DLS Echo Tap

very easy to get a lush, beautiful tone from the echo-tap. It's not an 'extreme'pedal, like a memory man, but I think it's a much better sounding pedal. Editing and dialing in different settings on a dark stage is very easy. The echotap has two different delays that can be switched between very easily. The tap temp, the reason I bought it, works like a charm. The pedal's footprint is much smaller than a memory man as well.

I am using this at the end of a chain that runs from a doobtone modded crybaby into fulldrive to a pulsar and then into the echotap - out to a deluxe reverb amp. It's not noisy at all, very clean sounding, much cleaner than my memory man. Like I said it's not an extreme pedal, you can get super wild self-oscilations with it. With the repeats all the way up, instead you'll get a very lush sounding wall of gentle repeats, that still allow the sound of the guitar to shine through. it has a tone knob for the repeats that when all the way down is more like a digital delay in that it repeats what it's sent, turning it clockwise gives the repeats a darker sound. I found that the knob was only good for a quarter turn before the repeats got a bit too dark. As long as you keep it within that quarter sweep it should cover all that you need. I play a lot of surfy type stuff, way into hank marvin's sound, and I can get a lot of that stuff with it very easily. Into my deluxe reverb it really sounds so sweet. The sound is reallly beautiful and doesn't take away from my already sweet tone at all. very nice!

built like a tank, true bypass, quality parts and workmanship. I expect it will last a long long time. I'm not worried about depending on it.

I emailed DLS and got back some helpful feedback on the pedal. no issues.

I play surf influenced guitar. I like cleaner tones that are wide and expansive. I have been playing for close to 20 years. I just love the sound of this pedal. It's really great sounding and I love the fact that it has tap tempo. there are not too many analog delays that have tap tempo. I currently a deluxe memory man, a DD2 and a boss delay machine. These are all very nice sounding as well, but none of them have tap tempo. I find the boss dd2 to be very nice but it is not as lush as this one. I find my memory man to be a bit on the noisy side sometimes, and the echotap is not. If you are in a band that plays out a lot and need a dependable pedal, that covers a lot of territory then you should look into the echotap. It's one of the best sounding analog delays I've ever heard, and I've been through a lot of them - very inspirational, makes me want to play for hours through it.

I gotta give it a "10" for ease of use, I don't see how everyone was so perplexed by the tap/delay swap switch, although I may have had an unfair advantage by getting to read about any issues the pedal may have before buying it. I would love it if the unit came with two tone knobs instead of just one, although it's kinda useless (with my rig, anyway)because the delay is sooooo dark sounding (NOT a bad thing at all).

Beats the crap out of anything I've ever used. I've used the Carl Martin Delayla, Maxon AD 999, Line 6 DL 4, EH Memory Man, Way Huge Aqua-Puss, and SCORES of other pedals. This one is clearer than the analog delays, warmer (really DARK sounding, I love it) than the digital delays, and better (again, through my set-up) than all of them. All of the above boutique delays are awesome in their own right, and I recomend them to anyone, but the EchoTap combines the convenience of tap tempo with analog warmth (although it's hybrid digital/analog-digilog?). A few small issues include an occasional faint "thump" sound when the tap tempo is used. Not a huge deal to me, but worth mentioning. Also I found out that putting a non-true bypass pedal in front of this sucker could be problematic. I put my Diaz Texas Tremodillo in front of it to see how it'd affect the sound and to my horror the 'Dillo made the EchoTap's switches make ear splitting popping sounds when engaged! Yikes! Do yourself a favor and DON'T do it. Outside of that it sounds and works great and I'm happy as hell that it's on my pedalboard. One point deducted for those issues...

Seems solid, although the "warning" page included with the pedal are somewhat disconcerting, particularly the part where you're not supposed to drop the unit from a table. Come on, this freakin' thing is $300, it had BETTER be able to take a little bit of abuse. I'm also not overly thrilled with DLS's choice of switch for the bypass, it seems kinda frail. Time will tell on that one, and everyone seems to have good things to say about this box, so I'll refrain from commenting at this point in time as it would be unfair.

