AEG-Electrolux GIBSON ECHO PLEX PLUS User Manual

EchoplexDigital Pro Plus

User’s Manual

C REDITS

MANUAL WRITTEN BY KIM FLINT AND WARREN SIROTA

LAYOUT & DESIGN BY WS DESIGNS

ECHOPLEX DIGITAL PRO PLUS IS A PRODUCT OF GIBSON GUITAR CORPORATION

LOOPIV SOFTWARE IS A PRODUCT OF AURISIS RESEARCH, LLC

®

LOOP

ECHOPLEX DIGITAL PRO PLUS AND LOOPIV SOFTWARE DESIGNED BY:

IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF AURISIS RESEARCH, LLC

AURISIS RESEARCH, LLC – MATTHIAS GROB, KIM FLINT, ERIC OBERMÜHLNER

WITH MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS FROM

BUTLER, MARK LEAS, KEITH MCMILLEN, TIM CANNING, ANDRE LAFOSSE,
DAVID TORN, CHRIS MUIR, WILLY STREHLER, LJUBO MAJSTOROVIC,
EBERHARD WEBER, DAVID KIRKDORFFER

SPECIAL THANKS TO THE STAFF OF GIBSON GUITAR CORPORATION, OUR BETA

TESTERS, AND ALL WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED THEIR THOUGHTS AND IDEAS

THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY OF THE

: ANDY EWEN, CLAUDE VOIT, ANDY

ECHOPLEX.

i-2 Echoplex Digital Pro Plus User’s Manual

C ONTACT INFORMATION

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT

IN EUROPE:

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ALDON

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HONE

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AX

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MAIL

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N THE

USA:

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IBSONSTRINGS ANDACCESSORIES

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OWESRD

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USA
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HONE

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OLLFREE

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i-4 Echoplex Digital Pro Plus User’s Manual

Introduction

Credits ...........................................................................i-2

Contact Info ...........................................................................i-3

Contents ..........................................................................ii-1

About This Manual................................................................iii-1

EchoplexDigital Pro Plus

U SER’S MANUAL

Contents

Typeface Conventions ............................................................................iii-1

Terminology ............................................................................................iii-2

Section I – User Guide

User Guide Introduction ................................................................I-i

Chapter 1 Quick Start ...............................................................1-1

Instant Gratification and Depth..............................................................1-1

Before Powering Up .................................................................................1-2

Level Adjustment .....................................................................................1-3

Start Looping! ...........................................................................................1-4

Chapter 2 Front, Back and Underfoot ........................................2-1

The Front Panel........................................................................................2-1

The EFC-7 Footpedal ...............................................................................2-6

The Back Panel .........................................................................................2-6

Stereo Operation ......................................................................................2-9

Chapter 3 MIDI..........................................................................3-1

Table of Contents ii-1

Section II – Reference Guide

Reference Introduction .................................................................II-i

Reference Guide Introduction.................................................................II-i

Key to the Diagrams................................................................................II-ii

Chapter 4 Parameters ...............................................................4-1

8ths/Cycle.................................................................................................4-2

AutoRecord ...............................................................................................4-6

Channel.....................................................................................................4-7

ControlSource ..........................................................................................4-8

FeedBkCont ............................................................................................4-10

InsertMode .............................................................................................4-11

Loop/Delay (InterfaceMode) ................................................................4-15

LoopCopy................................................................................................4-29

LoopTrig ..................................................................................................4-31

MoreLoops..............................................................................................4-32

MuteMode ..............................................................................................4-33

OverdubMode ........................................................................................4-34

Overflow..................................................................................................4-35

Quantize..................................................................................................4-36

Presets .....................................................................................................4-39

RecordMode ...........................................................................................4-40

Reserved..................................................................................................4-42

RoundMode............................................................................................4-43

SamplerStyle...........................................................................................4-44

Source #...................................................................................................4-47

SwitchQuant...........................................................................................4-48

Sync .........................................................................................................4-57

Threshold................................................................................................4-59

Velocity....................................................................................................4-60

VolumeCont............................................................................................4-61

Chapter 5 Functions...................................................................5-1

Dump ........................................................................................................5-2

Feedback...................................................................................................5-4

GeneralReset.............................................................................................5-8

HalfSpeed..................................................................................................5-9

Insert .......................................................................................................5-10

Load.........................................................................................................5-18

LoopDivide .............................................................................................5-20

LoopTriggering .......................................................................................5-21

