The Dawner Prince Boonar Tube Deluxe is a multi-head drum echo pedal that recreates the sound of the Binson Echorec 2 model T7E, the Italian tube magnetic drum echo made famous in the 1960s, without the mechanical maintenance a real Echorec demands1. Dawner Prince describes it as delivering "the authentic original Binson Echorec tone" in a pedal format1.
Under the hood it is a hybrid: a DSP virtual magnetic drum concept, updated from the original Boonar, with a real dual-triode vacuum tube in the signal path and an EM81 Magic Eye tube level indicator on top, the same kind of level indicator the vintage Binson units carried1. It was released in 2024, five years after a finished prototype was first shown in October 201923.
An Echorec-style drum echo with a real tube preamp
The original Binson Echorec recorded onto a spinning magnetic drum rather than tape, and read the signal back through multiple playback heads, which is what gives the Echorec its multi-tap echo character. The Boonar Tube Deluxe replicates the Echorec 2 T7E specifically, a machine Dawner Prince calls famous for its "magical four-tap tube magnetic" sound1.
Where the original Boonar did that job with DSP alone, the Tube Deluxe puts an actual dual-triode vacuum tube preamp in the signal path, feeding the record head, and adds an EM81 Magic Eye tube as a level indicator1. The Input control sets the preamp gain of that tube stage, and turned all the way up it produces tube overdrive on the delay repeats1.
The button layout has its own lineage: the two banks of playback head buttons are inspired by the Binson Echorec P.E. 603T-6 rather than by anything else on the market, a point Zoran of Dawner Prince made directly when the pedal was announced2.
The Boonar Tube Deluxe is a limited run. Dawner Prince says it is built in batches because of scarce NOS (new old stock) parts, and as of October 2026 the product page lists it as sold out1.
The controls
The front panel follows the Echorec concept: a handful of knobs, playback head buttons and a mode switch. Here is what each control does, per the maker's product page1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Input Control | Sets the vacuum tube preamp gain of the signal fed into the record head; all the way up produces tube overdrive on the delay |
| Drum Speed | Sets the rotational speed of the virtual magnetic drum, directly proportional to delay time; fully clockwise is the fastest drum speed and shortest delays. Each notch changes delay time 10ms; press and rotate for 1ms steps |
| Length of Swell | Sets regeneration, the number of repeats; at minimum a single repeat, turned up it leads to self-oscillation with what the maker calls luscious swells |
| Echo Volume | Overall level of the delay signal sent to the mono output, in correlation with the Input Control setting |
| Drum Age | Adds the aging characteristics of the original Binson Echorec; zero (fully clockwise) is minimum aging, noon adds subtle modulation, maximum introduces noticeable aging |
| Playback head buttons | Separate switches for each playback head, giving a maximum of 16 possible head combinations |
| Swell/Repeats switch | Switches between standard Repeats mode and a Swell mode that puts part of the signal from all four playback heads into the output mixer for reverb-like "cathedral" tone effects |
The separate playback head switches are a deliberate upgrade over the vintage design: the original Echorec used a 12-position rotational switch to select head combinations, and Dawner Prince added individual switches to overcome that limitation, reaching 16 combinations1.
The TAP LED flashes in tempo with the global delay time when the maker's Clicker switcher is connected and the tap tempo switch is selected in the Global settings menu1.
Power and connections: 12V, 800mA
The Tube Deluxe runs on 12V DC at 800 mA through a center-negative 5.5 x 2.1 mm barrel connector, with a noiseless power supply included1. At the 2024 announcement, Dawner Prince quoted a current draw of about 760 mA, with the rear port rated 760/800 mA2.
Plan on its included supply or a high-current 12V output on a pedalboard power brick.
Connections on the audio side:
- Input: mono audio into the vacuum tube preamp circuit; input impedance is high or low depending on the Preamp Mode setting1
- Output: vacuum tube buffered, low impedance mono output, in the same fashion as the original Binson Echorec1
- Wet Out: an additional balanced, transformer-isolated wet output that eliminates ground loops and hum, suitable for studio mixing desks and external recording equipment; when it is used, the regular mono Output becomes a dry output1
- MIDI: a full featured 5-pin DIN MIDI input1
So it is a mono in, mono out pedal with an extra isolated wet output, not a stereo delay2. That was the one thing that kept it out of Guitar Pedal X reviewer Stefan Karlsson's own rig when he covered it at the end of 20244.
