year old Space Echo with tape that is well past it's sell by date.
Also, tap tempo on a tape delay, that's ingenious. Apparently it uses a digitally controlled stepper motor to change the tape speed.

Sassafras

Strat_a_tat_tat said:

@Sassafras ... and cassette is just 1/8 inch - so, all things being equal, that'd mean better quality for the Fulltone... but I guess there are also other variables at play.

I'd  guess there'd be a fair few yards of cassette tape knocking around the universe - whereas I seem to remember reading that Mr Fuller had bought the last remaining stocks of the relevant 1/4 tape (not sure if that's true) and that was one reason why he was being careful about who he sold replacement cartridges to. Not sure if that's correct - or whether it's myth.

I don't know for sure but that sounds like more of his bullshit.

In the old days of WEM copicats you could make your own loops with a bit of tape and sticky back plastic, Blue Peter style.

Strat_a_tat_tat

Seems like a reasonable price for a tape echo.

Fulltone TTEs were hitting £1300 in the shops a year or so ago. They seem to have come down a bit in recent months - but still a lot of cash. The T Rex looks like it could be relatively good value.

Can you hear that?  Can you?

That's the sound of me talking myself into getting a T Rex.

Now to have a word with my wife... or try and talk the cat into eating a lesser brand of cat food for the next 5 or so years.

ThePrettyDamned

Wow, that thing looks amazing. Tap tempo tape delay! So cool. Wonder if it does that cool stretchy warble when you tap it in.

pj310

I know this is massively tangential but has anyone tried to build a DIY tape echo unit using a cassette player or reel to reel machine? I'm wondering what kind of quality can be achieved and at what cost. If it's something that can yield decent results I'm tempted to attempt one.

Winny_Pooh

pj310;856274" said:

I know this is massively tangential but has anyone tried to build a DIY tape echo unit using a cassette player or reel to reel machine? I'm wondering what kind of quality can be achieved and at what cost. If it's something that can yield decent results I'm tempted to attempt one.

It has only one playback head so you could get one repeat only.

ICBM

Strat_a_tat_tat said:

I think it's using cassette width tape (and they claim it lasts a long time). Does anyone know if the Fulltone uses wider tape? I guess bandwidth is largely a function of tape width and tape speed.

Bandwidth is largely irrelevant if the result is going through a guitar amp .

I would have preferred it to use standard cassettes, but I assume the problems are that they wanted two playback heads (difficult given that a cassette only has three openings, and you need one for the pinch roller) and that even with auto-reverse there would be a few seconds where it didn't work at all every half hour or so…

Winny_Pooh said:

It has only one playback head so you could get one repeat only.

No, you get more than one by feeding it back into the input. What you can't do is the irregular-spaced multiple delay that you can with two heads, which is what most classic tape delays have.