LoopWindowing.....................................................................................5-22

MultiIncrease..........................................................................................5-26

Multiply...................................................................................................5-28

Mute ........................................................................................................5-38

NextLoop ................................................................................................5-41

ii-2 Echoplex Digital Pro Plus User’s Manual

Overdub ..................................................................................................5-43

PreviousLoop..........................................................................................5-46

Record .....................................................................................................5-47

Rehearse..................................................................................................5-53

Replace....................................................................................................5-54

Reset........................................................................................................5-55

Retrigger..................................................................................................5-56

Reverse....................................................................................................5-58

SamplePlay .............................................................................................5-62

StartPoint................................................................................................5-64

Substitute................................................................................................5-65

SUS Commands .....................................................................................5-69

SUSNextLoop .........................................................................................5-71

Undo........................................................................................................5-72

Chapter 6 Synchronization ........................................................6-1

AutoStartPoint ..........................................................................................6-2

BeatSync ...................................................................................................6-3

BrotherSync..............................................................................................6-7

Global/Local MIDI Clock ........................................................................6-9

MIDI Sync Indicators.............................................................................6-11

MuteQuantMIDIStartSong....................................................................6-12

QuantMIDIStartSong.............................................................................6-13

QuantStartPoint .....................................................................................6-14

ReAlign ....................................................................................................6-15

SongPositionPointer and Continue ......................................................6-22

StartSong, StopSong, Continue .............................................................6-23

StopSync .................................................................................................6-28

SyncStartPoint ........................................................................................6-29

SyncRecord .............................................................................................6-30

TempoSelect ...........................................................................................6-32

Chapter 7 MIDI Control..............................................................7-1

DirectMIDI................................................................................................7-2

MIDI Command List................................................................................7-3

MIDI DataWheel ......................................................................................7-7

MIDIpipe...................................................................................................7-8

MIDI VirtualButtons ..............................................................................7-10

Receiving MIDI Commands..................................................................7-11

SysEx........................................................................................................7-12

SUS MIDI Commands ...........................................................................7-13

Transmitting MIDI Commands ............................................................7-15

Chapter 8 Parameter Presets.....................................................8-1

Parameter Presets.....................................................................................8-2

Preset Editor .............................................................................................8-8

Chapter 9 User Interface ...........................................................9-1

Table of Contents ii-3

DataWheel ................................................................................................9-2

Feedbk Indicator ......................................................................................9-4

Feedback Pedal Jack.................................................................................9-5

Feedback Knob.........................................................................................9-6

Footpedal Jack ..........................................................................................9-7

Input Indicator .........................................................................................9-8

Input Jack..................................................................................................9-9

Input Knob..............................................................................................9-10

Loop Display...........................................................................................9-11

Loops LED...............................................................................................9-12

LoopTime Display..................................................................................9-13

MIDI LED................................................................................................9-17

MIDI Ports ..............................................................................................9-18

Mix Knob.................................................................................................9-19

Multiple Display.....................................................................................9-20

Output Jack.............................................................................................9-21

Output Knob...........................................................................................9-22

Overdub Jack ..........................................................................................9-23

Parameter Button...................................................................................9-24

SmartButtons..........................................................................................9-26

Switches LED..........................................................................................9-28

Timing LED.............................................................................................9-29

Visual Tempo Guide...............................................................................9-30

Chapter 10 MIDI Sample Dump .................................................10-1

Introduction ...........................................................................................10-2

Sample Dump User Guide.....................................................................10-9

Other Device Implementations ..........................................................10-16

Sample Dump Trouble Shooting ........................................................10-20

Chapter 11 MIDI SysEx ..............................................................11-1

MIDI SysEx Detailed Reference ............................................................11-2

ii-4 Echoplex Digital Pro Plus User’s Manual

I NTRODUCTION

About This Manual

T YPEFACE CONVENTIONS

User Interface elements like Buttons, Jacks, and Knobs are shown in

bold, since references to them are usually about actions that you might
take.

Function and Operation names are shown in a plain typeface.

Buttons generally either represent parameters or initiate actions, which
we usually call functions or operations.

We use different versions of the same typeface for the button (bold) and
the function (regular); e.g. "the Record button starts and ends Record
operations."

Parameter Names and Values

will be shown as italics.

EXAMPLES:

■ "Press the Overdub button."

■ "You can end the Record operation several ways:"

■ "When

when it’s silent."

