The Cicognani Engineering Pompeii PE603 Four-Head Sonic Echo is a delay pedal that reproduces the vintage Binson Echorec P.E. 603, the Italian magnetic drum echo unit used by Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and The Shadows from the early 70's onward1. It is a valve-based echo unit designed and built in Italy by Cicognani Engineering, and it takes its name from Pink Floyd's famous 1972 performance in Pompeii, Italy, where the band used an original 603 onstage23.
The pedal offers variable delay times from classic slap-back up to 740 mS of delay, and its four simulated playback heads can be combined to create multi-tap and beat-split echo patterns12.
Godlyke, the maker's USA distributor, currently lists the Pompeii PE603 as sold out1. When it launched in October 2020, it was available for $549 after a long development period23.
The controls
The Pompeii PE603 carries over the control set of the original Echorec and adds modern conveniences. Its most distinctive control is a 12-position rotary switch that selects different "tape-head" combinations, creating a wide range of multi-tap and beat-split delay effects from the four simulated playback heads1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| 12-position rotary switch | Selects different "tape-head" combinations for multi-tap and beat-split delay effects1 |
| Varispeed | Simulates motor speed adjustment modulation, as on the original drum unit2 |
| Feedback | Repeats control carried over from the original effect3 |
| Tone | Tone circuit carried over from the original effect3 |
| Swell mode | Creates a reverberation effect using all the heads simultaneously1 |
The Swell mode is the pedal's reverb setting: instead of tapping discrete echoes, it engages all of the heads at once to produce a reverberation effect, which Guitar World describes as "a swell mode for reverb effects"2.
The enclosure is a hammer-tone metal chassis with a plexiglass control face, a look that echoes the vintage hardware it reproduces2.
From the Binson Echorec to the Pompeii PE603
The original Binson Echorec was an Italian echo unit that used a rotating magnetic drum rather than tape, made by the Italian company Binson45. Where a tape echo runs tape past heads, the Echorec's drum held a magnetic coating, with a record head and four playback heads arranged around the edge of the drum6. On That Pedal Show, Dan and Mick described it as "an analogue magnetic drum echo unit (as opposed to tape), made by Italian company, Binson"5.
That four-head arrangement is what gives drum echoes their character: each playback head reads the recorded signal at a different point in the drum's rotation, so one pass produces several repeats at fixed intervals, and combining heads changes the rhythm of the echoes.
The Echorec P.E. 603 was used by many artists from the early 70's onward, including Led Zeppelin, The Shadows and Pink Floyd1. Pink Floyd used the 603 on stage during the Dark Side tour and also on Live at Pompeii1, and Guitar World notes the pedal is "named in reference to Pink Floyd, who used an original 603 onstage at their famous 1972 Pompeii, Italy performance"2.
The Pompeii PE603 is a modern reproduction of that circuit, built as a floor pedal rather than a rack or console unit2. When it launched in October 2020, Gearnews reported that the company "has finally found proper distribution and the units are, at last, available to the masses," with Godlyke appointed exclusive USA distributor23.
Videos
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Questions
What is the Binson Echorec PE 603?
The Binson Echorec P.E. 603 was an Italian echo unit that used a rotating magnetic drum rather than tape, with a record head and four playback heads arranged around the edge of the drum. It was used by many artists from the early 70's onward, including Led Zeppelin, The Shadows and Pink Floyd.
How long is the maximum delay on the Pompeii PE603?
The Pompeii PE603 provides variable delay times from classic slap-back up to 740 mS of delay, according to maker Cicognani's product page.
What does the swell mode do?
The Swell mode creates a reverberation effect through the use of all the heads simultaneously, rather than the multi-tap echo patterns of the other settings. Guitar World describes it as a swell mode for reverb effects.
Is the Cicognani Pompeii PE603 still available?
The pedal became available in October 2020 at a list price of $549 after a long development period, when Godlyke was appointed exclusive USA distributor. Godlyke's product page currently lists it as sold out.
What is the Pompeii PE603 made of?
It is a valve-based echo unit designed and built in Italy by Cicognani Engineering, housed in a hammer-tone metal chassis with a plexiglass control face.
What did Pink Floyd use at Pompeii?
Pink Floyd used a Binson Echorec P.E. 603 onstage at their famous 1972 performance in Pompeii, Italy, and also on stage during the Dark Side tour. The Pompeii PE603 is named in reference to that performance.
Sources (6)
- POMPEII PE603 (delay), Godlyke Distributing, Inc.
- Could Cicognani Engineering's Pompeii PE603 Four-Head Sonic Echo be the key to conjuring classic Pink Floyd-like delays?, Guitar World, 2020-10-08
- The new Cicognani Engineering Pompeii PE603, gearnews.com, 2020-10-10
- Foxgear T7E Baby review, Guitar World, 2022-05-17
- Real Binson Echorec vs Catalinbread, Boonar & Echosex, That Pedal Show, 2017-03-03
- What is a Drum Echo?, www.strymon.net, 2019-03-13
