Oberheim Echoplex Digital Pro

I have previously used the Akai Headrush and the disappointing Boss RC50. This worked straight out of the box. Fantastic! Immediate fun and games. It was at least two hours after I first turned it on before I went and tried any of the higher functions beyond "Reverse". The manual (at least the latest edition for the EDP with LoopIV, is intuitive, straightforward and well laid out. My device is brand new (July 2007).

Astounding. As long as you have the balance of input, output and mix set right, the sound quality is perfect. I also notice, compared to any other device I have ever used, that the second you turn the device on you can hear your instrument through it - even before it has booted enough to use any functions.

Difficult to rate as I have only had the device a few days. That said, it is rock solid. As long as you don't drop it, I would imagine it would last forever.

Never had to call them. Everything works. The only thing I would complain about is that rather than coming with a printed manual, it now ships with a CD containing the manual in PDF format. Thankfully, I had already printed and studied the manual. If you don't have a computer, print the manual before you buy the device.

This device will keep me busy and having fun for months if not years.

This unit is not for the faint of heart. It CAN be used for simple applications, but like any good software (and hardware) product, the layers can peel off rather quickly, revealing a very heady, in this case, instrument. It can be used to loop a variety of instruments, but this reviewer uses the guitar. For guitarists, it is best to buy a footswitch, preferably MIDI. For keyboardists, this unit should hook up rather swell with an array of MIDI instruments. Everything and more can be accessed via MIDI. Attempting to use it without MIDI programming is very limiting. The manual for Loop III is sparse but adequate. For the upgrade (aurisis.com), the Loop IV manual is very intense and well-written. The designers are not designing to reach the lowest common denominator, nor is the manual forgiving if you haven't paid attention. The unit I'm reviewing is upgraded.

I use the EDP in my effect send and return on my ADA MP1. It works just fine there or on the front end of my little Fender amp. (Of course this requires re-routing, until I buy the Switchblade...) It can be noisy sometimes, but that probably has more to do with cheap cables and unconditioned power. Garbage in, garbage out is the adage. The looper's functionality is enitrely too vast to cover in this review, especially that I'm not getting paid to write this. But what I will write is that it can provide 16 loops (198 seconds total--mono), overdub, multiply, mute, insert capabilities, quantized switching between loops, subdivision of timing to user-defined values (8th being the default, but can accommodate odd time signatures), generates or can sync to MIDI time code, reverse, half-time, and a slew of other features. With my guitar and the right mood, I'm able to construct the most ungodly, alien sounds and feels simply by looping, splicing in silence, notes, by switching between loops (auto record and/or autocopy), half-speed drones, record in half-speed, bump it back to normal speed and sound faster than John McLaughlin... It is endless what can be done. If not endless, then asymptotic.

It can be used to loop effected sounds, to effect loops, effect effected loops, loop effects, etc. I've used it in the send/return of a mixing board with a very accurate drummer and was able to tape a loop session where the drummer was free to assemble his percussion rig while the loop was....looping. He joined in with himself and I recorded the percussion at half-time. When sped up again, he was Triloc Gurtu-esque.

The feedback knob does not consistently respond. This hardware glitch can be addressed by the right engineer, but I'm not interested in sending it away. The foot pedal feedback control option works instead. I have not had complete success in a live situtation because of its complexity. Others seem to be doing fine with it live. Therefore I cannot assess its reliability reliably.

Customer support at Aurisis.com is fine.

This should be treated as an instrument. It also should be recognized early on that it will take a considerable amount of time to learn. The payoff is worth every penny and minute. Other products can loop; the EDP is widely regarded as the looper's looper. Sometimes I do miss that I've stopped playing normal guitar music. I have forgotten what it's like to jam with others. This instrument will not let me go. It is a selfish vixen hellbent on keeping me all for her own aMUSEment.

A rack unit,with its Pros and Cons of every rackunit.But I think,the
overall design and menu is fine for a fast work,with the footcontroller,it is fun to play with it.The size of the FC could be
bigger.If someone has Grizzley feet like me,it is difficult sometimes,
to tap the right switch.
The manual is a little to short but explains the necessary things.
At least the EDP was designed for improvisation,so some stuff wich
is needed in the DJ world,is not needed hear.
This is a device for live music.And it lets you have both hands for
the guitar,and not nibbling some potis or knobs.
Or why do you think you have feets ?
Once familiar with its routing and workflow schemes,it will get a
second nature.