MuteMode=Continuous

, the loop runs in the background even

Introduction iii-1

T ERMINOLOGY

There are a few key terms that are used frequently in this manual. Here’s
a summary:

P

LAYMODE

This is the condition of the Echoplex Digital Pro Plus when you’re not
editing parameters or performing an operation like recording,
overdubbing, inserting, etc. None of the Row Indicator LEDs are lit in
this condition, and the current loop simply plays back over and over.

P

ARAMETEREDITMODE

This is the condition of the Echoplex Digital Pro Plus when you are
editing parameters. You reach this state by pressing the Parameter
button, and you will see one of the Row Indicator LEDs lit to indicate
which row is being edited.

O

THERMODES

These are the states that the Echoplex Digital Pro Plus is in after you’ve
pressed a button to initiate an action, but before you’ve ended the
action. The mode is the name of the button that you’ve pressed; e.g.
Record mode, Mute mode, Insert mode, etc.

L

OOP

, L

OOPLENGTH

A

loop

is the entire program that plays when the Echoplex is in Play

mode. The

iii-2 Echoplex Digital Pro Plus User’s Manual

length

, C

URRENTLOOP

of the loop is the number that is in the LoopTime

, C

YCLE

Display while in Play mode (the length of the recorded material), which

will be less than the total length available for recording.

If the

MoreLoops

Reference section), then the Echoplex will hold several different loops.
In this case, one loop will be active at any given time, and we’ll call this
the

current loop.

current loop.

When you use Multiply or Insert, a new loop is built from a number of
blocks of material with identical lengths. We’ll call each of these
component blocks a
cycles as a

R

ESETTINGLOOPS

When you Reset a loop by holding down the Record button for half a
second you completely empty it. The time display will show just a
decimal point. This creates an
in

reset,

or the Reset

parameter is greater than one (see

The leftmost digit in the display is the number of the

cycle,

and continue to refer to the entire groups of

loop.

, E

MPTYLOOPS

state

empty

.

loop. We often refer to this as being

MoreLoops

in the

If you have set up multiple loops using the
can reset them all at once. This is called a GeneralReset and is done with
a long press of the Multiply button while in a loop that is already reset.

S

HORTPRESS

Most functions are accessed with a quick tap of the appropriate button.
This is usually referred to as a

L

ONGPRESS

In many situations, a
than simply pressing the button and releasing it immediately (resetting
a loop through a long press of the Record button is the most obvious
example). Although there are situations where you may want to press a
button for quite a long while, any press longer than half a second will
count as a long press.

Short Press.

Long Press

MoreLoops

of a button will have a different effect

parameter, you

Introduction iii-3

I

MMEDIATEACTION

This is a term used in the Reference chapter to describe buttons that
initiate an operation as soon as you press them, in contrast to buttons
that set parameters.

Q

UANTIZE

When an action is Quantized it means it will waits until an appropriate
rhythmic moment before it executes. The
choose whether actions wait until the next Loop StartPoint, the next Cycle
StartPoint, or the next Cycle Subdivision point (or 8th).

R

OUNDED ANDUNROUNDED

Some functions, like Multiply and Insert, are designed to automatically
operate for an integer number of Cycles. If you end the operation
sometime in the middle of the Cycle, it will continue operating until the
end of the cycle time so that you end up with an even rhythm. This is
called Rounding, because it rounds off to the nearest integer number of
Cycles. The
operates while Rounding.

RoundMode

Quantize

parameter lets you determine how the Echoplex

parameters let you

It is possible for the user to force a Rounded action to end without

Rounding. This is referred to as an UnRounded operation. For example, an
UnRounded Multiply is a Multiply that is forced to end without reaching

the end of the cycle.

iii-4 Echoplex Digital Pro Plus User’s Manual

S ECTION I

User Guide

U SER GUIDE INTRODUCTION

This section will help you get started using the Echoplex and provide
instruction on using some of the Echoplex’s most common features. For
greater detail and complete information about all Echoplex features,
please consult Section II, the Reference Guide.

