The Keeley Multi Echo ME-8 is a compact floor-based effects processor from Keeley Electronics that puts eight of the company's time-delay effects in one box: two automatic double-tracking programs, tape echo, analog delay, digital delay, and three reverbs12. Keeley introduced it as a unit suited for guitar or bass, built by hand in the USA, and it carried a street price of $199 when Premier Guitar reviewed it12.
The design keeps the dry signal in a pure analog path while DSP algorithms handle the processed sounds, an approach Keeley described as "retaining a pure 100% analog path for the unaffected signal and combining it with advanced DSP algorithms"2. Each program is voiced as its own effect rather than a variation on one algorithm, with natural distortion in the chamber reverb and pitch and tone variances in the double-tracking and tape delay programs2.
The eight modes
The effect selector rotary knob provides eight echo-mode options1:
| Mode | What it is |
|---|---|
| ADT modern | Automatic double tracking with an extra 20 ms of time headroom over vintage1 |
| ADT vintage | Automatic double tracking, the reviewer's favorite of the two1 |
| Tape echo | Tape-style delay with pitch and tone variances, 50 to 950 ms12 |
| Analog delay | BBD-style delay with dynamic modulation, 50 to 950 ms1 |
| Digital delay | Clean digital delay up to 1000 ms1 |
| Room reverb | Small-room reverb with an added distortion effect on the tone knob1 |
| Chamber reverb | Chamber reverb with natural distortion in the voicing12 |
| Hall reverb | Grand-hall reverb12 |
Keeley's announcement framed the range as "swirling chorus and double-tracking, to modulated tape echo and modern digital delay, and reverbs from subtle rooms to grand halls"2.
The controls and what the tone knob does in each mode
The ME-8 has four controls, which Keeley describes as adjusting the Program, Time, Depth, and Tone, with each shaping the sound differently depending on the program selected2. The effect selector chooses among the eight modes1.
The tone knob is the one to study, because its job changes from mode to mode1:
| Mode | Tone knob function |
|---|---|
| Digital delay | Controls repeat subdivisions, from quarter notes to dotted and triplet eighths1 |
| ADT vintage and analog delay | Functions as a rate control1 |
| Room reverb | Controls an added distortion effect, a nod to Phil Spector's "room compression" technique1 |
Premier Guitar's reviewer found this multi-purpose design means the pedal is not exactly plug-and-play, but that the investigation is time well spent1:
"The Keeley Multi Echo’s small footprint means multiple functions for the tone knob, so unless you like figuring out a pedal’s intricacies on the fly, it’s not exactly a plug-and-play experience."1
Delay times and the ADT modes
Both the tape and analog delays range from 50 ms to 950 ms of delay, while the digital can achieve up to 1000 ms1. The reviewer noted that the digital subdivision options "will please any Edge or late-model Gilmour fanatic"1.
The ADT mode is essentially Keeley's 30 ms Double Tracker, an emulation of the process devised by Ken Townsend at EMI/Abbey Road and used on Beatles records1. The modern ADT has a little more headroom in the time department, an extra 20 ms to be precise, but the reviewer preferred the vintage version: "for my money the vintage ADT is where it's at"1.
On the analog delay side, the reviewer found the dynamic modulation "adds a chorus-like wave that enshrouds repeats and varies in intensity," calling it very expressive in live applications and killer for post-rock expansiveness, adding shimmer to an excellent BBD simulation1.
How it behaves in a chain
By itself, the ME-8 is quite transparent in the ADT applications, but placing overdrive before the delay and modulation can make the output sound a bit boxy, so gain staging matters1. The reverbs drew praise too: the reviewer found them "often striking for their combination of transparency and color"1.
The ME-8 is mono only, with a single output and no stereo functionality, and there is no room for a 9V battery in the enclosure, so plan on external power and a mono signal path1.
Build, price and availability
Keeley announced the Multi Echo ME-8 as manufactured in the USA and built by hand, shipping to dealers worldwide, with a 2-year limited warranty2. Delicious Audio noted it sells just under $2003, and Premier Guitar's review listed the street price at $1991. Structurally, the reviewer found the ME-8 feels very solid, with a compact but predictably crowded circuit layout given all those functions1.
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Questions
Is the Keeley ME-8 stereo?
No. The ME-8 has a single output that is mono only, and Premier Guitar's review notes there is no stereo functionality. Players who need stereo delay or reverb spreads would have to look at other pedals in Keeley's range.
Does the Keeley Multi Echo take a 9V battery?
No. The enclosure is compact and the circuit layout crowded enough that there is no room left for a 9V battery, so the pedal runs on external power only.
What is ADT on the Keeley ME-8?
ADT stands for automatic double tracking. The ME-8's ADT mode is essentially Keeley's 30 ms Double Tracker, an emulation of the process devised by Ken Townsend at EMI/Abbey Road for the Beatles. The ME-8 offers both modern and vintage ADT programs, with the modern version giving an extra 20 ms of time headroom.
How long is the delay on the Keeley ME-8?
The tape echo and analog delay modes range from 50 ms to 950 ms of delay, while the digital delay mode can achieve up to 1000 ms.
Can you use the Keeley ME-8 on bass?
Yes. Keeley introduced the Multi Echo ME-8 as a floor-based effects processor suited for guitar or bass, so bass players can use it as well as guitarists.
Where is the Keeley ME-8 made?
The Multi Echo ME-8 is manufactured in the USA and built by hand, according to Keeley's announcement, and it carries a 2-year limited warranty.
Sources (3)
- Keeley Multi Echo ME-8 Review, Premier Guitar, 2016-06-03
- Keeley Electronics Unveils the Multi Echo ME-8, Premier Guitar, 2015-11-24
- New Pedals: Keeley Multi Echo ME-8, Delicious Audio, 2016-06-13