First and foremost, I'm giving them this really low score because I've tried several times to contact them and get answers to some basic questions and their automated website e-mail thing-a-ma-jig wouldn't let me leave my message, displaying an "invalid message length 2-450 words" message every time I tried to make the damned thing work. The low score isn't for the quality of their service, it's for the inability for customers to contact them. If that's the only way they offer for anyone to get a hold of them you'd think they'd make sure it worked. Also, I found the owner's manual to be kind of vague, it says that the only adaptor to use is the one provided, which prompted me to open the back of the unit and look for a way to hook up a battery, which can't be done. So does that mean that I can't use an alternate power source like the Pedal Power? It turns out that you can, you just have to look all over the website to find that out, again because there's no way to ask them that question directly. Not cool in my book, it's something that REALLY needs to be taken care of. I usually won't buy anything "boutique" unless I know that the builder is willing and able to answer any and all questions about the unit and can trouble shoot. All of the other reviews seem to indicate that this is usually the case, so I guess I'm a little less freaked about it, but I still gotta score low in this category given my own personal experiences...

Issues aside, this thing is awsome. I think me and EchoTap are gonna be friends for a long time. Really easy to use, awesome tone, seems totally solid (except for the bypass switch). I like everything about it except the color, and that's a pretty minor beef. Truth be told, I wish all pedals were black. There outta be a law...

I highly recomend this pedal to anyone who wants a well made and brilliant sounding delay. No Line 6 models, no tricks, no gimmicks, just a pedal that's made by someone who clearly wasn't happy with the alternatives that he'd been offered. Necessity is often the mother of invention, and oh what an invention this is. The only things that keep this from being a perfect 10 are the issues previously discussed which are the points deducted from this final score. Despite those issues, I really think that this pedal is worth every penny.

this thing can be tricky so watch out when dialing in the tap function...

I like the unit! It is as advertised! The 'chucklehead' a few reviews below me that calls himself an 'avid tone freak' and then goes on to slam this pedal and then says that he plays through a Marshall JTM60! tone freak? how about 'snot nose twerp'. Grow-up junior! Running a digital delay through an 'effects loop' and a cheesy Marshall effects loop at that and then calls himself a tone freak?!.....then he leaves 2 reviews giving this unit a '3'on each review. Ought to be slapped! when junior grows up and realizes what 'tone' is then maybe someone will listen...this echo will give you lots of flexibility, 2 delays and tone control (global tone control) and separate level controls! analog signal, true bypass, the analog guitar signal is mixed with the digital echo signal giving great clarity and versatility in 'blending' your echo sound. I've played lots of delays and this ranks up with the best! Absolutely quiet too!

Had it a short while...I don't know...

Haven't needed it!

I was inspired to write this review because of the knit-wit below leaving 2 bad reviews that don't accurately describe what this echo tap unit can do. I have been playing for many years and love this thing, you won't be disappointed if you got one, it delivers the goods! Quiet and warm echo....

I'm giving a '7' because switching between the 2 echo channels can be tricky and a pain especially when you are playing something that is difficult and you don't want to lose concentration. (It would help if I could chew gum and play guitar at the same time....)

The sound quality is excellent even when pushing it with distortions and overdrives. You can dial in the different types of echo you want by adjusting the tone knob, you can go from a high end clear sounding tape echo to a warm and distant fading echo, this feature is the reason I bought this pedal and it works great. This is not a 'toy' pedal so if you are looking for a special effect delay toy there are other units out there to play with. The true bypass and digital/analog blend design of this pedal is awesome! Nice job! I have used tons and tons of delay effects (EH MemoryMan, Maxon analog AD900, DanEcho, TC 2290, DeltaLab, Eventide, PCM41 etc...etc..) for setting on a guitar pedalboard and at the end of your effects chain into the amp this unit is excellent quality and as good and versatile as anyone can ask.

Works great so far...

I dunno...

I have been playing for over 30 years and mostly play rock/blues. I am using this pedal in front of a Carr Mercury amp and it performs and sounds wonderful. It is designed (I guess) to sound more like an 'echo' machine than a standard delay, I am not sure what that means other than to say it sounds more like an echoplex setting next to my rig than an electronic delay box on my pedalboard, absolutely quiet and no tape hassle etc..(this is a good thing to me!). Pretty much what I have been looking for!

