The Binson Echorec Delay is a Binson delay pedal. Close alternatives include the Mad Professor Deep Blue Delay and the Strymon Volante. It pairs well with the Peavey MiniMAX and the Vox AC30 Guitar Combo Amp.

Binson Echorec Delay

Binson · pedal

The Binson Echorec is a legendary Italian magnetic drum echo unit produced by Binson from the late 1950s through the 1970s. Unlike tape echo units, the Echorec uses a rotating magnetic drum with multiple playback heads to produce echo, reverb-like wash, and complex rhythm patterns. A rotary rhythm selector chooses from multiple echo patterns by combining different playback heads. Input level control shapes the saturation character of the drum recording. Used extensively by Pink Floyd (Syd Barrett, David Gilmour), The Edge (U2), and many other artists of the 1960s and 1970s. Original units are highly sought after on the vintage market. Reproduced by Dawner Prince Electronics as the Boonar.

What stands out

  • “Tone: warm magnetic drum echo with natural high-frequency roll-off on each repeat, subtle saturation from the drum recording level, and multi-head rhythm patterns from single echo through complex polyrhythmic cascades and hall-like wash”

    — from the community notes

  • “Second strength: the reverb-like wash from multiple simultaneous playback heads produces spatial ambiance”

    — from the reviews

  • “Strengths: magnetic drum echo with multi-head rhythm pattern selection; natural harmonic saturation on repeats; historically verified Pink Floyd and U2 use”

    — from the reviews

  • “Original units are highly sought after on the vintage market”

    — from the listing

  • “and complex rhythm patterns”

    — from the listing

Trade-offs

  • “Standout strength: the rotating magnetic drum with multiple selectable playback head combinations produces rhythm echo patterns and reverb-like wash impossible to replicate with tape or digital echo”

    — from the community notes

  • “The magnetic drum mechanism produces echo character fundamentally different from tape or spring reverb: the drum natural saturation and high-frequency roll-off per repeat is unique”

    — from the reviews

  • echo
  • saturation
  • reverb
  • rhythm
  • recording
  • frequency
  • complex
  • spatial wash sound

Good for

  • Studio

Genres the Binson Echorec Delay is commonly used in

  • Electronic
  • Rock
  • Alternative Rock
  • Experimental
  • Lo Fi
    citedInferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
  • Ambient
    citedInferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.

Amps that pair well with the Binson Echorec Delay

Peavey MiniMAX

Peavey

29% match

Peavey MiniMAX leans toward tight, and that's a real, usable character to pair with

Comes earlier in the signal chain

Vox AC30 Guitar Combo Amp

Vox

28% match
$799via Reverb

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (dark → bright)

Vox AC30 Guitar Combo Amp's own bright character is the real reason this is worth trying

Comes earlier in the signal chain

Hiwatt Custom DR20H

Hiwatt

19% match

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.

Keep Binson Echorec Delay in Hiwatt Custom DR20H's effects loop, clear of Hiwatt Custom DR20H's own gain stage

Comes earlier in the signal chain

Matchless DC-30

Matchless

17% match
$4756via Reverb

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.

Keep Binson Echorec Delay in Matchless DC-30's effects loop, clear of Matchless DC-30's own gain stage

Comes earlier in the signal chain

Vox AC15CH Custom 15W Head

Vox

16% match

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.

Run Binson Echorec Delay in Vox AC15CH Custom 15W Head's effects loop, clear of Vox AC15CH Custom 15W Head's own gain stage

Comes earlier in the signal chain

Hiwatt DR103H

Hiwatt

15% match
$4900via Reverb

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.

Run Binson Echorec Delay in Hiwatt DR103H's effects loop, clear of Hiwatt DR103H's own gain stage

Comes earlier in the signal chain

PRS HX 100 Head

PRS

13% match
$2999via Reverb

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.

Run Binson Echorec Delay in PRS HX 100 Head's effects loop, clear of PRS HX 100 Head's own gain stage

Comes earlier in the signal chain

Traynor YCV40 Custom Valve Combo

Traynor

13% match
$285via Reverb

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.

