The Death By Audio Echo Dream 2 Advanced Echo Modulation is a delay pedal with fuzz and modulation built in. Death By Audio describes it as "a powerful, ethereal, and nuanced delay pedal with otherworldly controls," covering everything "from delicate, beautiful sounds to yawning voids of fuzz and feedback."1 It sits on the delay side of the maker's range, which is otherwise known for fuzz and distortion boxes like the Fuzz War and Absolute Destruction.
What it does
At its core the Echo Dream 2 is an echo unit, and it works as one on its own. Pedal of the Day's reviewer, Mike B, found that the delay section "is perfectly useable as a solo delay on its own," so a player can run it as a plain echo and reach for the stranger controls only when wanted.3
The modulation is what sets it apart. An oscillator swings the delay time back and forth, and the fuzz stage pushes the repeats from clean echoes into saturated, self-oscillating territory. JHS's Josh Scott, playing one with Nick, described the result plainly: "it produces complete and utter chaos with echo fuzz." He called the session with it "epic," under the title Echo Nightmare, in a piece pointedly named How to Destroy Your Guitar.4
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| DELAY | Sets the volume of the delayed signal1 |
| DEPTH | Sets how far the modulator will swing the delay time; at high intervals the pitch of the repeats will shift very far1 |
| SPEED | Controls how fast the modulating oscillator runs1 |
| MASTER | Controls the output volume of the effect1 |
| SHAPE toggle | Square position: sharp, square-shaped modulator waveform; sine position: smoother, sine-like modulator waveform1 |
The Depth and Speed knobs together set the character of the modulation: Depth is how far the delay time moves, Speed is how quickly it moves. The Shape toggle then decides whether that movement is smooth or abrupt, which is the difference between a chorus-like wobble and hard, stepped pitch shifts. Josh Scott's take on the panel: "This box has lots of knobs, enough switches to make you feel like you got some options."4
Death By Audio's product page provides sound samples for Strat, Jazz Bass, and Synth, with demo names ranging from "Chorus-y Delay" and "Bending Echoes" to "Drunken Stumble" and "Evil Twin."1
Power
Delicious Audio's delay buying guide states: "It works at 9v or 18v."2 Standard 9V DC keeps it on a normal pedalboard supply, while 18V gives the circuit more room. It is one of the few pedals where the supply choice genuinely changes what is available, so it is worth deciding which voltage your board runs before slotting it in.
Where it sits in the range
The Echo Dream 2 is the pedal the Micro Dream Delay was distilled from. In a Delicious Audio demo, Paolo De Gregorio of The Pedal Zone introduced the smaller pedal as "a distilled version of Death By Audio's smash-hit delay, the Echo Dream II."5 Players who want the Echo Dream's character in a simpler package get it there; players who want the full set of otherworldly controls get it here.
Videos
Prymaxe
Pedals Fusion
Questions
Can the Echo Dream 2 run at 18V?
Yes. Delicious Audio's buying guide, written by Paolo De Gregorio, states that the Echo Dream 2 works at 9V or 18V. Running it at 18V gives the circuit more headroom, but it will operate at standard 9V like most pedals. Check the maker's guidance before feeding it anything beyond those two voltages.
Can the Echo Dream 2 do a normal clean delay?
Yes. Pedal of the Day's reviewer found that the delay section on its own is perfectly useable as a solo delay, meaning you can run it as a straightforward echo without engaging the fuzz or pushing the modulation. The extra controls are there when you want them, not forced on you.
What does the Shape toggle do on the Echo Dream 2?
The Shape toggle switches the modulator's waveform. One position gives a sharp, square-shaped modulator waveform, and the other gives a smoother, sine-like waveform. The square setting produces harder, more abrupt shifts in the delay time, while the sine setting is gentler.
What does the Depth knob control?
Depth sets how far the modulator will swing the delay time. At high settings, the pitch of the repeats will shift very far, which is where the pedal's dramatic, warping echo effects come from. Paired with the Speed knob, which controls how fast the modulating oscillator runs, it shapes the character of the modulation.
Is the Echo Dream 2 a delay or a fuzz pedal?
It is a delay pedal with fuzz and modulation built in. Death By Audio describes it as a powerful, ethereal and nuanced delay pedal with otherworldly controls, capable of everything from delicate sounds to yawning voids of fuzz and feedback. JHS's Josh Scott put it more bluntly, saying it produces complete and utter chaos with echo fuzz.
Sources (5)
- ECHO DREAM 2, Death By Audio
- The 3 Best Delay Pedals Per Type, In 2023, Delicious Audio (delicious-audio.com), 2023-08-25
- Death By Audio Echo Dream 2, Pedal of the Day, 2016-01-10
- HOW TO DESTROY YOUR GUITAR, JHS Pedals
- Death By Audio Micro Dream Delay, Delicious Audio, 2017-05-19
