Electro-Harmonix describes it as "a sweetly simple delay with 3 seconds of delay time," starting from a crystal clean delay voice1. Where the full Canyon Delay and Looper offers many modes and a looper, the Pico Canyon Echo distills that pedal's core digital delay into three knobs, one button and one footswitch.
What it does and how it sounds
The Pico Canyon Echo is a straight digital delay: your guitar signal is repeated back at a set time, with control over how many repeats and how they sit in the mix. The delay time runs from 8ms, short enough for slapback, up to 3 seconds1.
The FILTER knob is where the pedal gets its character. Set to the center or noon position, both filters are disabled and the delay is clean. Turn it counterclockwise and a low-pass filter rolls the brightness off the repeats, which Electro-Harmonix says gives a sound similar to an analog delay. Turn it clockwise for a high-pass filter that thins the repeats1.
Premier Guitar's reviewer found the pedal's unfiltered voice pleasant and neutral:
"Sans filtering, the Pico Canyon's basic delay voice is fairly neutral, which is no bad thing, and it's certainly not chilly the way some digital delays can be."
The same reviewer found the filters do the heavy lifting: the low-pass side "adds darkness to repeats that hints at BBD delay sounds," while the high-pass side can produce "digital crispness or ringing and howling Space Echo-style resonances with long feedback times"4.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| DELAY knob | Sets the delay time from 8ms to 3s1 |
| FDBK knob | Controls how many repeats; one repeat at minimum, nearly endless at maximum1 |
| BLEND knob | Adjusts the output mix from 100% dry to 100% wet1 |
| FILTER knob | Applies an adjustable low-pass or high-pass filter to the delay line; noon disables both1 |
| TAP DIV button | Sets the tap division when delay time is set by tap tempo1 |
| Footswitch | Engages or bypasses the effect; LED is off in bypass1 |
Tap tempo and divisions
The pedal has tap tempo built into its single footswitch. Press and release the footswitch at least two times to set the tempo, and the LED blinks to confirm your tap tempo1.
When the delay time is set by tap tempo, the TAP DIV button selects the division, shown by the button's LED color1:
| LED color | Division | Relationship to tap time |
|---|---|---|
| Green | 1/8 note | Half your tap time1 |
| Orange | Dotted 1/8 note | 3/4 your tap time1 |
| Red | 1/4 note | Equal to your tap time1 |
Delicious Audio describes the same three subdivisions as quarter note, dotted eighth note or eighth note5.
Bypass and tails
The Pico Canyon Echo uses buffered bypass rather than true bypass1. It also has selectable Tails bypass, which allows echoes to continue after the pedal is bypassed rather than cutting them off abruptly1.
Because the pedal draws 100mA at 9.0VDC and runs from a 9V power jack with the included 9.6VDC-200mA adapter, it is not a battery-powered pedal1.
Where it came from
Unlike the full Canyon, the Pico version takes the digital delay from the Canyon Delay and Looper and presents it as a delay pedal. Players who want another echo in the same Pico format can also look at the Pico Rerun Tape Delay1.
What reviewers said
Premier Guitar reviewed the pedal in March 2024 and came away impressed with how much delay fits in the small box415:
"The Pico Canyon Echo is as engaging as any delay I can think of in a package this size."
The reviewer called it flexible and full of surprises, and an attractive delay option that will tempt players across many styles4.
Videos
EHX
Musicmaker
Questions
Does the Pico Canyon Echo have tap tempo?
Yes. Press and release the footswitch at least two times to set the tempo, and the LED blinks to confirm your tap tempo. A TAP DIV button then selects the tap division: green for 1/8 note (half your tap time), orange for dotted 1/8 note (3/4 your tap time), or red for 1/4 note (equal to your tap time).
Is the Pico Canyon Echo true bypass?
No. Electro-Harmonix lists the Pico Canyon Echo as buffered bypass. The single footswitch engages or bypasses the effect, and the LED is off when the pedal is in bypass.
Does the Pico Canyon Echo keep trails when bypassed?
Yes. The pedal has selectable Tails bypass, which allows echoes to continue after the pedal is bypassed. This is a switchable feature, so you can choose whether repeats ring out or stop when you disengage the effect.
Does the Pico Canyon Echo have a looper?
No. The Pico Canyon Echo is a delay only. It takes the digital delay from the larger Canyon Delay and Looper and packages it in a compact Pico chassis, without the looper section of the original pedal.
Is the Pico Canyon Echo stereo?
No. Electro-Harmonix lists the Pico Canyon Echo's audio as mono. It is a compact, single-footswitch delay aimed at players who want a small footprint on their pedalboard.
Sources (5)
- Pico Canyon Echo, Electro-Harmonix (www.ehx.com)
- Electro-Harmonix unveils the NYC DSP Series: 9 ultra-compact stompboxes for your 'board, Guitar.com, 2023-09-22
- Deluxe Memory Man, Electro-Harmonix (ehx.com)
- EHX Pico Attack Decay, Oceans 3-Verb, Canyon, Deep Freeze, Premier Guitar, 2024-03-04
- New Pedal: Electro-Harmonix Pico Canyon Echo, Delicious Audio, 2023-09-29