Sound Quality is excellent.It makes fun to play with it.
Functions are now widden up with the "LOOP IV" Upgrade.This should
satisfy the most of us.And from my side it is a must.
The Echoplex is already 11 years old.Originally PARADIS labeled,then
Oberheim and now Gibson.But the developers are still the same
buddies.
I have checked the Boomerang,Robert Fripps beloved TC2190,the electrix
Repeater,or other similiar devices.
For me the EDP is the most flexible ones of them all.And it sounds
fantastic.

Ehmmmmmm...as far the EDP is great from its soundarchitecture and
routing matrix,the Hardware is not alike what I expect from such a
fine and expensive device.It has a charme of the 80 digital synth
expanders,where after years some buttons and potis quit the job.
But this machine is from that time,the hardware is still original and
was not overworked since that days.
Anyway,if you take care of it and don't play baseball with it,this
device will be still in good condition.
But for its pricing,I would expect a higher quality.

Matthias Grob helps always.He is the designer of this piece.

Best looping machine.

Watch out for the Upgrade info at www.aurisis.com....

16 simultan loops.Each loop can be overdubbed to infinity.time dividing,delay arrangment functions,sync functions and so on and on..

Check it out

Easy to get up and going. Lots of things to do later as you work through the manual, which is clearly written. Only bad thing would be the spacing of the buttons on the foot pedal. With a size 10 US shoe, it's very easy to hit the worng button in a frenetic live situation.

excellent sound quality

I have had the Oberheim Echplex for about three years, of which it's only functioned correctly for about 6 months. This is where it gets rough. It basically crapped out on me and I sent it in to Gibson for repair. They misplaced it, and it took about 9 months for me to get it back. Then when it finally came back, it was not fixed. I se nt it back again. I got it back again. It is still not working. I love the unit and its capabilities, but the reliability is not there for my particular unit. Unless you count on its reliably not working.

Customer support has been friendly, but they have not been able to fix the unit. It has never seen hard use, so I assume it's just a poorly made example of an Oberheim EDP. I asked them to simply replace it, but they claimed that my unit (the oberheim)is out of production and they can't/won't replace it with a gibson. That is not the kind of response I'd expect having paid $800 for the unit and foot pedal.

It would be wonderful if it worked and if Gibson would stand behind their product. However, I have had nothing but headache and heartache trying to get it to work. In the fleeting moments I had with it, it was awesome and I had a great time playing with it and performing.

On one hand, the EDP is quite easy to use.. You should be looping within seconds of plugging it in. On the other hand, it has quite a number of options on how it will function. It takes some time to learn how you want to use it and how it will respond based on different configurations.

The manual is pretty well written and easy to follow. There are a couple of diagrams that are difficult to understand at first, because they don't follow the conventions that were defined at the beginning of the manual (probably certain parts of the manual were updated with the newest release, but other parts weren't).

The footpedal is a little difficult to operate, because the buttons are so close together. There is a difference between a long and short button press, so you have to be careful not to press a button too long. And again, the different configuration options make the buttons respond slightly differently, so you have to practice to understand what will happen.

Within moments of getting MIDI cables, I had it synched to a drum machine... I had some difficulty at first, because I didn't understand what the drum machine was doing. After some use, I determined that the problems I was having were due to the way the drum machine sends out its clock. Once I had that figured out, it worked great. (For what its worth, the drum machine I have, the Boss DR770 sends out clocks whether or not it is acutally playing.... an issue that is discussed in the manual. The problem I had, though, was that when starting and stopping the drum machine in the middle of the drum loop, the clocking gets screwed up, and I have to change to a different drum pattern then back to the original again to fix the clock. I suspect an external MIDI clock would clear this up completely).

Sound quality is pretty good. The sample rate is only 41.5Khz (I believe... I know its slightly less than 44Khz). I can hear a difference between the live sound source and the resulting loop, but the signal degredation is minimal... A slight timbral change. After playing a Boomerang (24Khz sample rate & lower), I think the EDP is awesome!

I haven't noticed any appreciable noise/hiss.

I have had no problems with the rackmount unit. As far as I can tell, it is totally dependable.

Within a few weeks of purchasing the EDP, the footpedal unit self destructed. I'm not sure why. I suspect one of the buttons broke, but I couldn't easily identify which one, as all buttons stopped working correctly (if one was shorted, the others won't work correctly, as you can only press one button at a time).

