The Xvive Echoman Delay is a mini analog delay pedal built around two Xvive proprietary BBD3005 chips, giving up to 600 msec of delay time with no aliasing distortion, according to the company. What sets it apart from other small delays is an extra modulation circuit that turns it into a chorus and vibrato as well, and a Feedback control that can be pushed into self-oscillation or used just below it for reverb-like sounds. Delicious Audio calls it "a highly versatile delay with an extra modulation circuit (Chorus/Vibrato) that fills an empty (mini-)niche"1.
Controls and the modulation settings
The pedal's Blend control runs the output from dry signal only to delayed signal only, so the mix of the two is fully adjustable1. The Feedback control allows self-oscillation if desired, which is where the pedal's more extreme sounds come from1.
The modulation circuit opens up three extra uses beyond straight delay:
- Chorus: set Blend for equal levels of dry and delayed signal, keep the Delay time very short, and turn the Modulation Depth high. Feedback can be added to enhance the effect1.
- Reverb: set the Delay short, the Modulation Depth low, and Blend for equal dry and delayed levels, with Feedback high for multiple repeats. Feedback settings just before self-oscillation occurs produce what Delicious Audio describes as a "bathtub reverb" effect1.
- Vibrato: here the delayed signal only is modulated, and the controls are set for the sound desired1.
Because chorus and vibrato are built in, the Echoman can stand in for a separate chorus pedal or vibrato pedal on a small board, which is part of why it earned a place in Delicious Audio's roundup of mini delay pedals12.
Buffered bypass
The Echoman is not true bypass. It uses buffered bypass with a 900K input impedance, which Delicious Audio says "guarantees no tone sucking (loss of highs) due to pickup loading"1. For players who run long cable lengths or many pedals, a quality buffer in the chain can be a benefit rather than a drawback.
Howard Davis and the Memory Man lineage
The Echoman was designed by Howard Davis, whom Delicious Audio calls "the original creator of the Memory Man Deluxe"2. It is a simplified monaural version of the Memory Analog Delay, and a state-of-the-art design based on Davis's Deluxe Memory Man circuit1. The connection to Electro-Harmonix's Memory Man line is visible as well as audible: Delicious Audio notes the two pedals' names and colors give the inspiration away1.
Xvive sells the Echoman as a simplified, mini version of the company's W3 Memory Delay1. Players looking at related designs in the same family may also come across the Xvive Memory Analog Delay and the Xvive Memory Man Analog Delay.
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Questions
Is the Xvive Echoman Delay analog or digital?
It is an analog delay. Inside are two Xvive proprietary BBD3005 chips, the bucket brigade device design used in classic analog delays, and Delicious Audio lists it among the best analog delay pedals. The company says it delivers up to 600 msec of delay time with no aliasing distortion.
Is the Xvive Echoman Delay true bypass?
No. It uses buffered bypass with a 900K input impedance. Delicious Audio notes that this guarantees no tone sucking, meaning no loss of highs due to pickup loading, which is the usual argument for a well designed buffer on a pedalboard.
How much delay time does the Xvive Echoman Delay have?
Up to 600 msec of delay time, which Xvive says comes with no aliasing distortion. That covers everything from short slapback and doubling settings up to longer, darker repeats.
Can the Xvive Echoman Delay self-oscillate?
Yes. The Feedback control allows self-oscillation if desired, and settings just below that point are the key to some of the pedal's other sounds: feedback just before self-oscillation produces what Delicious Audio describes as a bathtub reverb effect.
What is the Xvive Echoman Delay based on?
It is a simplified monaural version of the Memory Analog Delay, designed by Howard Davis, the original creator of the Deluxe Memory Man. The design is based on Davis's Deluxe Memory Man circuit and is inspired by Electro-Harmonix's Memory Man line.
How do you get a chorus sound from the Xvive Echoman Delay?
Set the Blend control for equal levels of dry and delayed signal, keep the Delay time very short, and turn the Modulation Depth high. Feedback can be added to enhance the effect. Because only the delayed signal is heard at equal blend with a very short time, the modulation reads as chorus.
Sources (2)
- Xvive Echoman Delay, Delicious Audio, 2023-01-26
- Best Mini Delay Pedals In 2023: Compare Price And Features, Delicious Audio, 2023-09-29
