New Echo Found on the well known auction site

[asimmd]

Hi All

As mentioned ina previous thread,I found this echo on the well known auction site and as I have never seen it before,I wondered if anyone had any experience of it.

I have watched a demo but while the echo is very nice,I am not sure it would be suitable for Shads stuff.

Thanks to bill3 for the correct link.

www.bluecoconutunity.com/

Here is the link for the demo

www.youtube.com/watch?v=swWd4P8kkUc

Alan

[Charlie Hall]

It doesn't have a very warm echo sound even with the tone switch, I also think the tape signal has too much low end. The demo was very poor as the demonstrator hasdn't a clue about the correct echoes for the tunes.
Regards,
Charlie

[asimmd]

Thanks Charlie

I agree about the choice of echoes,very poor demo.

Charlie,just what is the problem in building an affordable echo.

I understand the guys who make these things want to get their investment back but,there must be a way to make something that is reasonably priced and does the job.

Alan

[twang46]

Interesting demo for me.

The choice of 2 very familiar tunes (we don't all play shads stuff) was in my opinion ok as the demo was intended to show all viewers the range of effects available, not to show only the "correct" echo's for the particular tunes played.

The price of these new units (tvs etc...) is not that high in real terms (if you agree that an average wage is circa....£500 pw). I remember the Copicat being the only "affordable" echo when I was playing in the early 60's & that was marketed for vocals as well as guitarists but was a few weeks wages at the time for me !!

It has to be down to sales volumes as guitars are very cheap now compared to early 60's prices.

Has anybody bought/used one of these echo's as the reviews on the web site are a bit "bland" & it would be very interesting to see if the coconut echo really can deliver a vintage shads sound.

Dick

[rogercook]

Hi All

It's solid state rather than valve

Roger

[bill]

Hi all,
By an amazing coincidence I actually heard one of these on Sunday! At least I assume that is what it was, it looked very like that. I didn't know what it was and the guy using it said it was his new echo unit i.e. he hasn't had it long and is still experimenting with it.

He doesn't play Shadows tunes.

Is the only question whether this unit is suitable for Shadows tunes? I can at least ask any questions you all have although I have my doubts whether I can get the appropriate answers (it really needs a hands on appraisal I think).

[Deleted]

HI ALL ,, I have seen this unit before [net-only] I feel as it has the heads required ,the demo only used 1 ,It should be ok & if it has individual repeat & not only global!!!

THERE is another one around as well but I cannot remember the name !!!???also 6x play heads!!
CHEERS ALL must get back to my own acetone refurbishing HA.HAAR...............barry..

[pacman]

Hi all Talking about tape echo units check out ESE Music of Kent they make an echomatic IV a very nice unit but expensive Pacman

[rjdupe]

Hi all,
Just a quickie. I don't know whether it was the demo but the unit sounded very poor. The sound was not clear and the echo very woolly. As Charlie says it could be that the person doing the demo did not set it up in a very convincing way. I also think it is quite expensive for the sound that was demonstrated. Theoretically I feel the unit should be capable of producing a better sound. The only way to find out would be for someone with experience to go and try one out.

All the best,

Robert

[Charlie Hall]

Hi Alan,
I don't think a tape echo can be made cheaply and still perform well. I am not even sure that the expensive ones all do very well, as evidenced by the demo here.
Regards,
Charlie

[rockinscott]

I think that people have been spoiled by your programs Charlie. When you have a q2, ms etc etc you have all the various echo units in one box so when people look at a tape echo instead of a digital one they expect to have the same range of echoes and to have the echoes as exact (timings) as the digital units. Which was distracting for me when i first got my ESE lol. Its not 100% for every unit that Hank ever used but its closer enough for a 4 head unit and im not that fussed anyway

Scott

[Charlie Hall]

Hi Scott,
Even with tape units, I have heard some models that sound great, and some that just don't inspire me at all. The recordings I have heard with you using ESE definitely proves the ESE 4 head model is one of the better ones.
Regards,
Charlie

[rockinscott]

Thank you very much. I totally agree with you and this does nothing for me. It looks a well made machine, thats the problem sometimes i guess, same of faults (by todays standards) with the older units is what makes them musically pleasing.

Scott

[didier]

As far as I know, this model was developed by those who worked on the latest tape Copicat for Watkins.
Don't expect a Meazzi sound emulation with this unit...

Didier

[twang46]

I think you have hit the nail right on the head there Scott, it is the design & construction "faults" of the old echo's that make them so pleasing to the ear.

Charlie's work with the digital echo machines & Piet's with the software emulators has really spoilt us for choice. At the push of a button I can call up "Meazzi", "Binson", "Long Tom" etc.. to give a very accurate & pleasing sound that is an almost impossible act to follow for the new machines.

So, why do the old machines sound so good ? valves that are wearing out as they are used, resistors/caps etc.. that "drift" over time, capstans & rollers that wear out of true & a tape that is "shedding" particles as it runs ?

Drifting slightly "off topic" here perhaps ?

Dick.

[Tone]

Hi

Howard of Oasis has one of these BlueCoconut units and, in fact, he was using it to demo the new 50th Anniversary Strat to customers. It is for sale.

His opinion is that it's a very good unit and suitable for Shads stuff. It's pretty pricey though at around £1500.

In reply to Pacman, the ESE Echomatic IV has been, or is about to be discontinued because of the difficulty in obtaining some of the parts but I think the Echomatic VI may still be available. I believe that a new model is being developed but I don't know anything about price or when it will be available.

Cheers.

Tony

[BradC]

Found in one of the reviews on their site ...

Sending a signal through the unit with Echo Level turned right down, we couldn’t hear any difference whether the Echo Verb was bypassed or not – so it doesn’t corrupt the source sound, unlike most tape echoes we have used before.

I thought that was the whole point of the valve tape echo units. It's the modification of the sound that makes it so good.

[Deleted]

HI ALL ,,,,,,,,,,,,with tape-drum etc unit's the options are not as great as say the EFPT ,TVS, etc programed units & is an acquired taste-sound etc & may vary to some degree each-time it's used [tape ware -head's dirty etc], I only play at home and like to fool-around with tape-echo, ''BUT'' If I was in a band etc etc I would only use the very-reliable -programed unit's as say my Q2-79-09 it has a sound thats hard to better!!!!& or other like unit's tvs-M/stomp,zoom etc etc talking ''zoom'' charlie gets a great sound from that G2 from the sound-files posted recently ''GREAT-STUFF-CHARLIE'' ..
And as charlie has said most of the posting's by most-memers[sound-files] sound ''SPOT-ON'' ,so how much better can it be???

CHEERS ALL barry..

[Deleted]

Better to get an RFX or Alesis with EFTP and a real coconut from the greengrocers. A far more pleasing result I think, soundwise and walletwise ;D

Jimbo