Manufacturer: Request For Music

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F-ECHOZ — User Guide

Overview

F-ECHOZ is a character delay with tempo-sync, stereo ping-pong, diffusion, tone shaping, tape/BBD/Digital styles, side-chain ducking, and several pitch-based modes. It’s designed to go from clean studio delays to gritty, animated, “ghostly” textures—fast.

Signal Flow (simplified)

Input  →  (delay taps) →  Wet tone (Bass/Treble) → Mix → Outputs
               │
               └── Feedback path:
                   HP → LP → Drive/Clip → Noise → Diffusion → (back into buffer)

Optional modifiers:
- Tempo sync (BPM or CLK input)
- Wow/Flutter/Jitter
- Pitch engine (only active in Pitch/Ghost/RevPitch/RichPitch modes)

Panel I/O

  • IN L / IN R — stereo input. If only L is connected, it’s treated as mono.
  • DUCK SC — side-chain input. When patched, the wet signal is automatically ducked by this source; the Duck % knob appears (enabled).
  • CLK — external clock (quarter-note). Rising edges set the tempo when SYNC is on.
  • OUT L / OUT R — stereo outputs.

Core Controls

Time

  • Sync (MS/SYNC) — toggles time base.
    • MS: use ms directly (1–2000 ms).
    • SYNC: tempo-sync to BPM or the CLK jack (if present), then choose a note value via Division (from 1/1 to 1/32 incl. dotted & triplet).
  • ms — delay time in milliseconds (enabled only when Sync=MS).
  • BPM — internal tempo (enabled only when Sync=SYNC and no external clock is present).
  • Division — musical subdivision of a quarter note (enabled in SYNC).
  • Mod ms — an extra offset applied to the delay time (adds motion or chorus-like width on small values).

Mix / Feedback / Dynamics

  • Mix — 0% = dry only, 100% = wet only.
  • FB — feedback amount (internally clamped to ~95% for stability).
  • Drive dB — pre-saturation gain feeding the selected style’s saturator (Tape/Diode/Clean).
  • Freeze — capture & loop the current delay state. No new input is written while frozen; the buffer keeps circulating through the feedback chain.
  • Duck % — wet-signal ducking depth (only enabled when DUCK SC is patched; otherwise inactive).

Stereo & Texture

  • PingPong — cross-feedback for true L↔R bouncing. With stereo sources, a mono “seed” is injected on one side so the ping-pong pattern is obvious.
  • StOff ms — extra R-channel delay offset for width (disabled when PingPong is ON).
  • Jitter — slow random wander of delay time (subtle wow-instability).
  • Noise — colored hiss injected in the feedback path. Amount and band are style/mode-dependent (tape = wider hiss, BBD/LoFi = darker/stronger, Digital/HiFi = very subtle).
  • Diff % — two-stage allpass diffusion before writing into the buffer; low values = crisp repeats, higher = smeared, reverb-ish tails.
  • Smear % — temporal blur: echoes dissolve into each other. At high values they overlap into a cloudy wash.

Filters & Tone

  • HP / LP — high-pass & low-pass inside the feedback path (shape the repeating echoes; great for removing mud or taming highs).
  • Bass dB / Trebl dB — musical shelves applied to the wet taps (not in the loop). Useful to tilt the overall wet tone without affecting feedback stability.

Modulation

  • Wow Hz / Wow ms — slow sine modulation of delay time.
  • Flut Hz / Flut ms — faster sine modulation.
  • Combine small Wow/Flut with Mod ms for tape-like movement.

Pitch (modes only)

  • Pitch st — active in Pitch, RevPitch, RichPitch (and internally in Ghost).
  • Live-updates while those modes are selected.

Modes (top button)

  • LoFi — narrow band, stronger clipping, darker hiss, noticeable diffusion. Crunchy repeats.
  • Tape — gentle low-cut/high roll-off, soft tape clip, mild tilt. Classic warm echoes.
  • Chrome Tape — similar to Tape but brighter & tighter band. Slightly cleaner.
  • Analog — tape-ish tone with a modest band and tilt; balanced vintage feel.
  • BBD — higher low-cut, tougher high roll-off, diode-like clip. Darker, “bucket-brigade” vibe.
  • DuckTape — tape-style voicing tuned to sit behind a vocal/instrument when ducked.
  • Ghost — tape voicing + pitch “octave-up” taps mixed with normal taps for haunting shimmer-style echoes.
  • Phaser DDL — digital voicing with tilt/diffusion for subtle comb-like movement; spacey mod delay.
  • Quartz — clean digital with a hint of air; minimal diffusion, tiny noise.
  • Digital — very clean, flat band, almost no noise.
  • HiFi — digital with slight tilt and extended highs; mix-ready clarity.
  • Clarity — flattest band, lowest diffusion, near-silent noise; as transparent as it gets.
  • Pitch — clean voicing + Pitch st shifting of repeats (forward grains).
  • RevPitch — BBD-ish voicing + pitched reverse grains for whooshy, swelling repeats.
  • RichPitch — detuned multi-voice (±7 cents) for thick, chorused repeats. Pitch st sets center pitch.
  • BBD Duck — BBD tone pre-tuned for heavy ducking contexts.