This section contains the following chapters:

■ Chapter 1 - Quick Start

■ Chapter 2 - Front, Back, and Underfoot

■ Chapter 3 - MIDI

User Guide I-i

I-ii Echoplex Digital Pro Plus User’s Manual

CHAPTER 1

Quick Start

ongratulations! You’re in for more fun than you can possibly
imagine, playing music with the Echoplex Digital Pro Plus. This is

C

Maestro in the 1960s that relied on tape loops to create effects. It was
used extensively by the Jimi Hendrix, the Doors, and many others. Now,
the temperamental tape technology that terminated the triumph of the
original Echoplex has been replaced by high-fidelity, utterly consistent
digital technology. Not only does this result in increased sound quality,
but the flexibility afforded by programmable digital control also makes
possible a much wider range of performance options.

the spiritual successor to the original Echoplex, a device made by

I NSTANT GRATIFICATION AND DEPTH

One of the great things about the Echoplex Digital Pro is that it offers
both instant gratification and depth. Once you hook it up, it will
probably take you about 10 minutes to learn how to work the basic
functions and start making music. After that, you may be intoxicated
with power for an hour or two before you’re ready to come back and
learn more. The Echoplex Digital Pro will reward further study, because
there are layers of refinements that will allow you to create more
complex pieces with interesting variations. But, because you start
making cool music from day 1, you can learn to use these refinements at
your own pace, gradually adding to your bag of Echoplex tricks when
you have the time and energy. We’ve tried to make that process as
efficient for you as possible by providing you with a carefully-planned
front panel, footpedal, and manual.

Quick Start 1-1

In the next few paragraphs, you’ll learn the basics of using your
Echoplex Digital Pro. After you’ve recovered from the shocking joy of
your first loops, browse through this manual at your leisure. You’ll
discover lots of new ideas that will keep you coming back time after
time.

BEFORE POWERING UP

Make the connections

The basic connections for using the Echoplex Digital Pro are quite
simple: power, audio in and out, and the optional footpedal. Follow
along with the steps below, and refer to
for more information.

1. Check that the Power Selector Switch on the back of the unit is set

properly for your power source—115V for US- and Japanese-style power
outlets, or 230V for European-style. If it is set incorrectly, change it to
the correct setting with a screwdriver.

Figures 2.1

and

2.3

in Chapter 2

2. Plug the Echoplex Digital Pro into a power source using the supplied

power cord.

3. If you own the optional EFC-7 footpedal, connect it to the Footpedal
jack on the back panel using a standard guitar cord with 1/4" phone

plugs on each end.

4. Connect an audio source to the Echoplex’s back-panel Audio Input
jack with a standard guitar cord, or plug a high-impedance microphone

directly into the jack. The Echoplex Digital Pro can accept microphone­level, instrument-level, and line-level inputs (along with anything in­between).

5. Connect the Echoplex’s Audio Output jack to an amplifier, mixer, or
preamp to let you hear what’s happening!

These are all the basic connections. See Chapter 2 for information on
additional possibilities.

1-2 Echoplex Digital Pro Plus User’s Manual

Turn it On

Use the power switch at the right of the Echoplex Digital Pro to turn it
on. The display will briefly show the software version number and then
switch to the standard display (see the section titled “The Display” in
Chapter 2).

L EVEL ADJUSTMENT

Set the Levels

1. Turn the Output knob all the way off.

2. Turn the Feedback Knob all the way up. This is the best setting for

most uses of the Echoplex Digital Pro. See
Reference chapter for more information.

Feedback Knob

in the

3. The Mix knob lets you balance the volumes of your playing and loop
playback. Set it to the half-way point (straight up) to start with.

4. Set the Input knob so that the LED light labeled “Input” is dark when
you’re not playing anything, green when you play at normal levels, and
orange when you play at your loudest levels. This light will turn red if
you overload the Echoplex input. Fortunately, the Echoplex has a built in
limiter to protect you from causing ugly digital distortion in your loops.
However, if you are engaging the limiter the audio recorded in your loop
will still not be a perfect representation of what you played. If this
happens, turn down the Input level.

5. Play your instrument and adjust the Output knob until you reach a
pleasant listening volume.

6. The LED labeled “Feedbk” indicates the level of the audio recorded in
the current loop. This turns red to indicate digital distortion in the loop.
If you see this after Recording and Overdubbing a loop, your Input level
is set too high.

Quick Start 1-3

START LOOPING!

Record

It’s easy to record your first loop.

1. Press the Record button.

2. Play a few notes.

3. Press the Record button.

Now you should be hearing your notes loop over and over again. If you
don’t like what you recorded, simply repeat the steps above once again.

The Record function starts instantaneously when you press the Record
button. You’ll probably find that you get the best timing results if you
press Record simultaneously with the first note or chord of your loop
(as opposed to trying to press it an instant before). To end recording,
press it exactly at the time when you want the loop to restart (right on
the downbeat, if you’re recording rhythmically). A few minutes of
practice will be all that you need to create great loops with no audio or
rhythmic glitches.

