The Epigaze Audio Monoceros 838 Echo is an echo pedal priced at a street price of $22512. Premier Guitar's reviewer found that "the 838 melded beautifully with the amp's distortion, generating spaced-out shoegaze soundscapes and expansive post-rock"12.
How it works
The 838 is a digital pedal that uses digital power to achieve vintage-styled delay effects2. Its circuit is built around the PT2399 chip, which Premier Guitar calls ubiquitous2. MusicRadar describes the PT2399 as a single-chip echo processor using CMOS technology that was used in karaoke machines to add slapback vocal echo3.
The pedal carries three main controls plus two switches:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Time | Sets delay time; increases with counterclockwise turns2 |
| Sensitivity | Mix control; increases with counterclockwise turns2 |
| Repeat | Sets the number of repeats2 |
| Bright switch | Adds sonic flexibility; useful for making short delay settings pop in a mix2 |
| Supernova footswitch | Soft-touch momentary switch that spirals echoes into oscillation, adjustable via an internal trimpot21 |
Two of the three knobs, time and sensitivity, increase with counterclockwise turns. Premier Guitar's reviewer found this takes some getting used to and makes adjustments on the fly tough at first, especially in the heat of a performance2.
The Supernova function is the pedal's signature move: at the tap of the soft-touch momentary footswitch, it spirals your echoes into oscillation2. The reviewer noted that regardless of where the time knob is set, the oscillating signal comes on loudly and quickly, but it dissipated quickly enough to be controllable2.
What reviewers said
Premier Guitar's reviewer played the 838 with a humbucker-equipped Carvin Star through an early '70s 100-watt Marshall Super Lead full stack at high volume, and found the 838 melded beautifully with the amp's distortion, generating spaced-out shoegaze soundscapes and expansive post-rock swirl2.
The review's pros and cons, in the reviewer's words:
- Pros: "Fun self-oscillating supernova function. Bright switch adds versatility."2
- Cons: "Large footprint. Counterintuitive knob rotation. Pricy."2
On who the pedal suits, the reviewer drew a clear line: "If you're looking for thousands of preset voices, endless tone-shaping flexibility, or an exceptionally warm analog tone"2, the 838 is not for you. It is a straightforward echo, not a multi-effects unit or an analog delay.
Videos
Epigaze AUDIO
Questions
Is the Epigaze Monoceros 838 Echo analog or digital?
It is a digital pedal. Premier Guitar's review describes it as using digital power to achieve vintage-styled delay effects, and the maker's press release calls it a vintage style echo in a digital format. The circuit is built around the PT2399 chip, a single-chip echo processor originally used in karaoke machines.
What chip is the Monoceros 838 Echo based on?
The circuit is built around the PT2399, which Premier Guitar calls the ubiquitous PT2399 chip. MusicRadar describes the PT2399 as a single-chip echo processor using CMOS technology that was used in karaoke machines to add slapback vocal echo.
What does the Supernova switch do?
The Supernova switch sends your repeats into oscillation at the tap of a soft-touch momentary footswitch. The oscillation can be adjusted via an internal trimpot. Premier Guitar's reviewer found the oscillating signal comes on loudly and quickly regardless of the time knob setting, but dissipates quickly enough to be controllable.
Why do the knobs turn counterclockwise to increase?
Two of the three knobs, time and sensitivity, increase with counterclockwise turns. Premier Guitar's reviewer called this counterintuitive, noting it takes some getting used to and makes adjustments on the fly tough at first, especially in the heat of a performance.
What is the delay time range of the Monoceros 838 Echo?
The pedal has 10 to 580 ms of available delay time, according to both the Premier Guitar review and Epigaze Audio's 2015 press release.
What does the bright switch do?
Premier Guitar's reviewer says the bright switch adds sonic flexibility and is useful for making short delay settings pop in a mix.
Sources (3)
- Epigaze Audio Launches New Echo, Buffer, & Compressor, Premier Guitar, 2015-05-08
- Epigaze Audio Monoceros 838 Echo Review, Premier Guitar, 2015-09-28
- How Benson used a chip used in karaoke machines to create what could be one of the key delay pedals in a vintage year, MusicRadar, 2023-10-13
