latest reasonable price echo unit with stored patches

[Rick50]

Suggestions please for the best option these days, reliable and hopefully in current production, without costing the earth?

[Gruntfuttock]

The Zoom G3 and G5 must be one of the best units for value for money. I have the old Zoom 508. The Magicstomp and the more recent Zoom G5 all with Charlie's EFTP and I'm very pleased with the G5
Regards Gruntfuttock

[dave robinson]

I highly recommend the Zoom G3X or Zoom G3 if you don't want the pedal. The G3X cost me £130 from SoundsLive including delivery. I've done some decent patches for Shadows & related that you can have free if you want to go that way. My Shadows patches are based on my ESE Echomatic and Etap2hw
The Zoom G5 is the same thing but bigger with more options, but having tried both I settled for the G3X. It's your choice. The G3X has a pedal and the G3 doesn't.

[Didier]

Suggestions please for the best option these days, reliable and hopefully in current production, without costing the earth?

If you don't want to bother with patches installation (Zoom G3 or G5) or electronic kit assembling (eTap2-HW), there is the tape echo emulator by Stanley-FX, it's an already built eTap2-HW for £129.99 : http://www.stanleyfx.co.uk/pedals5.html

Didier

[keithmantle]

Hi Dave,I reckon Charlie must be ecstatic after your review of the new Hall & Collins new machine , but still haven't heard a definite price / delivery date. The prototype i tried (3 yrs ago ?) was good but it would need someone with better ears than mine to give a fair judgement. Congrats to Charlie if it does the Biz !!.

[ecca]

I'm surprised you haven't contacted me Keith about converting yours to automation........

[dave robinson]

I recommended the Zoom because the request was for a low cost unit with STORED PATCHES and as good as the Etap pedal from StanleyFX is, that isn't it as patches can't be stored and for some it can be fiddly. A programmable Etap2hw would be terrific, but I don't know the cost.

As for the Hall & Collins, it will cost almost five times that of the Zoom (£600) so I wouldn't say it was low cost.
That said, after hearing Charlie play some stuff at my request, I do hear something that I like a lot and if I were to try one with my backing or band and could hear that magic through the mix, I wouldn't hesitate to buy. It's obvious that Charlie is going to nail this first time because he doesn't want to be making adjustments afterwards, hence the time it's taken to develop.
But, this is a big but - unless the player puts in the input whilst playing the tunes and learns to set up his sound on guitar and amplifier, there will still be those who question whether the sound is right - or not. It is so easy to get it wrong by not listening and understanding the gear, we've all done it but some of us have learned. Charlie was using a home made Strat and a Fender amp and the tone and sound was exquisite ! I need a lay down thinking about it.

[Stratgirl]

Charlie is hoping to have the first of the new echo units ready before Christmas the price looks like it will be £595.00 which compare to other professional units is a good buy. I certainly will be going for this as it will give me exactly what I need in an echo unit. I love my 15 year old Amtech Age Pro and do not change gear for the sake of it but this will give me so much more control on stage and in my practice room at home. I can't wait to get it and try it out in a live show. Zoe.

[Rick50]

Thanks to all of you for your answers, it looks like one of the Zooms will do the trick.

[Uncle Fiesta]

I'm still using my Line 6 DM4 Delay Modeler (note the US speling!), which I've had for over 10 years. It has 3 memory settings, which I use for Apache, Wonderful Land and Atlantis.

Can model many other types of echo such as slapback, analog, ping-pong, reverse, Roland Space Echo, Electro-Harmonix Memory Man, etc.

Also has a Loop Recorder function (think that's what it's called!) which is fun.