Simple.

Excellent!! Delay is my #1 effect. I've been through everything that has tap-tempo (for me a MUST). DD-20, DD-6, Echopark, T-Rex, DL-4, Digidelay...This one wins. It's warm sounding, but not muddy. It's true bypass, which is important to me. I take off one point for the following reasons:

1. Even with the tone knob all the way up (or down, rather), it's still warm sounding. Occasionally, I like a delay that's as bright as the original signal. This doesn't quite do that.

2. In the "non-tap" mode, I wish the delay time knob wasn't indented (is that the right word?). I find I can't set the EXACT delay time I want in that mode because it "in-between" indents. I'm sure there's a reason for this design, but I can't imagine what it is..

3. Also, it's BIG. I like to keep my pedalboard small and light. I prefer smaller pedals. Not a big deal.

Other than that, it's a killer pedal. I've tried them all. I especially like the DEDICATED tap tempo switch. I find 2-1 switches (DD-6) USELESS in live situations.

BTW on the earliest units your direct sound is affected slightly when you turn on the effect. If this is the case with yours, contact DLS. They can fix it so the bypass tone and the "engaged" tone are identical. This isn't a problem for newer units.

No problem so far.. I've only had it a few months..

Excellent. Fairly quick emails (within 24 hours). I guess I'll take off one point because some guys get back to you immediately. However, Dave is always helpful and friendly.

I love this pedal. I pay my mortgage playing guitar, and price is no object for gear purchases. This delay isn't quite perfect, but I think it's the best one available. If you need tap tempo and like a warmer sound, don't hesitate. The Boss DD-20 sounded like "guitar-center consumer electronics" compared to this. Well done!!!!

Dude- I went to the music store and th guy just handed me the unit. Away I went and it was easy to switch on the fly and find the delay and echo tones I wanted.

not really sure how anyone can fault this unit. Is it a Maxon AD 999? no. Did I A/B the unit with it yes. Was there a difference? Not too much, and really it all comes doen to what you want. I A/B's this unit with the T-REX, AD 999, Boss DD-6, and the Dan Echo. The Trex is nice, but stupid money. No way 400 bucks is a good investment. The MXON, was nice and warm, but was pretty much a one trick pony, as if you were palying live you would need 2 -4 Maxons to do what this one unit can do. The Boss DD6 was very cool, but not warm. It had a digital vibe going, and I could see its uses in various setting, but not what I was looking for that day.

The DLS echo tap was warm, has the analog vibe going and is built rock solid. The sounds are warm, and practical, making it sound great with anything. I use it with a mesa boogie and les paul guitars. when teh gain is on, and I kick this in can we sayy guns and roses, metallica and TONE to die for. Its crazy when you start to solo with it and it sounds so natural. I like this pedal.

I owned a Line 6 DL4 and it was good, but once I found myself constanly using the analog mod delay I wanted more, and I wanted a smaller pedal. The Line 6 is cool, but I would not buy that again as I know what I want now.

It does not have reverse delay or a crazy 10 second delay, it practical and realistic. I like it.

Only pitfall is, you need to power it with a power supply. That comes with it, but if you are going to an open Jam, bring it with. Unless you have a pedalboard.

Built like a tanb and HEAVY

N/A

Guys look at what you are buying here. A NICE Delay pedal with an echo focus and a change on teh fly tap tempo to get what you want. If you cannot get a good sound out of this pedal, check your guitar pickups or your amp settings. Its articulate, accurate, and a good value for what it does. And for what it doesn't do, I really don't care for today (reverse delay and crazy long digital). If I want those I will get teh DD6, but all my pedals are TB, and I would need to run that in the effects loop. This plays nice with all my pedals amps and guitars! I like it!

This unit is very easy to use. The only tricky thing is getting it out of "Tap" mode back onto the "Preset" side. But in the first four seconds you realize you just hold down the tap switch for a second. The preset side is extremely easy to dial in the length of delay you need. The tap side is well, a tap echo, nuff said.
All the knobs are self explanatory minus the "Echo Tone" knob. You get the gist after mucking about with it for a minute.

