The Black Mountain Roto Echo is a delay pedal made by Black Mountain in collaboration with Third Man Hardware, announced in late 2025. What sets it apart from most delays is how you control it: instead of only knobs on top, it carries a roller wheel you work with your foot. Black Mountain calls this Freewheel Technology, and it lets you change delay parameters in real time as you play, without bending down or stomping through menus12. It is a mono, analog-voiced delay built around a PT2399 chip3.
A rotary delay you control with your foot
The Freewheel roller is the heart of the pedal. A three-way switch selects which parameter the roller controls: Time, Feedback or Blend. Rock the wheel with your foot and that parameter moves while you keep playing21. Black Mountain has dubbed the system Freewheel Technology1, and it is the pedal's way of letting players change delay parameters in real time as they play12.
"the Black Mountain engineering here is really top-notch - with an incredibly controlled damping function on the 'Freewheel'"
Karlsson also found the roller well calibrated, with build-up and roller control feeling pretty instant, and described the Roto Echo's sound as incredibly lush and musical3.
The pedal is built tough, and RockBoard's PedalPedia says players can put their full weight onto it with no problem, which matters for a control you operate with your foot2.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Freewheel roller | Foot-controlled wheel that changes the selected delay parameter in real time21 |
| Three-way selector switch | Chooses whether the roller controls Time, Feedback or Blend3 |
Power and connections
The Roto Echo runs on 9V DC, center negative, and draws 100mA2. The input, output and power sockets are all side-mounted3. With a 100mA draw, it needs a supply output rated for that current rather than a low-current daisy-chain spot.
Versions and price
Two versions have been offered: the standard pedal at $279, and the Third Man Limited Edition Yellow at $299, as listed by Guitar Pedal X in September 20253. Guitar Pedal X's year-end roundup of 2025 delay releases also lists the Black Mountain Jack White Signature Roto Echo Delay at $2994. A fuller write-up of the collaboration version is on the Black Mountain + Third Man Hardware Roto-Echo Delay page.
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Questions
What is the Freewheel on the Black Mountain Roto Echo?
Freewheel is Black Mountain's name for the roller wheel foot-control system on the Roto Echo. Instead of bending down to turn knobs, you rock the embedded roller with your foot to change delay parameters in real time as you play. A three-way switch selects which parameter the roller controls: Time, Feedback or Blend. Guitar Pedal X describes it as a further evolution of the Expression Wheel mechanism that appeared earlier on pedals by Classic Audio Effects and Chase Bliss's Expression Roller.
Is the Roto Echo analog or digital?
Black Mountain lists the Roto Echo's circuit type as analog. Guitar Pedal X's review describes it as a mono PT2399 delay, referring to the chip at its core, and found the sound incredibly lush and musical. So it is an analog-voiced delay rather than a digital modeler, with the Freewheel roller handling the parameter changes.
Is the Roto Echo mono or stereo?
The Roto Echo is mono. Guitar Pedal X's review describes it as a mono PT2399 delay, and the pedal has a single side-mounted input and a single side-mounted output rather than a stereo pair.
How much does the Roto Echo cost?
The standard pedal is listed at $279, and the Third Man yellow edition costs $299, as reported by Guitar Pedal X in September 2025. Guitar Pedal X's year-end delay roundup also lists the Black Mountain Jack White Signature Roto Echo Delay at $299.
Does the Roto Echo run on a battery?
The Roto Echo runs on a 9V DC, center negative power supply and draws 100mA. Black Mountain's product page lists no battery operation, so plan on a supply that can deliver at least 100mA at that setting rather than sharing a low-current output on a daisy chain.
Where are the jacks on the Roto Echo?
The input, output and power sockets are all side-mounted, according to Guitar Pedal X's review. Side-mounted connections can make the pedal easier to fit tightly on a pedalboard, and Black Mountain notes the pedal is the same size as a regular Boss-style guitar pedal, so it fits on any pedal board.
Sources (4)
- Guitar Journal: MXR Randy Rhoads, Jack White Roto-Echo and more, gearnews.com, 2025-09-02
- Roto Echo by Black Mountain, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-09-10
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-12-10