As you record, you’ll see the length of the current recording in the
display. Keep an eye on this, especially if you don’t have much memory
installed in your unit (see Appendix A,
maximum recording time is displayed when you first power on the
Echoplex Digital Pro Plus. If you exceed this time during recording, your
loop won’t be kept (with the default settings. See
Reference chapter for other options).

If your loop seems surprisingly loud or soft in relation to what you
played, adjust the Mix knob until you find the right balance.

If you want to record a new loop, simply repeat steps 1-3 above. If you
want to reset (completely clear) the loop, simply press and hold the
Record button for half a second.

For more information on recording, see

1-4 Echoplex Digital Pro Plus User’s Manual

Memory

Record

for more details). Your

Overflow

in the Reference chapter.

in the

Mute

If you get sick of listening to your loop, you can silence it without
erasing it by pressing the Mute button. The light under the Mute
button on the front panel will turn red. Press the Mute button a second
time to hear your loop again.

Overdub

Undo

For more information, see

Now that you have a loop running, let’s start to have some fun by
overdubbing some additional sounds. It’s incredibly easy.

1. Press Overdub. The Overdub light turns red.

2. Play. Each time the loop restarts, you’ll hear whatever you played during

the last pass added to the mix.

3. When you’re done overdubbing, press Overdub again to stop (it’s a
good idea to not leave the Overdub function on when you’re not actually
playing).

For more information, see

If you don’t like what you’ve just overdubbed, you can press Undo to
erase it. If your loop length is short compared to the amount of memory
in your Echoplex, Undo can erase the layers of overdubs one by one.
However, this capability is limited by the amount of memory that you
have installed. If your loop length is longer than half your memory
capacity, for instance, you won’t be able to Undo at all.

Mute

and

Overdub

MuteMode

in the Reference chapter.

in the Reference chapter.

Undo also cancels a function that you may have started by accident.
After you press Record without meaning to, for instance, you can
recover your loop simply by pressing Undo instead of Record to end
the Record operation.

For more information, see

Undo

in the Reference chapter.

Quick Start 1-5

Multiply

Multiply is like Overdub, except that Multiply lets you record longer

passages. For instance, you can use Multiply to overlay a 4-bar bass riff
over two repetitions of a 2-bar chord pattern. Or, if you have enough
memory, you can use Multiply to record a long solo over a repetitive
backing track. It’s a powerful function that adds a lot to your expressive
capabilities using the Echoplex Digital Pro.

Here’s a quick introduction to Multiply:

1. Record a simple, short loop.

2. Press Multiply and play over several repetitions of the loop.

3. Press Multiply again to end the recording.

Multiply doesn’t restart the loop the instant you press it the second

time—it always “rounds off” so that the original loop isn’t cut-off in the
middle.

Notice that the right-hand digit of the display counts the repetitions of
your first loop as the entire loop is played back. There are a number of
situations where we’ll need to distinguish between these, so we’ll
introduce some terminology:

KEY POINT: The first loop, the “atom” that you started with, is called a

Reverse

cycle.

We’ll

loop

reserve the term
several full cycles (never a fractional number of cycles, like 2-1/2). If
you’ve just recorded a single loop and not used Multiply or Insert, then
your loop will be exactly one cycle long.

Reverse is a great deal of fun. In the Echoplex, loops can be Reversed at
any time. You can easily and quickly create loops with some parts going
forwards and some parts going backwards. Before we can do Reverse
however, we will need to edit a Parameter value. This is a good
opportunity to learn how to do Parameter editing.

The parameter we wish to change is called
determines what function the Insert button will do. We are going to set
it to become the Reverse button.

to refer to the full loop, which can consist of

InsertMode.

This parameter

1-6 Echoplex Digital Pro Plus User’s Manual

1. In the Parameter Matrix printed on the front panel of the Echoplex,
locate the

Switches, under the Insert button.

2. Press the Parameter button. You are now in the Parameter Editing

Mode. You should see “P1” in the Multiple Display, indicating we have
selected the first row of Parameters. The Timing LED is also lit to
indicate that the Timing Row of parameters is selected.

InsertMode

parameter. You should see it in the row labeled

3. We want the Switches Row, since that is where the
parameter is located. Press the Parameter button once more. You
should now see “P2” in the Multiple Display, and the Switches LED
will be lit to indicate we have now selected the Switches Row.