I love this thing. I have had 2 binson echorecs, a Boss DD-3, Alesis Quadroverb, Lexicon Multieffects, and a Roland Space Echo. My favorite was the space echo. Only problem with the Binsons and the Space Echo are the fragile nature of older units and tape noise.
This box can get anything from DD-3 to Space Echo delays AND has 3 seconds of Delay! I've seen some reviews that say it is muddy, but I haven't had that experience. If you want the cheap digital "ice pick" highs you get from a rack mount like the Alesis, then this isn't the unit for you.
The Echo Tone knob is the key to this unit. I hear people say it doesn't do anything. Not True! It is very subtle. With it all the way up, the repeated echo signals decay faster, mimicking the decay of the tape delay machines physical recording limitations. With this knob all the way down, the delay gives equally strong signal on each repeat. This is genius, because you can get digital cold perfect delay, and warm modulated tape delay sounds. The unit is also very quiet.
My rig is American Standard Tele -> Fulltone SupaTrem -> Sparkle Drive -> DLS Echo Tap -> Laney VC-30 (Class A valve combo)

I have had this unit for a year now and it has never given me problems. In fact, I was running a ZVEX Super Hard On into it for most of this year, and if you know what that pedal is about, it can cause serious wreckage to cheap equipment. Gig without a backup.

I have dealt with DLS, just some questions. Dave is a cool guy. We talked about space rock and he is a huge Gilmour fan. So I see where the killer delay comes from. He is really into making a great sounding pedal.

I play Modern Rock with a space rock twinge to it. Been playing for 15 years. Using delay for most of that time. I love the sound quality of this unit, and the controls are easy. Definitely would buy another one if it was lost or stolen. Only thing I don't like is that you can't use a battery with it. I know many people use power supplies, but early on I liked to use batteries and this box only allows a wall wart. Hence the 9.

Overall, get this box. This first night I got it, I played around with it a while and went to bed. In the middle of the night, I woke up with a great riff in my head. Used it on my album. The album got us a production deal. Get the box.

Easy to use on-the-fly. Contol knobs are easy to see. The Preset Delay and the Tap Delay each have their own blinking LED's; which makes it easy to see where you are at with your delay times.

VERY little noise (much less than my AD900). No volume-drop. The Tone knob takes the tone from crystal clear digital repeats to vintage analog fatness. Smooth decay. Sounds great clean and with distortion effects. I use it with my TIM OD and with my Analogman Sunface; into my 40W Fargen Blackbird or Victoria Bandmaster. Best sounding and responding delay I have ever used.

Built like a tank. Used it for 6 mo. on a regular basis with no issues.

Haven't had to deal with them, so I don't know.

30+ years playing in clubs. R&B, Blues, Rock. Best all-round delay I have ever owned.

The unit comes with a pretty straight forward manual. It took maybe a couple of minutes to get used to switching between the two echo channels, but no big deal. Now it's cake.

I must say that this delay sounds great out front or in the loop. The repeats are very warm and the tone knob can get Pink Floyd echoes or tape echo sounds depending on where it's set. I use both channels of delay, one short delays and one long delays.

Like someone else said, this thing is a tank. I can't imagine the Echotap ever falling apart on me.

Not applicable

I would give this delay an overall 9. I have played so many other delays and I will stick with this one for some time. It has the controls I want to get the sound I need. Oh yea, there are trim pots inside to adjust the input and output volumes. I like my volume up a tad for leads, so that's how I adjusted it.

Easy to use

The sound was not that great. I wanted to add to my review. First, I want to say again the guy from DLS is really cool. I only wanted to add that...the only reason I posted and took the time to post here...is because Harmony - Central and the reviews here have been so helpful to me in the past - exception is the reviews on this particular pedal :-) - which I disagree with. As you all know, it's hard to buy a pedal over the internet where you can't actually hear it. We only have others opinions and reviews, and occasionally some sound samples to judge how we spend our hard earned money! So, anyway this is why I've taken the time to write. It seems that others have really liked the way this pedal sounds...so perhaps just ignore my opinion, but just make sure that you can return the pedal if you don't like it (just in case). I suppose being able to return it is a great option to have no matter what your buying. Good luck and thanks for all of your reviews...they really do help!

I'm an avid tone freak...that's about all I'll say here.