I purchased this amazing German-built machine around 1970, from the keyboard player of a popular local Toronto band who were disbanding (pardon the pun). The keyboard player used this unit exclusively for his instrument, and the band owned a second Echocord, used exclusively for their PA system.
This machine creates echo and reverb effects by recording the input signal with two separate record heads on to a loop of regular 1/4″ recording tape, then playing back the signal through a set of three separate playback heads. All of these heads are switched in and out through the various front panel push-buttons to create almost unlimited echo and reverb effects. To further add to the flexibility, the motor will run at two different speeds for adjusting the timing between echos.
There are five signal inputs, four with their own front panel mixer volume and tone controls. Two of these are equalized for microphone vocal use and the others are more wide-range for instrument use (keyboard, guitar, etc.)
I used and maintained this machine in my own bands throughout the 1970’s to the late 1980’s when it was finally put out to pasture, and has been stored until 2015, when I re-serviced it and sold it. Servicing only required spray cleaning of all contacts and controls, cleaning and lubrication of motor and moving wheels, cleaning of tape heads, and installing a fresh tape loop. Tubes were still good, and not noisy.
This machine was the subject of an extensive report I wrote in 4th year Waterloo University, where I brought this unit into the university lab and performed frequency response tests through the various rear panel inputs. From the tests, I manually created various response curves.
