The TEFI Vintage Lab Ms. Delayette is an analog echo and reverb pedal from the Italian builder TEFI Vintage Lab. It is inspired by the vintage magnetic echo units of the 1960s, with the Binson Echorec, the Echolette NG51S and the Maestro Echoplex EP-1 named as the machines behind the design1. If you are after the character of an old drum echo machine in a pedalboard-friendly box, this sits alongside the wider field of delay pedals and reverb pedals.
What it does
Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio, writing about the pedal in November 2021, described it as "a quirky-looking but great-sounding analog echo inspired by the vintage magnetic units of the '60s like Binson Echorec"1. TEFI's research team built it as an echo/reverb pedal with a Hi-Fi response, but with the option of degrading that response by simulating the aging of the machine1. As the maker's framing puts it, "The soul of a veteran magnetic echo today lives enclosed in a modern boutique pedal"1.
Wow, Flutter and modulation
The Wow and Flutter controls simulate the aging of the machine. TEFI describes this circuitry as completely analog and specially calibrated to obtain the maximum realism of reproduction1. The pedal also offers two modulation modes: one standard, and one using a more random wave1.
Nachhall mode
Alongside its echo duties, the pedal includes a Nachhall mode. TEFI describes this environment as useful for reverb and slap back echo effects1, which puts the unit in territory shared with dedicated reverb pedals as well as echoes.
Expression control and self-oscillation
Two external controls can be connected1:
- An expression pedal, which changes the frequency of repetitions, what TEFI calls the "motor speed"
- A momentary switch pedal, which triggers instantaneous self-oscillation, that is, feedback
The expression output can either be used to control the modulation time or, with a momentary switch, for self-oscillation1. Players who already own an expression pedal can put it to work here without extra hardware.
Hearing it
Delicious Audio's write-up points to a demo video by A Bunch of Pedals, with sections covering Kill-Dry with synth, 12-Thing with bass, Hyper Drums with Volca Sample, Chorverb with guitar, Sewer Sounds with synth, and Eastbound Elephant with bass1.
Videos
TEFI Vintage Lab
AndyDemos
aBunchOfPedals
Questions
Is the TEFI Ms. Delayette analog or digital?
It is an analog pedal. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio described it as a great-sounding analog echo inspired by the vintage magnetic units of the 1960s, and noted that the Wow and Flutter circuitry that simulates the aging of the machine is completely analog and specially calibrated for realism.
What vintage echo units is the Ms. Delayette based on?
TEFI Vintage Lab modeled the pedal on the vintage magnetic echo units of the 1960s, naming the Binson Echorec, the Echolette NG51S and the Maestro Echoplex EP-1 as the machines behind the design.
What do the Wow and Flutter controls do on the Ms. Delayette?
The Wow and Flutter controls simulate the aging of the machine, the way a worn magnetic echo unit drifts and warbles. TEFI describes the circuitry as completely analog and specially calibrated to obtain the maximum realism of reproduction.
Can I use an expression pedal with the Ms. Delayette?
Yes. Two external controls can be connected: an expression pedal changes the frequency of repetitions, what TEFI calls the motor speed, and a momentary switch pedal triggers instantaneous self-oscillation, or feedback.
What is Nachhall mode on the Ms. Delayette?
Nachhall is a mode on the pedal whose environment is useful for reverb and slap back echo effects, extending the unit beyond straight magnetic repeats.
Can the Ms. Delayette self-oscillate?
Yes. A momentary switch pedal connected to the expression output can be used to trigger instantaneous self-oscillation, giving you runaway feedback on demand.
Sources (1)
- TEFI Vintage Lab Ms. Delayette Echo, Delicious Audio, 2021-11-18
