SolidGoldFX Releases the EM-III Multi-Head Octave Echo

May 22, 2021 · 6 sources

Montreal-based effects pedal specialist SolidGoldFX unveiled the EM-III Multi-Head Octave Echo, a compact delay pedal that emulates the behavior of a multi-head tape echo while fitting a standard pedalboard footprint. MusicRadar's Rob Laing described it as an emulated tape delay whose "recipe for ethereal soundscapes is enriched by an octave down option"¹. The pedal carried a launch price of $209¹, listed in the UK at £199, and was available now at announcement².

The EM-III continued the legacy of SolidGoldFX's existing Electroman delay³, and Juno Daily's Greg Scarth called it "a feature-packed all-rounder which expands on the concept of the brand's previous flagship delay, the Electron"⁴. Despite its compact size, it carried two footswitches with dual functionality¹.

Its main controls:

• Level, Repeat and Time knobs for delay level, repeats and delay time⁵
• Flutter knob for modulation, turning left for a slow, chorus-like sound or right for faster vibrato⁶
• Color knob, taking the tone from crisp and bright delay down to warm, lo-fi analog-style repeats⁶
• A middle toggle, flicked left to select 1, 2 or 3 tape heads⁶
• An octave head adding a lower octave to the primary delay line³

Delay time spanned 70 to 1000ms with optional tap tempo, and the pedal used soft-touch, relay-based true bypass switching with an option for buffered bypass⁶. Guitar World reported that the controls aimed to deliver "warm analog-style echoes and modern-voiced delays, with added room for futuristic sonic experimentation"³. The pedal was made in Canada⁵.

Pedal of the Day's later review summed up the EM-III as "in a delay class all its own"⁶.