How to Hear Each Section Quickly

  • PingPong: set PingPong=ON, StOff ms is disabled; use mono input or mute one side. You should hear L→R→L bouncing clearly even with stereo sources.
  • Freeze: set Feedback 30–60%, hit notes, then toggle Freeze ON. New input stops feeding the buffer, but the current loop keeps circulating and decaying.
  • Noise: pick Tape or LoFi, Feedback ≥40%, turn Noise from 0→0.2. You’ll hear hiss building on repeats.
  • Jitter: set Wow/Flut small (Wow 0.2 Hz/2 ms, Flut 5 Hz/1 ms), then raise Jitter 0→0.8. Listen for slight time wobble and stereo width changes.
  • HP/LP: with Feedback ~50%, sweep HP upward to thin out the low-end build-up; lower LP to tame fizz.
  • Bass/Trebl: adjust overall wet tone without altering feedback loop stability.
  • Diff %: 0–10% = crisp; 20–40% = smeared; 50–60% = soft/reverb-like tails.
  • Ghost: instant shimmer-like octave layer blended with normal repeats.
  • RichPitch: lush modulation; set Pitch st ±3–7 for harmonies.

External Clock

Patch a steady clock to CLK. With SYNC enabled, the module learns the quarter-note period on rising edges. If clock is removed (or silent for >2 s), it falls back to the internal BPM knob.

Presets & State

  • All knobs/switches are saved by the host/preset system.
  • The mode dropdown is also restored correctly; pitch-based modes automatically re-enable their pitch engines on load.

Examples / Tips

  • Vintage Tape Glue: Mode=Tape, Wow 0.3 Hz / 3 ms, Jitter 0.2, Diff 25%, HP 120 Hz, LP 12 kHz. Smooth warming echoes.
  • Rhythmic Ping-Pong: Mode=Digital, SYNC 1/8 or 1/16, PingPong ON, Mix 35%, tiny Mod ms (2–3 ms). Perfect for arps/sequences.
  • Ambient Shimmer: Mode=Ghost, Feedback 50%, Diff 45%, LP 9–10 kHz, Noise low (0.1). Adds lush octave-up trails.
  • Thick Harmonies: Mode=RichPitch, Pitch st +5, Feedback 40%, Drive +3 dB, Diff 35%. Produces chorused harmonized repeats.
  • Dark BBD Texture: Mode=BBD, Feedback 60%, Noise 0.2, HP 180 Hz, LP 7 kHz, Diff 30%. Crunchy, vintage delay.

Example Settings per Style (Quick Start)

Tip: Start with Mix 50%, Feedback 35–45%, PingPong ON, Delay ≈ 380–420 ms (or Sync 1/4). Then fine-tune the rest.

LoFi (roughest)

  • Delay 420 ms (or 1/4), Feedback 40–55%
  • Drive +6 to +9 dB, Noise 35–50%
  • HP 250–300 Hz, LP 5–6 kHz
  • Bass +2 dB, Treble −2 to −3 dB
  • Wow 0.25 Hz / 5–7 ms, Flutter 7 Hz / 3–4 ms
  • Jitter 0.5–0.7, Diffusion 35–45%
  • Mod ms 4–7 ms
  • Why: Narrow band + audible modulation and noise → cassette / cheap BBD vibe.

Tape

  • Delay 380 ms, Feedback 40–50%
  • Drive +3 to +6 dB, Noise 15–25%
  • HP 120–160 Hz, LP 10–12 kHz
  • Bass +1 to +2 dB, Treble −1 to −2 dB
  • Wow 0.3 Hz / 3–5 ms, Flutter 6 Hz / 2–3 ms
  • Jitter 0.2–0.4, Diffusion 30–40%
  • Mod ms 2–4 ms
  • Why: Gentle tilt, soft clipping, subtle W&F → classic tape repeats.

Chrome Tape (bright tape)

  • LP 12–14 kHz, HP 100–140 Hz
  • Wow 0.25 Hz / 2–4 ms, Flutter 5–6 Hz / 2–3 ms
  • Treble −0 to −1 dB
  • Noise 10–20%, Diffusion 20–30%
  • Why: Slightly brighter “chrome” character.

