Echo Fix EF-X3 Chorus Echo — Analog Tape Delay, BBD Chorus, Spring Reverb & Preamp
The Echo Fix EF-X3 gets its dedicated debut on the channel — a machine that does four analog things at once, all at the highest level. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
In this episode the Echo Fix EF-X3 Chorus Echo takes center stage — featuring the Frank Brothers Arcade with Righteous Sound RAF A4 and A2 Humbuckers, into the Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander. The R2R Electric Rangemaster OC44 and Reeves Electro 2N2 Face Silicon Fuzz join for the second half.
The EF-X3 is what Echo Fix — an Australian company with nearly 15 years of tape echo repair and restoration experience — built once they decided to make their own tape echo. The result is a machine that bests vintage units on reliability, flexibility, and feature set while maintaining the one thing they couldn't be compromised on: the tape echo sound itself.
Four fully analog signal paths in one enclosure:
Analog Tape Echo: Multiple playback heads with multiple echo modes and independent head outputs. Head 1 and Head 2 are explored separately in this demo — each playback head has its own 1/4" TRS output at the rear panel for discrete recording, panning, or stereo ping-pong delay routing. Mode 1 and Mode 2 select different head combinations and rhythmic delay patterns. CV control over motor speed and feedback via expression pedal. Auto tape stop circuit engages when no signal is present to extend tape and motor life. Self-oscillation when feedback and echo volume are pushed — the machine becomes an instrument.
Analog BBD Chorus: Bucket Brigade Device design for the unmistakable warble and shimmer of classic analog chorus. Rate and Depth controls. Explored from 06:09 in this demo.
Analog Spring Reverb: Real springs, same physics as vintage amplifier and studio spring reverb. Explored from 08:53 — blended with tape echo and chorus in later sections.
Echoplex-Style Tape Preamp: The input gain stage modeled on the Echoplex EP-3's preamp circuit — the coloration and harmonic saturation before the tape heads that makes the Echoplex sound distinct from other tape delays.
The Reeves Electro 2N2 Face Silicon Fuzz debuts at 18:33 — a very limited point-to-point hand-wired silicon Fuzz Face built by Markus Reeves in Northamptonshire, UK, named for the 2N2222A silicon transistors at its core. Fast, articulate, high-output.
🎛️ Echo Fix EF-X3: https://echofix.com
🎸 Frank Brothers Guitar Company: https://www.frankbrothersguitars.com
🎸 Righteous Sound Pickups: https://www.righteoussoundpickups.com
🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers
Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.
🎸 Frank Brothers Arcade | Righteous Sound RAF Humbuckers (A4 Neck / A2 Bridge)
🎛️ Echo Fix EF-X3 | Analog Tape Echo | BBD Chorus | Spring Reverb | Tape Preamp | 100% Analog
🎛️ Also: R2R Electric Rangemaster OC44 | Reeves Electro 2N2 Face Silicon Fuzz
🔊 Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" | Boss Waza TAE
Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Sennheiser E906 | Ableton Live 11
