Electro-Harmonix Canyon

The Electro-Harmonix Canyon is a compact digital delay and looper pedal released in 2017. It packs eleven modes into a standard EHX Nano-sized enclosure, covering everything from pristine digital echo to tape and modulated delay, reverse delay, octave delay, shimmer, sample-and-hold, and a 62-second looper¹²³. Electro-Harmonix describes it as delivering "Jaw-dropping, cavernous delays in a compact package!"¹

It was the company's first compact, multi-mode delay offering, following in the footsteps of earlier Electro-Harmonix delay pedals such as the Deluxe Memory Man and the Stereo Memory Man with Hazarai⁴⁵. It shipped in February 2017 with a US list price of $185.40⁶; the current maker's page lists it at $176.00, and Premier Guitar's review put street price at $139¹³.

What it does: eleven delay modes and a looper

The MODE knob is an 11-position rotary switch that selects which delay mode is active¹. The full list, from the maker's page:

Several of these modes have extra depth. The DMM position simulates the Deluxe Memory Man, and Premier Guitar's reviewer called it "my favorite" of the bunch³. The shimmer setting, according to that review, combines digital simulations of two Memory Mans, a POG 2, and a Soul Preacher compressor into a single effect³. MusicRadar's reviewer noted that the octave effects harness EHX's polyphonic pitch-shifting for dreamlike textures, and that the reverb plus delay setting can be used as a pure reverb with the feedback turned all the way down⁴. Delicious Audio called the Sample & Hold function "glitch" at its finest².

The looper is the eleventh mode. It records up to 62 seconds of loop¹, and the looper setting holds the loop when the pedal is switched off, which is handy for keeping a part running while you bypass the effect¹⁷. Premier Guitar's reviewer was thoroughly impressed with the looping ability, saying it inspired long solo jam sessions and became a go-to writing tool³.

The controls

The Canyon keeps its control set small. Three knobs handle the core delay sound, one rotary switch picks the mode, and a button handles tap divisions and secondary functions⁸¹.

The tap divide button also accesses secondary controls and selects subdivisions for tap tempo, whether the pedal is on or off³. MusicRadar's reviewer found tap tempo can be a little confusing, one of the few criticisms in an otherwise positive review⁴. The pedal also stores the secondary setting tweaks you make to each type, so it works as a set-and-forget deal⁴.

Tap tempo can be controlled two ways: by tapping the built-in footswitch, or by connecting an external momentary footswitch to the TAP IN jack¹². Performer Mag's reviewer noted the external tap jack for players who want it⁹.

A Tails switch lets you choose whether echoes repeat or stop immediately when the pedal is switched to bypass¹⁰.

How it compares

Canyon vs Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon, released in 2018, is a larger pedal that builds on the Canyon and extends the feature set¹¹¹². Where the Canyon has 11 modes, the Grand Canyon has 13, adding PITCH, DRUM and DOUBLE types to the Canyon's lineup¹¹³². Its ECHO mode is a 24-bit digital delay with available bit crush/sample rate reduction and low/high pass filtering, and its DRUM mode emulates a classic Binson Echorec style magnetic drum echo with a selection of playback head configurations¹¹.

The Grand Canyon also adds stereo output jacks, though the input is still mono, plus a LOOP LVL knob for the looper's playback volume and a mode button that cycles between delay, looper and combined modes so delay effects can be integrated into looping¹¹¹². MusicRadar's Trevor Curwen found the performance features a plus overall and judged the higher price well spent¹².

Canyon vs Pico Canyon Echo

In 2023 Electro-Harmonix released the Pico Canyon Echo, a mini pedal that takes the digital delay from the Canyon Delay and Looper and packages it on its own¹⁴. It is mono, with a delay range of 8ms to 3s, and runs on the same 9.6VDC-200mA power supply¹⁴. It is a simpler option for players who want the Canyon's basic echo without the other ten modes.

What reviewers said

MusicRadar's Mike Astley-Brown reviewed the Canyon and found it packed with features at a great price, with no weak sounds⁴:

MusicRadar review⁴

His verdict was that the audio quality and diversity make it a no-brainer for experimental players whose compact needs aren't met by the Boss DD-7 or TC Electronic Flashback and who don't need stereo outs⁴. He summed up the pedal's character as "unmistakably EHX in every way, for better and for worse"⁴.

Premier Guitar's reviewer highlighted the DMM simulation and the looping, and noted that the pedal does all of this in a standard EHX Nano-sized enclosure³. Performer Mag's Chris Devine confirmed the 5ms to 3 second delay range and the external tap option⁹. Delicious Audio added the Canyon to its list of the Best Multi-Delay Pedals², and MusicRadar's best delay pedals guide lists its controls as Mode, FX level, Delay, Feedback and Tap/Divide while noting it doesn't offer stereo outs and can't compete with the sheer horsepower of the Boss DD-500 or Strymon Timeline⁸.

Videos

Click to load

Click to load

Click to load

Questions