4. Press the Insert button to select the
LoopTIme Display will show the current value of this Parameter.

5. Continue tapping the Insert button to step through the possible values

for the
display show “rEV”.

5. Press the Parameter button to a few times to cycle back to Play Mode.

We’ve now programmed the Insert button to be the Reverse button, and
learned about Parameter Editing in the process. The InsertMode
parameter has some other interesting functions in it as well, like
HalfSpeed, Substitute, Replace, and of course, Insert. But we want to
play with Reverse first, so let’s do that!

1. Record a loop.

2. Press the Insert button.Your loop is playing backwards!

InsertMode

parameter. We want Reverse, so stop when you see the

InsertMode

InsertMode

Parameter. The

3. Now press Overdub, with your loop still in Reverse.Play something
interesting over your backwards part. Your Overdub will now be playing
in the loop forwards, while the original part is playing backwards.

4. Press Insert again. Your original part will be going forwards again, and
the Overdub you added is now Reversed.

You can go on like this, adding as many forwards and backwards parts
as you like!

See the
details on these features.

InsertMode

and Reverse sections of the Reference Guide for more

Quick Start 1-7

Echoplex

Input Feedbk

Level Indicator Lights Display

Level Control Knobs

Digital Pro Plus

•••

MULTIPLE



LOOP

•

LOOPTIME

dir

loop

MixOutputInput

Feedback

FIGURE 2.1A:

The Echoplex Digital Pro Plus front panel, left half

Parameters Record Overdub Multiply Ins/Rev

Loops



MIDI

Switches

Timing

MoreLoops

Channel

RecordMode

Loop/Delay

AutoRecord LoopCopy SwitchQuant LoopTrig Velocity SamplerStyle

ControlSource

OverdubMode

Quantize

Source #

RoundMode

ths

/Cycle

8

VolumeCont

InsertMode

Sync

Mute

FeedBkCont

MuteMode

Threshold

Status Indicator LightsButtons

Undo NextLoop

Dump

Overflow

Reverse

Load

Presets

StartPoint

POWER

Row Indicator Lights Parameter Grid Power Switch

FIGURE 2.1B:

The Echoplex Digital Pro Plus front panel, right half

2-i Echoplex Digital Pro User’s Guide

Front, Back and

In this chapter we’ll discuss the physical elements of the interface: the
front panel, optional EFC-7 footpedal, and back panel.

T HE FRONT PANEL

The front panel of the Echoplex Digital Pro contains a Power Switch,
Knobs that set critical levels, two multicolored Level Indicator Lights

to monitor levels, a 6-character Display that shows timing and other
information, and a row of eight multi-function Buttons for setting
parameters and operating the unit. It also contains four Row Indicator
Lights, controlled by the Parameter button, that determine which set
of functions or parameters correspond to the buttons. Each button has a
multi-colored Status Indicator Light.

CHAPTER 2

Underfoot

Level Control Knobs

The four
between the input signal and the looped or delayed signal, and the
feedback level. The
levels, and you’ll find more information in the entries for Input Knob,
Output Knob, Mix Knob, and Feedback Knob in the Reference
chapter.

Level Control Knobs

Quick Start

control the input and output levels, the mix

in Chapter 1 describes how to set these

Front, Back and Underfoot 2-1

Level Indicator Lights

These multicolored lights monitor audio levels. The Input Indicator
monitors the levels that are received at the audio input jack on the back
panel, while the Feedbk Indicator monitors the volume of the
material that is recorded in the current loop.

When one of these lights is dark, it is measuring very little (or no) signal.
When it is green, the signal is healthy. Orange indicators are fine too,
with the signal at a good level. The orange color indicates that caution
should be displayed, however, because the levels are approaching the
red zone. Levels that cause the indicator lights to glow red will cause
distortion.

You can’t do much about controlling the level already in the loop, except
to lower the feedback, to Undo recent actions, or to reset the loop.
However, you can and should control the input level as follows:

KEY POINT: Set the Input Knob so that the loudest signals make the Input

Indicator Light turn orange. It should never turn red.

Display

The Echoplex display conveys some critical information in a compact
manner. It takes on different roles according to the context.

STARTUP DISPLAY

When you first power on the Echoplex, it will show the amount of time
available in the current loop. If
available, reflecting the amount of memory installed in the unit. The
Multiple display on the right will show how many loops are currently
setup with the

The following illustration shows the display immediately after bootup.

