the MYSTERY BRAIN ECHO 301™ a vintage Japanese preamp & digi tape echo.

(shipping November 10 for the satin black)

Features:

An Re-301 input preamp (based on vintage roland opamp based re301 ) 100% analog vintage tone, texture and dynamic replication of the 70's Japanese RE-301 Space echo PREAMP w an abby solo boost mode.                                                                                        Gain control of preamp w a passive Bass cut control in series, that lets you dial BACK the lows to work with your amp or amp IR pedal. ie. it tightens the lows as the natural EQ of the RE301 is full spectrum preamp boost. your speaker will thank you. If you pull the bass cut all the way back before 11 oclock, it starts really leaning out the lows for a more modern boost.

Tape Echo uses a low res digi chip & saturation circuit for its silky smeared repeats but the rest of its circuit is analog including its seperate opamp preamp section, and boost section of photocell modulation. The design goal is to provide a solid state pedal version w the organic feel and chorus'ee dimension of a 1979 era space echo's tape delay section w a fresh tape.                                                                                                   

Wet/dry Mix: keeps the dry signal 100% analog, and you decide how much is fed to the delay signal.                                                                                                                       

Repeats: 1 slap to infinite feedback naturally.                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Delay time:  Rates from about 15ms - 600ms tape delay times. Bathtub funk, honky tonk to vintage Sun Studio era Gallup and Scotty tape slap, to 70's/80's vintage DMM'ish Edge vibe and Space Rock.

Analog Vibrato/chorus: there is a defeatable (toggle) analog photocell modulation circuit that affects the wet signal of the echo repeats and interacts with the emulators Mix, Repeat, and Time functions. This allows subtle shimmer, dimensional chorus all the way to fast trem pulse and off kilter vibrato at slower deeper rates using                              Speed and Depth controls. note: chorus/vibr. feature is attached only to wet slap signal

Abby Mode on the Atomic Brain section, really takes on an almost light overdrive boost when the Tape echo emulator is engaged and the Bass Cut is all the way to the right at 5 oclock. Not a volume boost, but rather it switches input gain sensitivity

dB cut/clean switch (inside back panel) if you want less saturated attack going into the front of the delay circuit(inside box*). This lo res digi tape emulator has been tweaked to let the brawn and mids attack of the Brain preamp hit it hard and saturate to the point of slightly overdriving the slapback and giving more smear to the response. Slight but its there so sweetly, an unusual quality not found in most basic digital delay pedals.                On/Off stomp switch is 100% truebypass. As previously mentioned, your analog dry signal stays Analog. This matters.

powered by a 9v power supply(not incl) that only used 85mA max.

pedal dimensions (5 5/8" x 4 5/8" x 1 9/16")

1 yr warranty on all parts and labor, shipping not included. All sales are final.

*notes about trim pot functions inside the pedal:

inside the pedal is a micro sized metal trim pot that controls the boost/cut of the secondary echoplex preamp that sits after the Space echo preamp/atomic brain. This input preamp is at the front of the echo circuit and I have it set a hair above neutral. so if the Brain preamp is on then you will hear a slight raise in output when it hits the front of the echo circuit. Then.. the vibrato circuit ALSO has its own preamp but that is only experienced on the echo slap back. If you turn up the preamp trimmer on the echo circuit, your repeats get dirty and noisier. Turn it back the other way and its level decreases a bit and cleans ups. NOTE: it unlike the big blue trimpot inside, isnt meant to be continually turned and if over turned, will snap off. Reading glasses and an eyeglass,jewelers screwdriver works a charm... like I mentioned the blue trimpot is more sturdy and it controls the wet.dry boost of the vibrato circuit. I have it all set up so that when the atomic preamp is on, it pushes on the front of the echo circuit and causes a tiny bit of saturation to the echo chip creating a more realistic vintage tape vibe. Putting on the vibrato switch, even if set to a subtle warble then enable one more gain stage completing the emulation of an old tape machine. Now.. one could go, hey I thought this was a pure re-301 tape echo emulation box. It is, but I've given it more option and versatility .

 Note :  We've added a TRS fx insert jack that is a send/return effects loop that allows you to place your favorite pedals BETWEEN the Mystery Brain's Preamp circuit and the Echo circuit.   btw.. An affordable and quality patch cable for this feature is the:

EBS Right-angle 1/4" TRS to Dual Right-angle 1/4" TS

higher quality, heavy duty patch cable for this feature is the:

a quality right angled version of the TRS stereo to dual 1/4" cable here at Sweetwater.com

This will let you keep the Mystery Brain at the end of the pedal board but allow you insert any or all of your other pedals between the MB's atomic brain preamp and the echo circuit.. yes its brilliant. 

hear the Mystery Brain via 60 Cycle Hum reviewing Rival Guitars, click below>

https://youtu.be/tjPiHkJt9xk?t=3m7s

link to video manual on youtube:

internal settings on the Mystery Brain revealed:

https://www.facebook.com/thenocturnebrain/videos/1162704230604576/

thanks TeleTalks for this review!!

 a good word:

 "I have both and originally bought the mystery brain as a backup for the re 301. As I’ve really learn to use the mystery brain I almost never use the re 301 anymore. Tonally they are about as close to identical as can be once I dialed it in. The echo has some differences but one thing about the re 301 is that my echo changes depending on what brand of tape I use. Overall I couldn’t be happier with the mystery brain, in fact I have debated selling my re 301 but I still use it in the studio for other applications aside from guitar." - Michael Mitropoulos