The Keeley Magnetic Echo Delay, often just called the Mag-Echo, is a compact delay pedal from Keeley Electronics that aims to recreate classic tube tape echo tones in a stompbox1. Rather than cloning one machine outright, Keeley studied an old Echoplex EP-3 and a Roland RE-301 Space Echo to tap into the sounds of those two machines1. The result is a delay with built-in modulation for the wow and flutter movement that tape echoes added to their repeats1.
What it does to your sound
The pedal simulates tube tape echo sounds by using its delay circuit and a little bit of modulation3. Guitar World's buying guide describes it as more of a lo-fi delay with added modulation than a full-on tape echo clone2, so a player should expect vintage character and movement rather than a faithful reproduction of a tape machine. The combined delay and modulation controls can produce what one reviewer called unpredictable and classic tape echo soundscapes1.
All of this is housed in a neat and tidy stompbox, which gets rid of the bulk of the old machines without sacrificing any of the tone, as the Pedal of the Day review put it1.
Controls and how to use them
The pedal keeps its control set simple: three knobs for the delay itself and two for the modulation3.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Time | Sets the overall delay time, from 40ms to 600ms at max1 |
| Regen | Sets the number of repeats3 |
| Delay Level | Sets the level of the delayed signal3 |
| Depth | Adds more or less modulation to the delayed signal1 |
| Rate | Controls the flutter aspect of the modulation1 |
The modulation section is where the tape character lives. The Depth and Rate knobs are the wow and flutter controls, and with them a player can create very vintage or rather unique tones3. Raising Depth pushes more modulation into the repeats, and Rate then sets how that flutter moves1.
Where it came from
The two machines Keeley studied are well documented. The Maestro Echoplex EP-3 was a tape delay that set up an echo using actual magnetic tape, with a record head, an erase head and a playback head inside the box4. It was prized as much for its tone conditioning ability as for its tape echo effect5, and Guitar World notes that most guitarists preferred the EP-3 for its preamp, quiet performance, and a delay signal that was cleaner and brighter than that of the tube echo units6. You can read more about the machine itself on the Maestro Echoplex EP-3 page.
The Roland RE-301 Space Echo was the other reference point in Keeley's study1. By working from both machines rather than copying one, the pedal takes the general flavor of tape echo, repeats with movement and character, into a pedalboard-friendly format.
What reviewers said
The Pedal of the Day review was enthusiastic about the modulation in particular:
"Add to that the ability to control the flutter aspect by using the Rate control, and you've got one incredible pedal."
The same review called the pedal a work of sonic art like Keeley's whole line of gear1. Guitar World's 2023 buying guide of tape echo pedals took a more measured view: it listed the cool lo-fi delay sound and the independent depth and rate controls of the modulation as reasons to buy, and the lack of a tone control as a reason to avoid2. The guide also noted it is not strictly the most accurate tape delay on its list, but that it sounds too good not to include2.
There is no tone control on this pedal. Players who want to darken or brighten their repeats will need to shape tone elsewhere in their signal chain2.
How it compares in the Keeley line
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Questions
What delay range does the Keeley Magnetic Echo Delay have?
The Time knob sets the overall delay time, ranging from 40ms at the minimum to 600ms at the maximum. That is enough for tight slapback echo through to longer, more spacious repeats, though it stays short of the long delays digital units offer.
Is the Keeley Mag-Echo the same pedal as the Magnetic Echo Delay?
Yes. The pedal is called the Magnetic Echo Delay, and reviewers and DIY write-ups refer to it as the Mag-Echo. They are the same Keeley Electronics delay pedal, housed in a compact stompbox rather than the bulk of the old tape machines it draws on.
How do you get wow and flutter on the Keeley Magnetic Echo?
Use the Depth and Rate knobs. Depth adds more or less modulation to the delayed signal, and Rate controls the flutter aspect of that modulation. Together they produce the wow and flutter movement that tape echo machines added to repeats.
Does the Keeley Magnetic Echo Delay have tap tempo?
No. The pedal's controls are Delay Time, Regen, Delay Level, Depth and Rate, with delay time set by the Time knob across a 40ms to 600ms range. There is no tap tempo footswitch among its controls.
What is the max delay time on the Keeley Magnetic Echo?
The maximum delay time is 600ms, set with the Time knob. The range runs from 40ms at the minimum to 600ms at the maximum.
Does the Keeley Magnetic Echo have a tone control?
No. Guitar World's buying guide lists the absence of a tone control as a reason to avoid it, alongside its cool lo-fi delay sound and independent depth and rate controls of the modulation as reasons to buy.
Sources (6)
- Keeley Electronics Magnetic Echo Delay, pedal-of-the-day.com, 2015-01-25
- Best tape echo pedals: Nail the warm sound of tape delay, Guitar World, 2023-02-07
- Guitar FX Layouts: Keeley Magnetic Echo, tagboardeffects.blogspot.com, 2019-09-25
- That Pedal Show, That Pedal Show (YouTube), 2016-02-05
- EP101 Echoplex Preamp by Dunlop, RockBoard (rockboard.de), 2026
- Review: Dunlop EP103 Echoplex Delay Pedal, Guitar World, 2016-09-07