2-2 Echoplex Digital Pro Plus User’s Manual

MoreLoops

MoreLoops=1,

parameter.

it will show the total time

FIGURE 2.2

The startup display shows

the time available and

number of loops setup.

PLAY MODE DISPLAY

Number of the
current loop

Total LoopTime 

per Loop

•

LOOP

A typical display in Play Mode looks like this:

LOOPTIME

Current number of loops 
(set with

MULTIPLE

MoreLoops

)

Number of the
current loop

•

LOOP

Flashes to indicate
AutoUndo

FIGURE 2.3:

Time display

Current Cycle 

(from Multiply or Insert)

Loops

•••

LOOPTIME

Indicates Sync 
Correction

The PlayMode display provides important information about current status and activity

When you are in a Record, Multiply, or Insert operation, the LoopTime
Display will keep track of how much time you’ve recorded so far. You

will see it counting the time as the operation progresses. Once
something has been recorded into a loop, the time display will show the

MULTIPLE

Flashes to indicate
Global MIDI StartPoint

Flashes to indicate
Loop StartPoint



MIDI

Switches

Timing

Flashes to indicate
Cycle StartPoint

Flashes to indicate
Sub-Cycle (8th note)

Front, Back and Underfoot 2-3

length of the current loop. And, once you’ve reset a loop, the time
display will be blank until you record some material in the loop.

During Play Mode, the MIDI LED, Switches LED, Timing LED, and the
right dot of the Multiple Display flash to indicate the Tempo and

StartPoints of your loop. These are indicated in the figure above. See

Visual Tempo Guide

discussion of these LEDs and for how to reposition the loop beginning.

The left dot of the Multiple Display flashes during Sync operations
when

Sync

is on and an external clock is present. See the discussion of

Sync

in the Reference chapter for more information.

The Loop Display dot indicates AutoUndo, explained in the Undo
section of the Reference chapter.

The LoopTime Display is also used briefly to show other information
when appropriate. For example, it displays the value as you change
Feedback, it displays various command names that don’t have their own
LED when you execute those commands, and it shows the expected
LoopTime when an incoming MIDI clock is present for synchronization.
This feature allows you clearly see what is going on with the Echoplex as
you use it. See the LoopTime Display section in the Reference chapter
for more specific details.

and

StartPoint

in the Reference chapter for a deeper

Buttons and Row Indicator Lights

PLAY MODE AND THE ROW INDICATOR LIGHTS

The row of 8 buttons on the right side of the Echoplex Digital Pro Plus
control most operations. The leftmost button, labeled Parameters
alters the meaning of the other buttons. When none of the

Lights

to the left of the

functions, arranged in a 4x8 grid under the buttons) are lit, then all
buttons perform their primary functions: Record, Overdub,
Multiply, etc. This state is what we call Play Mode, and is probably
where you’ll spend the most time while performing. Pressing the
Parameter button several times selects each row in turn, lighting the
corresponding indicator light.

When a row indicator light is lit, then the buttons (other than
Parameters) take on the meanings written in that row of the grid. For

2-4 Echoplex Digital Pro Plus User’s Manual

Parameter Matrix

(the printed names of all the

Row Indicator

instance, when the Loops light is on, the Record button no longer
performs the Record function; instead, it finds a convenient phone
booth and changes into the MoreLoops button, able to increase the
number of loops with a single push. When we refer to this in the text,
we’ll utilize both button names; for example, "Press the Record

(MoreLoops) button."

THE PERSISTENCE OF MEMORY

All changes to parameters are active as soon as you make them, and
they’re stored into permanent memory when you choose a different
parameter or press the Parameter button.

KEY POINT: If you shut off the Echoplex Digital Pro and restart it, all your saved

parameters will remain the same (although you will lose any music that
you have in your loops).

You can reset all parameters to their factory defaults by holding down
the Parameters button when you power up.

Status Indicator Lights

As you take the Echoplex through its paces, you’ll discover that the lights
directly under the front-panel buttons change. Here are the meanings of
these lights:

Unlit: The function is unavailable.

Green: The button is ready to perform its usual function.

Red: The button was the last pressed and its function is operating. The

button is the most likely candidate to end the function that it started.
While editing parameters, Red indicates the current parameter column
being edited.

Orange: The button is available, but will perform a function other
than its usual one—one that is especially appropriate to the current
activity or state of the Echoplex.

