The TC Electronic ECHOBRAIN ANALOG DELAY is a delay pedal built around an all-analog bucket-brigade circuit, the traditional analog way of generating repeats. TC Electronic positions it as an affordable vintage-styled delay, providing up to 300 ms of delay time1. When the pedal was announced, Premier Guitar's press coverage likewise described "gorgeous runaway delays with the all-analog Echobrain Analog Delay"2.
Controls
The pedal keeps things to three knobs, in the pattern most analog delays follow:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Time | Controls when the echo occurs1 |
| Repeats | Sets the number of repeats1 |
| Mix | Sets the ratio of wet to dry signal1 |
Sound and character
TC Electronic's product page describes the character changing with the Time knob: "At lower time settings, your echoes will be crisp and punchy; but at longer settings, you'll experience the natural high" end roll-off that bucket-brigade circuits are known for. At maximum Repeats settings, the pedal produces self-oscillation, which the maker points to for runaway delay sounds1. That behavior is typical of analog bucket-brigade designs, where each repeat loses a little top end as the signal recirculates.
Build and power
The Echobrain sits in what TC Electronic calls "a sturdy metal chassis with dedicated Input, Output and True Bypass", described as equally roadworthy for gigging use1. Power comes from a 9V battery or the company's POWERPLUG 9V adapter1.
TC Electronic also makes a range of other delays, from the digital Flashback II and Flashback Mini to the analog-style Bucket Brigade Analog Delay and Gauss Tape Echo. See the full Delay Pedals category for comparisons.
Videos
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Questions
Is the TC Electronic Echobrain Analog Delay true bypass?
Yes. TC Electronic's product page lists True Bypass alongside the dedicated Input and Output jacks, and describes the pedal as built around a sturdy metal chassis intended to stand up to the road. True bypass means the pedal's circuit is taken out of the signal path entirely when it is switched off, so your guitar's signal reaches the amp unchanged.
Does the Echobrain take a battery?
Yes. According to TC Electronic, the Echobrain can be powered with a 9V battery, or with the company's POWERPLUG 9V adapter. That makes it easy to try on a floorboard without a power supply, though most players running several pedals will use an adapter.
How long can the Echobrain's delay time be?
TC Electronic specifies up to 300 ms of delay time from the all-analog bucket-brigade circuit. That covers slapback and short room-style echoes comfortably, and the maker says that at longer time settings the echoes take on a natural high-end roll-off.
Is the Echobrain a true analog delay?
Yes. TC Electronic describes the Echobrain as sporting a classic, all-analog, bucket-brigade design, and Premier Guitar's coverage of the pedal's announcement likewise called it the all-analog Echobrain Analog Delay. Bucket-brigade circuits are the traditional analog way of producing delay repeats.
What does the Repeats knob do on the Echobrain?
The Repeats knob sets the number of repeats. TC Electronic notes that at maximum repeats the pedal produces self-oscillation, which players use for runaway delay sounds. It works alongside Time, which controls when the echo occurs, and Mix, which sets the ratio of wet to dry signal.
Sources (2)
- ECHOBRAIN ANALOG DELAY, TC Electronic
- TC Electronic Announces 13 New Pedals, Premier Guitar, 2016-10-24