I didn't have time to send the footpedal for repairs, so I replaced the buttons myself. It's quite simple to do. All it required was the buttons and a solder gun (didn't even really need any solder... just used what was there).

In fact, it's so simple, that after fixing it, I was pretty annoyed to have spent $110 on the stupid pedal (the pedal lists for $145.95, I think). It consists of a metal box, 8 light-duty buttons, a 1/4" jack, 7 resistors, and solder between all the buttons. Couldn't cost Gibson more than $15 to make. What really bugged me is the light-duty buttons. In the manual, it points out that you should press the buttons with care to avoid damaging them. DUH!!! this is a FOOTpedal. Heavy duty switches (like the ones found on EVERY OTHER FOOTPEDAL OUT THERE) are only like 25 cents more. What the f**ck?? Of course, I'll have to replace the buttons again, because I couldn't find any heavy duty momentary switches in stock anywhere (Radio Shack can blow me).

I repaired the footpedal myself, so I haven't bothered with customer support.

I also own a Boomerang Phrase Sampler... read my review on that for some comparisons between the EDP and the Boomerang, as well as some tips on how to set it up with other effects.

Overall, I think the EDP is DAMN COOL. There are a couple of things I wish it could do, but that would be pretty complex (ie. change the speed of a loop, but that would require shifting the pitch as well).

I've only owned it for a short amount of time, but its already having a dramatic effect on my guitar skills. I can practice for hours and hours without getting bored. I can create, destroy, recreate and improve anything. The EDP is, by far, the coolest effect I own (and I have plenty).

If it were stolen or lost, I would buy another one. Heck, I'm saving up to buy another one as it is... Multiple EDPs can be connected together for stereo use or for multi-player use.

In researching the different looping tools, I've concluded that the Eventide Orville is probably the ultimate tool. It probably does everything that the EDP doesn't, has higher sample rates (up to 96Khz), longer loop times, plus it has everything else (reverb, delay, chorus, flange, the only diatonic pitch shifter I know of, etc). However, the Orville is at least 3x as expensive (probably more.. I've seen prices of about $4000)

BTW, in researching prices on the EDP, I found a WIDE range... I believe the list prices are $1150 for the EDP and $145.95 for the footpedal. I found prices anywhere from $850 for the pair to about $1150 for the pair. Sweetwater blew everyone away.

I HIGHLY recommend the EDP.

I have the recently reissued Gibson version of this effect. It's identical to the Oberheim, but has the Gibson logo screened on the faceplate instead of Oberheim. Anyhow, I found it quite easy to get up and running on. The basic features are controlled by clearly labeled analog knobs (way better than touch pads). The more advanced features are available through a fairly intuitive button matrix. Unlike some other reviewers, I won't rave about the manual. Perhaps Gibson reworked it, but I found it difficult to locate information and hard to follow in sections. The features are explained in alphabetical order, and the table of contents isn't very useful. I have the optional foot controller. Some of the button features can be remapped. I found the section explaining that operation particularly cryptic. That said, the quick start guide is good, and once I figured out how to correctly reconfigured one parameter the rest was easy.

If you want to really get the most out of this effect you need the foot controller. It allows you exercise almost limitless control. But the buttons do different things depending on the current mode of the unit (is there an active loop, no loop, multiple loops, in record mode, insert mode, overdub mode, etc., etc.). They also (sometimes) behave differently if you step and hold them rather than quickly tap them. In short, the foot controller is much harder to learn than the effect unit itself. I'd give it a 5 at best for usability.

My general setup is,

Guitar -> wah -> chorus -> volume -> analog delay -> tube pre amp -> tube power amp -> (post EQ fx send) reverb -> echoplex (fx return)

With this placement of the echoplex at the end of the chain I can fully capture the current sound. This is generally what I'm looking for in live situations. I also often use an additional volume pedal to control the feedback level of the unit.

I'm extremely happy with the sound quality. It's exactly what I was looking for, a crystal clear sample of the input signal. I also have a Roland 301 tape delay which has that classic analog tape tone. Between the two units I can always get the echo or delay effect I'm after.

I've had it less than a year, and it hasn't been used too heavily in that time I'm sorry to say. So I haven't really stress tested mine. It's worked perfectly every time for me thus far. I hope that's how it stays.

Never had to contact them.