Analog

  • HP 100 Hz, LP 9–11 kHz
  • Drive +2–4 dB, Noise 10–15%
  • Wow 0.25 Hz / 2–4 ms, Flutter 5–6 Hz / 2–3 ms
  • Jitter 0.2–0.3, Diffusion 25–35%
  • Why: Cleaner than Tape, still analog-like contours.

BBD (bucket-brigade)

  • HP 150–180 Hz, LP 6–8 kHz
  • Drive +4–7 dB, Noise 25–35%
  • Wow 0.2 Hz / 2–3 ms, Flutter 7–9 Hz / 2–3 ms
  • Jitter 0.3–0.5 (clock smear), Diffusion 25–35%
  • Why: Darker, gritty with audible modulation.

DuckTape

  • Duck Sidechain input from kick/vocal, Duck % 30–50%
  • Otherwise same as Tape, but Feedback can be pushed higher (50–65%)
  • Why: Echoes sink under the lead → headroom preserved.

Ghost

  • Pitch knob active, try +12 semitones
  • Diffusion 45–55%, LP 8–10 kHz, Noise 10–20%
  • Why: Shimmer-like octave layer, ethereal with PingPong ON.

Phaser DDL

  • HP 80–120 Hz, LP 14–16 kHz
  • Diffusion 30–45% (phasey smear)
  • Mod ms 2–4 ms, Wow 0.15–0.25 Hz
  • Why: Not a real phaser but diffusion + comb modulation gives that effect.

Quartz

  • HP 50–70 Hz, LP 18–19 kHz
  • Drive 0 to +2 dB, Noise 5–10%
  • Diffusion 5–10%, Wow 0.1–0.15 Hz
  • Why: Very clear, minimal movement.

Digital

  • HP 40–60 Hz, LP 17–19 kHz
  • Drive −2–+2 dB, Noise 0–10%
  • Diffusion 5–10%, Wow 0.1 Hz, Flutter 3 Hz
  • Why: Reference-clean; good for tight, tempo-synced delays.

HiFi

  • HP 40–60 Hz, LP 17 kHz
  • Drive 0–+2 dB, Noise 0–8%
  • Diffusion 15–20%, Wow 0.15–0.2 Hz
  • Why: Musical glue, still hi-fi.

Clarity

  • HP 20–40 Hz, LP 19–20 kHz
  • Drive −2–0 dB, Noise 0–5%
  • Diffusion 0–5%
  • Why: Maximum transparency, studio-grade digital feel.

Pitch

  • Pitch ±3–7 st, Diffusion 35–50%
  • HP 60–80 Hz, LP 14–16 kHz
  • Why: Pitch-shifter inside the delay line.

RevPitch

  • Pitch ±3–7 st, Delay 500–650 ms
  • LP 6–8 kHz, Diffusion 50–60%
  • Why: Reverse grains + pitch → dreamy tails.

RichPitch

  • Pitch 0 (mode adds subtle chorus internally)
  • Diffusion 50–60%, LP 14–16 kHz
  • Why: Layered pitch voices, wide stereo shimmer.

BBD Duck

  • Duck SC patch, Duck % 35–55%
  • HP 140–160 Hz, LP 7–9 kHz, Noise 20–30%
  • Why: Dark/compact with automatic space for the dry.

Stereo & Sync Tips

  • PingPong ON for call/response. With stereo input the ping-pong path forces a mono seed so it’s always audible.
  • Stereo Offset 6–12 ms (only when PingPong OFF) → width without phasing.
  • Sync: 1/8 and 1/4 are “safe”. For dotted/triplets use 1/8. and 1/8T.

Artist Presets

1. Slapback Rockabilly

  • Mode Digital
  • Delay 90–110 ms (no sync)
  • Feedback 15–20%
  • Mix 25–35%
  • Drive +3 dB, Noise off
  • Result: Classic Elvis / Sun slapback.

2. Ambient Pad Cloud

  • Mode RevPitch
  • Delay 600 ms (1/2 note)
  • Feedback 65–70%
  • Diffusion 55–65%
  • Pitch +7 st, Noise 10%
  • Result: Huge reversed shimmer, pad-like trails.

3. Dub Echo (classic reggae)

  • Mode BBD
  • Delay 420 ms (1/4 note)
  • Feedback 80–90% (careful!)
  • Drive +6 dB, Noise 30%
  • Wow 0.3 Hz / 4 ms, Flutter 7 Hz / 3 ms
  • Result: Self-oscillating, dirty dub echoes.

4. Vocal Throw (pop/EDM)

  • Mode DuckTape
  • Delay 500 ms (1/2 note)
  • Feedback 45–55%
  • Mix 40–50%
  • Duck SC from lead vocal, Duck % 40%
  • Result: Big vocal echoes that clear space under the dry vocal.