Keep Binson Echorec Delay in Traynor YCV40 Custom Valve Combo's effects loop, clear of Traynor YCV40 Custom Valve Combo's own gain stage

Comes earlier in the signal chain

See all 96 amps that pair with the Binson Echorec Delay →

Pedals that stack with the Binson Echorec Delay

Colorsound Power Boost

Colorsound

27% match

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (dark → bright)

What Colorsound Power Boost brings here leans toward bright — that's worth building a pairing around

Comes earlier in the signal chain

RHC Rat Turbo Rat Distortion

Rhc Audio

27% match

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (dark → bright)

RHC Rat Turbo Rat Distortion's own aggressive character is the real reason this is worth trying

Comes earlier in the signal chain

Walrus Audio Lillian

Walrus Audio

18% match
$219.39via Reverb

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.

Run Walrus Audio Lillian after Binson Echorec Delay in the signal chain, where it won't crowd Binson Echorec Delay

Comes earlier in the signal chain

IdiotBox Effects End of Line

Idiotbox Effects

18% match
$49via Reverb

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.

Run IdiotBox Effects End of Line after Binson Echorec Delay in the signal chain, where it won't crowd Binson Echorec Delay

Comes earlier in the signal chain

Empress ParaEQ Bass Parametric EQ

Empress

16% match

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.

Shape the low end with the ParaEQ first, then let the Echorec's saturated echoes trail off without muddying the bass frequencies.

Comes earlier in the signal chain

JHS Colour Box V2

JHS Pedals

13% match

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.

Run Binson Echorec Delay after JHS Colour Box V2 in the signal chain, clear of JHS Colour Box V2's own gain stage

Comes earlier in the signal chain

Barber Linden EQ

Barber

13% match
$159.95via Reverb

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.

Run Binson Echorec Delay after Barber Linden EQ in the signal chain, where it won't crowd Barber Linden EQ

Comes earlier in the signal chain

Chaos Custom Shop Sub Sonic Filter

Chaos Custom Shop

13% match
$52.77via Reverb

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.

Run Binson Echorec Delay after Chaos Custom Shop Sub Sonic Filter in the signal chain, where it won't crowd Chaos Custom Shop Sub Sonic Filter

Comes earlier in the signal chain

See all 57 pedals that pair with the Binson Echorec Delay →

Alternativessee all similar tone character →

Mad Professor Deep Blue Delay

Mad Professor

56% similarity
$174.92via Reverb

Shared character: repeats, digital, subtle

Strymon Volante

Strymon

56% similarity
$399via Reverb

Shared character: reverb, warm

Boss RE-202 Space Echo

Boss

55% similarity
$238.39via Reverb

Shared character: repeats, reverb, digital

Keeley Halo

Keeley

52% similarity

Shared character: reverb, digital

MXR Analog Delay

MXR

52% similarity

Shared character: repeats, dark, digital

Catalinbread Echorec

Catalinbread

51% similarity

Shared character: repeats, dark, digital

Dunlop Echoplex Delay EP103

Dunlop

51% similarity

Shared character: repeats, dark, digital

Alexander Pedals History Lesson Vol. 2

Alexander Pedals

51% similarity
$100via Reverb

Shared character: digital, warm

Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man

Electro-Harmonix

49% similarity
$171.98via Reverb

Shared character: natural, warm

Strymon El Capistan dTape Echo

pedal

48% similarity

Shared character: repeats, reverb, digital

Keeley Magnetic Echo

Keeley

48% similarity

Shared character: dark, subtle, warm

TC Electronic Echobrain Analog Delay Effetto Delay A

TC Electronic

47% similarity
$33.55via Reverb

Shared character: reverb, dark, subtle

See all alternatives to the Binson Echorec Delay (cheaper + boutique) →

Questions people ask

What are good alternatives to the Binson Echorec Delay?+

The closest matches in character are the Mad Professor Deep Blue Delay, the Strymon Volante, the Boss RE-202 Space Echo.

What pairs well with the Binson Echorec Delay?+

Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Peavey MiniMAX, Vox AC30 Guitar Combo Amp, Hiwatt Custom DR20H — Peavey MiniMAX leans toward tight, and that's a real, usable character to pair with.

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