I really enjoy using my echoplex, and I like it more and more as I improve my skill at using it. I've been playing guitar for about 20 years and I was very influenced by Fripp early on. Through listening to his work, particularly with Eno I was taken with his soundscape pieces. From that I began experimenting with all sorts of echo effects. I had wanted an extended tap controlled digital delay for many years before buying an echoplex. I had considered the JamMan and Boomerang, but decided on the Echoplex when I heard Gibson would reissue it. I preferred it because of the combination of stellar sound quality, extensive features, easy memory upgrade, and good track record.

Playing the Echoplex is tons of fun, but because the delay and echo effects are tap controlled it takes some training to get precise with it. You need to learn how to "play" the effect rather than play around it as you might with a conventional digital delay. As you get better at controlling the unit you'll find yourself enjoying it even more. Also, because of its diversity it's useful for much more than building looping soundscapes. It's great for musically timed delays, backwards repeats and much more. Plus it comes equipped with lots of MIDI capabilities that I will probably never use.

I'm very glad I bought it, though it wasn't exactly cheap. Then again, you get what you pay for. It's worth every penny.

If you are not looping 30 seconds after setup, there is something wrong with you! The manual has a "get started now" section as well as an incredibly detailed and complete list of commands. The Echoplex Digital Pro (EDP for short) reminds me of the guitar in this way: on the guitar it is easy and fun to learn three chords, and you can sound good right away, but you can work on it for the rest of your life and still sound better every day. The EDP is the same, you can have fun and sound good immediately, but it is deep, you can still be learning new features and experimenting with new sounds after years of practice. You can use it as a backup band, to lay down a chord progression and to solo over it, or you can use it as an effect to create completely new sonic textures. It pulls new music from you!

Completely transparent audio. Very high quality analog to digital conversion and adjustable input and output gain make the EDP sound good for all types of signals. Put it between a guitar and an amp, or in the FX loop of an amp or mixer.

I have two EDPs , one of the first Oberheim issues, made in 1995, and a new Gibson, made in England by Trace Elliot in 2000. The older one has been upgraded to software version 5.0, same as the new one, and they were both upgraded to the maximum memory of 192 seconds, which is very cheap at today's prices. I use them in various combinations, alone, together but not sync'd, sync'd and in parallel signal paths, or sync'd and in series.

The competitors, the Boomerang, the Akai Headrush, the Line 6 DL4 basically just do record and overdub, with a few aded bells and whistles. The EDP does the record / overdub trip plus it does multiply, insert, undo, multiple loops, copies from loop to loop, syncs to other EDPs and MIDI and more. The EDP has noticeably better sound quality than the 'Rang, and considerably more memory (record time) than any of the others. The EDP foot pedal interface also aloows more real-time control than any of the others.

The sync and control features really separate the men from the boys in the looper world. I can sync my EDPs to each other, or to a drum machine or sequencer or PC. I can trigger EDP loops from a keyboard or any device that sends MIDI CC or note-on. The ohters won't do this.

This is the best tool for music based on looping. Unlike many computer or sampler based tools, the EDP allows sampling/recording and playing back simulataneously. And the controls are real-time, with absolutely no delay between command and execution. This box is the decendent and culmination of ideas going back to early sixties musical experimenters like Terry Riley and Steve Reich. Brain Eno and Robert Fripp took the idea further, and David Torn and others continue to carry the flame. The EDP is the current state of the art real-time musical looping tool.

Oh gosh, I wish it was stereo out and polyphonic, but it still does much more than any product currently on the market. This baby is the Mercedes-Benz of looping.

No problems ever with either of mine! After five years of constant playing, one switch on my foot controller died. I replaced it myself, with advice from Gibson Customer Service. I do not hesitate to play it live, although I do like to carry the rack myself. Like most rack gear, I am afraid to think about what would happen if it were dropped.

I have called and emailed Shane Radke at Trace-Elliot / Gibson several times and have always received and answer on the same day. He is email connected and sometimes responded within minutes! Excellent. In addition, there is a website and mailing list (Looper's Delight) that is an unofficial hangout of many EDP users. For looping tips and tricks, FAQ, new product reviews, msic links, these guys are a Godsend!

This box is not an "effect" in any traditional sense, it is an instrument. It will change your ideas of musical structure. It will open your mind to new possibilities. I started out using the EDP as an accompanist. I would record chord progressions and practice playing over them. It is a very cool tool for this and this function alone would make you a better player. But immediately I was lured into the possibilities inherent in the EDP, to create rhythms and textures beyond the reach of an ordinary guitar/instrument.

