The Geckoplex EP-5 from Gecko Pedals is a tape echo style delay pedal with built-in reverb and a set of modern digital features wrapped around an analog-sounding core. Pedal of the Day describes it as using "analog sounds with digital functionality (tap tempo, presets, etc.)" to form a tape echo delay, handling "anything from a simple slap-back, to creating dreamy, spacious science-fiction soundscapes that combine reverb" with the repeats1. Delicious Audio bills the V2 as the "Gecko Geckoplex EP-5 V2 Delay/Reverb"2.
Controls and what they do
The front panel carries six effect control knobs: echo VOLUME, REPEATS, TONE, WARP, an independent REVERB, and SHIFT, which Pedal of the Day calls "a Gecko Pedals original effect"1. Alongside the knobs there is a GAIN knob controlling an analog FET input preamp gain stage with gain up to +11dB, so the pedal can also push an amp or drive the front end1.
Other controls and connections:
- Tap tempo with selectable subdivisions: eighth note, quarter note and dotted eighth note1
- TRAILS toggle switch to control whether trailing effects are heard after the unit is switched off1
- Expression pedal support, allowing full control of any set of controls over any desired range on each preset1
- Sound on Sound mode for looping playback of up to 40 seconds1
- Separate WET/DRY outputs for use with dual amp setups1
- Buffered outputs, capable of easily driving amps with clarity, even through long cables or into Lo-Z inputs1
The WARP control and the delay slide recall the mechanics of old tape machines: Pedal of the Day compares the slide control to "a tape write head position lever found on some vintage tape delay units"1.
Presets, MIDI and the V2
The Geckoplex EP-5 is built by hand in the USA, in small batches, with genuine, quality components1. Absolutely everything is done in-house at Gecko's Portland, OR shop, including circuit board assembly, machining, powder coating, screen printing, assembly, and testing1.
The vintage machines behind it
Delicious Audio describes the EP-5 as "A modern feature-rich delay pedal inspired by 1960's era tape delays," and notes that "The Echoplex tape delay machine has inspired a lot of echo pedals," naming the Echoplex as the machine behind the design2. Pedal of the Day widens the lineage, saying the pedal "combines aspects of many of these machines into one glorious, options-laden unit," naming the Binson Echorec, Space Echo and Echoplex among the vintage tape delay machines it draws on1. On That Pedal Show, the presenters summed it up as "basically uh an Echoplex type pedal" with preamp features3.
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day was emphatic in 2021, calling it "one that shoots right to the top of our favorite delays list"1. The site returned to it in 2023, writing that "one of our favorite pedals ever came into the shop: the Geckoplex EP-5 Tape Delay"4.
Gecko Pedals describes the Geckoplex EP-5 as built by hand in the USA, in small batches, with genuine, quality components1. The company states that absolutely everything, including circuit board assembly, machining, powder coating, screen printing, assembly, and testing, is done in-house in Portland, OR1.
Where it is built
Pedal of the Day reports that the Geckoplex EP-5 is built by hand in the USA, in small batches, with genuine, quality components, and that absolutely everything, including circuit board assembly, machining, powder coating, screen printing, assembly and testing, is done in-house in Portland, OR1.
Videos
AndyDemos
Demos In The Dark
Mike Hermans
Questions
How long is the delay time on the Geckoplex EP-5?
The original Geckoplex EP-5 offers up to 2 seconds of delay time. On the V2 version, the maximum delay time is user selectable between 650ms, 1 second and 2 seconds. In a That Pedal Show demo, the presenters described the practical maximum as roughly a second, saying it goes "way over a second or about a second."
Does the Geckoplex EP-5 have tap tempo?
Yes. The pedal has tap tempo with selectable subdivisions: eighth note, quarter note and dotted eighth note. Delicious Audio describes it as Tap Tempo with 3 subdivisions, and the That Pedal Show demo confirms the tap tempo footswitch on the unit.
What is the Sound on Sound mode on the Geckoplex EP-5?
Sound on Sound is a mode for looping playback of up to 40 seconds. It lets you record a passage and layer playing over it, turning the delay into a simple looper alongside its echo and reverb functions.
Does the Geckoplex EP-5 have trails?
Yes. A TRAILS toggle switch controls whether trailing repeats are heard after the unit is switched off, so you can choose whether the delay tail rings out naturally or cuts off when you bypass the pedal.
Can the Geckoplex EP-5 run in a wet/dry setup?
Yes. The pedal has separate WET and DRY outputs, made for use with dual amp setups. The outputs are buffered and, according to Pedal of the Day, capable of driving amps with clarity even through long cables or into Lo-Z inputs.
What changed in the Geckoplex EP-5 V2?
The V2, released in 2022, added full MIDI control, full bypass, a user selectable maximum delay time of 650ms, 1 second or 2 seconds, higher headroom, lower noise, and a limited edition white version.
Sources (4)
- Gecko Pedals Geckoplex EP-5 Tape Delay, Pedal of the Day, 2021-10-06
- Gecko Geckoplex EP-5 V2 Delay/Reverb, Delicious Audio, 2022-07-19
- Kernom Ridge, Geckoplex EP-5, Dreadbox Darkness, Boss SL-2 Slicer New Pedal Day, That Pedal Show (YouTube), 2022-11-29
- Gecko Pedals O-Face Modulated Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2023-11-22
