Malekko Heavy Industries Ekko 616 MkII Dark

The Ekko 616 MkII Dark is an analog delay pedal from Malekko Heavy Industries, first covered by the press in early 2015¹. Alongside its delay circuit it carries a modulation section, with three small knobs that shape the pitch wobble applied to the repeats, which one reviewer called the pedal's secret weapons².

Controls and what they do

The pedal's main control is Time, which sets the delay time and maxes out at 650ms³. The modulation section sits above it in three smaller knobs:

Control	What it does
Time	Sets the delay time, maxing out at 650ms³
Mod	Mixes in the level of modulation affecting the delays, from minor and subtle to raging flutter and twist³
Speed	Measures how fast the modulation comes across³
Depth	Controls the intensity of the modulation³
T/B button	Selects between the pedal being true bypass or a buffer³

There is also an internal pot, which adjusts the overall gain output, allowing for more customization to fit your setup³. That means the pedal's output level can be matched to the rest of a rig without touching the external knobs.

Bypass switching

The T/B push button selects between the pedal being true bypass or a buffer³. For a player, that is a practical choice rather than a fixed behavior: true bypass keeps the pedal fully out of the signal path when it is off, while buffer mode leaves a buffer in the chain, which can suit rigs with long cable runs or many pedals in series.

What reviewers said

Pedal of the Day reviewed the pedal in February 2015 and revisited it with a video demo in July 2017³². In the 2015 review, Mike B called it:

The 2017 follow-up focused on the modulation section, describing the smaller Mod, Speed and Depth controls as the 616's secret weapons, creating beautiful, random and intriguing sounds². The same piece characterized 650ms as a great length for what it called a brooding analog delay².

Videos

**Malekko Heavy Industry Ekko 616 MkII Dark Analog Delay**
Pedal of the Day

**Tiny Dino Gear Overview - Malekko Ekko 616 MKII Dark (Analog Delay)**
Tiny Dino Productions

**Analog delay: Malekko Echo 600 Dark vs. Ekko 616 Dark**
Simon Yung

Questions

Is the Ekko 616 MkII Dark true bypass?

It can be. A push button labeled T/B selects between the pedal running as true bypass or as a buffer, so you can choose which behavior fits the rest of your rig. True bypass keeps the pedal out of the signal path entirely when off, while buffer mode keeps a buffered signal running through.

How long is the maximum delay time on the Ekko 616 MkII Dark?

The Time knob sets the delay time and maxes out at 650ms, which reviewers describe as a great length for an analog delay of this character. That is enough for long, spacious repeats as well as shorter slapback settings.

What does the T/B button do?

The T/B push button selects between the pedal being true bypass or a buffer. This lets you decide whether the pedal passes your signal untouched when bypassed, or keeps a buffer in the chain, which can help preserve high end over long cable runs.

Is the Malekko Ekko 616 MkII Dark delay fully analog?

Yes, it is an analog delay. Pedal of the Day describes it as a brooding analog delay, and the pedal is identified as an analog delay unit from its first appearance in press coverage in 2015.

What do the Mod, Speed and Depth knobs do on the Ekko 616?

Mod mixes in the level of modulation affecting the repeats, from minor and subtle to what the reviewer calls raging flutter and twist. Speed sets how fast the modulation comes across, and Depth controls its intensity. Together they shape the character of the delayed signal.

Sources (3)

Malekko Heavy Industries Ekko 616 MKII Dark Analog Delay, Pedal of the Day, 2015-01-26
Malekko Heavy Industry Ekko 616 MkII Dark Delay, Pedal of the Day, 2017-07-10
Malekko Heavy Industries Ekko 616 MkII Dark Analog Delay, Pedal of the Day, 2015-02-10