Front, Back and Underfoot 2-5

T HE

EFC-7

FOOTPEDAL

The buttons on the optional EFC-7 footpedal perform exactly the same
function as the buttons on the Echoplex Digital Pro’s front panel.
Anytime that this manual refers to “the Record button,” either the
front-panel button or the footswitch can be used.

The only button missing on the footcontroller is the Parameters
button, which takes you out of Play mode and lets you edit parameters.
We felt that it would be inappropriate to put this button on the
footcontroller, as it might take you to an unexpected place if pressed
accidentally during a performance.

T HE BACK PANEL

CAUTION

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

ATTENTION

RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE

NE PAS OUVRIR

WARNING - ATTENTION

THIS APPARATUS MUST BE EARTHED.

FOR CONTINUED PROTECTION
AGAINST RISK OF FIRE REPLACE ONLY
WITH SAME TYPE AND RATING OF FUSE

UTILISER UN FUSIBLE DE RECHANGE DE

MEME TYPE ET CALIBRE

WARNING

TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR

ELECTRICAL SHOCK DO NOT EXPOSE

THIS EQUIPMENT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE

Made in the UK

Mains Input 100-240 V.A.C.

50-60 Hz. 130mA @ 115V

FIGURE 2.4

SERIAL No:-

Voltage
Selector

: The Echoplex Digital Pro back panel

The back panel contains all the jacks for connecting the Echoplex
Digital Pro to the rest of the world.

Audio Connections

The Echoplex Digital Pro can accept a wide range of audio signals as
input, and it outputs a line-level signal that can be attenuated by the

2-6 Echoplex Digital Pro Plus User’s Manual

Sync

Brother Beat In Out Thru FootPedal Overdub Feedback Output

MIDI

Foot Switches

Audio

Input

Output knob (or MIDI Control Change messages). This makes it fit
easily into a number of audio configurations, such as:

■ Plug a guitar, keyboard, or microphone directly into the Echoplex and

plug the output into any amplifier or preamplifier. The Echoplex has a
high impedance input that works well with passive devices like electric
guitar or bass.

■ Put the Echoplex in the effects loop of your favorite amplifier or effects

device. Be careful about using distortion in the amp after the Echoplex.
When you build up a loop it will often sound muddy with distortion
after it, which you may or may not want.

■ Plug the final output of your favorite effects device directly into the

Echoplex and plug the Echoplex output into any amplifier or
preamplifier.

■ Connect the Echoplex to the Effects (Aux) Send and Return of your

mixer.

■ Connect a pair of Echoplexes to loop stereo signals. Refer to the "Stereo"

section later in this chapter.

MIDI Connections

The standard MIDI In, Out and Thru ports are described in detail under
the

MIDI Ports

functions are available to you. These are summarized at the start of
Chapter 3.

heading in the Reference chapter. A wide range of MIDI

Footswitch Jacks

FEEDBACK

1/4" jack that connects to the output of a passive volume pedal (one
that doesn’t require power) with a standard guitar cord. This connector
doesn’t work with all pedals, but it will work with many, including the
popular Boss FV-50L. Call Gibson if you are in doubt about whether a
particular pedal will work (or test it, if it’s convenient).

Front, Back and Underfoot 2-7

OVERDUB

A 1/4" mono phone jack for attaching a momentary switch. This is
useful if you don’t own the EFC-7 footpedal or if you prefer to use a
different style of footswitch (one with a different feel, like a sustain
pedal modeled after a piano pedal). This would be especially
appropriate for if you like to play with

FOOTPEDAL

A 1/4" mono phone jack that connects to the optional EFC-7 footpedal
with a standard guitar cord. This jack also accepts a momentary switch
to execute the Record function.

If you are electrically and mechanically skilled, building your own pedal
is fairly easy. Contact customer support if you would like instructions on
how to do this.

Sync Jacks

OverdubMode=SUS.

These jacks are used to synchronize to external sync pulses or to
synchronize multiple Echoplexes. The BeatSync jack takes 1/4 mono
cord, while Brother Sync uses a 1/4" stereo cable. See the Reference
chapter entries for

BeatSync

and

Voltage Selector Switch

The Echoplex Digital Pro Plus can operate on US-style 115V power,
Japanese-style 100V power, and on European-style 230V power. All that’s
required is that the Voltage Selector Switch be set properly and the
proper power cord be attached to the Power Input Jack.

Power Input Jack

Use a power cord to connect this to a wall socket after checking that the
Voltage Selector Switch is set properly.

BrotherSync

for more information.

2-8 Echoplex Digital Pro Plus User’s Manual