MIDI, presets and expression
The MIDI implementation is deep for an echo pedal. The 5-pin DIN input receives15:
- MIDI Program Change messages to save and recall up to 127 presets1
- MIDI CC messages to control individual parameters, including all knobs, switches and buttons1
- MIDI Clock to sync the delay time1
The published MIDI CC map also covers expression pedal control on CC 28 (range 0 to 127), tap tempo on CC 29 (0 is release, 1 to 127 is press), and bypass type on CC 33 (1 is true bypass, 2 is buffered, 3 is buffered with trails)5.
How it differs from the original Boonar
Dawner Prince positions the Tube Deluxe as "a leap forward" from the original Boonar, building on that pedal's legacy1. The practical differences:
| Original Boonar | Boonar Tube Deluxe | |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit | DSP virtual magnetic drum | Updated DSP virtual magnetic drum plus dual-triode tube in the signal path1 |
| Head selection | 12-position rotational switch topology (vintage style) | Separate playback head switches, up to 16 combinations1 |
| Presets / MIDI | Not part of the original design's feature set as described here | Up to 127 presets, full MIDI CC and Clock control1 |
| Outputs | Mono | Mono plus balanced, transformer-isolated DI wet output1 |
| Level indication | Not stated | EM81 Magic Eye tube level indicator1 |
The standard enclosure finish is hammertone gold with mirror black2.
What reviewers said
Guitar Pedal X named it among the best new time-based effects of 2024, with Stefan Karlsson calling it4:
"A fantastic Deluxe take on the Boonar Echorec style magnetic delay - with proper Tube Preamp and extras - a great engineering achievement"4
Press coverage of the Tube Deluxe has focused on its place among Binson Echorec-inspired pedals. At the announcement, coverage described it as a tape-style delay and noted its mono configuration, Mono In and Mono Out with an additional isolated Wet Out, in a hammertone gold/mirror black enclosure2. Its full-featured 5-pin DIN MIDI input, with support for MIDI PC messages, CC messages and MIDI Clock, has also been part of how the pedal has been presented to players1.
Availability and price
At the pre-order announcement the pedal was priced at £1,200 GBP, listed at $1,200, with a $200 deposit to reserve a unit2. The maker's product page lists it at $1,199.95 USD1.
Videos
Brett Kingman
gilmourish
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Questions
Is the Boonar Tube Deluxe stereo?
No. It is a mono in, mono out pedal, with a vacuum tube buffered low impedance mono output in the same fashion as the original Binson Echorec. It does add a separate balanced, transformer-isolated DI wet output for studio mixing desks and recording equipment, and when that wet output is used the regular mono output becomes a dry output.
Does the Boonar Tube Deluxe have true bypass?
Yes, and it is selectable. The pedal offers true bypass with electromechanical relay switching, or a tube buffered bypass with selectable trails. Bypass type can also be switched over MIDI using CC message 33, with values 1 for true bypass, 2 for buffered and 3 for buffered with trails.
How many presets does the Boonar Tube Deluxe hold?
Up to 127 presets, saved and recalled via MIDI Program Change messages through its full featured 5-pin DIN MIDI input. MIDI CC messages can also control individual parameters, including every knob, switch and button, and MIDI Clock can sync the delay time.
What is the maximum delay time of the Boonar Tube Deluxe?
The maximum delay range is 950ms. Delay time is set by the Drum Speed control, which adjusts the rotational speed of the virtual magnetic drum: faster drum speed means shorter delay times. Each notch of the control changes delay time by 10ms, and pressing while rotating changes it by 1ms.
How is the Boonar Tube Deluxe different from the original Boonar?
The Tube Deluxe builds on the original Boonar with a redesigned DSP virtual magnetic drum concept, a dual-triode vacuum tube in the signal path, an EM81 Magic Eye tube level indicator, presets, full MIDI control and a balanced DI wet output. It also adds separate playback head switches for up to 16 head combinations, where the original used a 12-position rotational switch.
Is the Boonar Tube Deluxe still available?
As of October 2026 the maker's product page lists it as sold out. It was built as a limited run because of scarce NOS (new old stock) parts, and Dawner Prince has said it will be available in batches, so units may reappear in future production runs.
Sources (5)
- BOONAR Tube Deluxe Multi-Head Drum Echo, Dawner Prince Electronics
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-06-24
- The Best Binson Echorec Pedal Clones In 2024, Delicious Audio, 2024-06-24
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-12-20
- Voes | MIDI-CC, Voes, 2024