I bought my second EDP when I realized how dependent my music was on the first one! I would replace a lost or stolen one immediately. I am planning on buying another one anyway. One thousand dollars is a lot compared to what most people pay for effects, but it really is not much compared to the cost of your whole musical set up. When I consider what this thing has contributed to my musical growth, to the key role it plays in my music, it is the best $1000 I ever spent on music gear.

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Hi. I am the product manager from Oberheim. There is a posting about having problems with getting in touch with us. True in the past. Now you can reach us toll free at (877) OBERHEIM or e-mail us at obie@gibson.com. Please get in touch with us if you have questions, complaints, or even if you are happy with the product. We'll be glad to help you.

I'm just posting this to correct an error in Art Cohen's review of the echoplex that has confused a lot of people. I've been asked about this issue endlessly ever since his review appeared here, and I'm quite tired of it, so I'd like to put the whole thing to rest!
Art said that upgrading the echoplex's memory to the maximum amount caused a thermal problem, and that the echoplex's memory can only be upgraded safely to half of the maximum. That is not true. Memory can be upgraded to the full 16MB (198 seconds) with no problems.
Art was experiencing a real thermal problem. The problem had nothing to do with memory upgrades, however. Earlier production units had a small design error which caused this thermal problem to occur. (the symptom was that pressing undo caused record to execute.) Oberheim fixed that problem in mid-1996, and units produced since should not exhibit it.
If you have a unit with this thermal problem, it is trivially easy to fix yourself. Details are in the Echoplex FAQ on my Looper's Delight website. Also, Oberheim released a major software upgrade for the Echoplex last year, which added some new features and fixed a lot of bugs that people had complained about. (so try not to ask me about those either! :-)
Lots of info on Looping, the echoplex and other loopers, and loop artists from around the world can be found on my Looper's Delight web site: http://www.annihilist.com/loop/loop.html
thanks! (I don't work for Oberheim, but I used to be an engineer at Gibson's R&D lab, where I helped design the OB echoplex. Hence all the questions...)

Basic operation is simple. For guitar players the foot controller is a must, since it gives your feet access to the front panel performance control buttons. Just tap RECORD as you begin to play a phrase. Tap RECORD again to begin looping what you just played. Tap OVERDUB to add more layers. The reason this category doesn't get a 10 is that some of the more esoteric modes and options require careful thought and study of the excellent manual to figure out what you want. Mode changes are saved on power down.

Sound quality is excellent. Sample rate is 41.5 kHz, so the looped sound is essentially indistinguishable from the direct sound.

I purchased my unit with 1 Meg of RAM (12.5 seconds). After I upgraded to 16 Meg (198 seconds) by installing 4 4x3 SIMMs the unit developed a thermal related problem. It would not respond correctly to some of the controls after being on for about 30 minutes. Another user on the 'net confirmed the same problem with his Echoplex. I spoke to a guy at Oberheim who suggested using non-parity SIMMs (although the manual clearly states that either type of SIMM will work fine). For now I'm using just two of the SIMMs for 8 Meg (100 seconds) and the unit is working reliably. The only other concern I have is that the UNDO function does not seem to work consistently, but that may be my technique at fault. In its present state I'd use it at a gig without backup.

The 800 number on the warranty card connected me to Gibson customer support. All they could do was give me a toll number for Oberheim in California. It took several calls over a few days before I was able to speak to a factory rep. He was friendly although (I suspect) unwilling to admit to design flaw in the product. He offered to have the factory check over my unit, but did not guarantee that they could fix the problem. I declined. Upgrading the RAM was as easy as on a standard PC.

This is a great device. It blows away the Lexicon JamMan in both sampling time and fexibility. I'm not sure what I'll do with my JamMan now that the Echoplex has replaced it in my guitar rack. The MULTIPLY function lets me build up a long loop from a shorter phrase. I would love if it had a way to directly enter in a loop time, besides tapping. I also feel that Oberheim should have included an insert in the manual explaining the pitfalls of memory upgrade; what works and what doesn't, so that each customer won't have to discover this for themselves. Right now I've got 2 extra 4x3 SIMMs for which I paid $80. Still, I don't regret buying it. For the music I play (solo electronic space guitar) it's the best available.