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Description

Rediscover the retro allure of the Binson Echorec 2, a truly iconic piece of studio recording gear. Originating from the renowned Italian manufacturer Binson, this effects processor stands out for its unique use of a magnetic disk for creating echo sounds, deviating from the conventional tape-driven systems. This groundbreaking feature helped the Echorec 2 carve its niche in the music industry during its production years from 1960 to 1979. Now considered a rare gem, the Binson Echorec 2 remains a highly sought-after piece of equipment, providing a distinctive touch to any studio setup.

Key Features:

  • Italian-made, vintage effects processor
  • Utilizes a unique magnetic disk for creating echo sounds
  • Produced between 1960 and 1979
  • Highly sought-after due to its rarity and distinctive sound features.

Product specs

Brand Binson
Model Echorec 2 T7E
Finish Gold
Year 1960s
Made In Italy
Categories Delay Pedals

FAQs

What is the maximum delay time of the Binson Echorec 2?

The Binson Echorec 2 offers a maximum delay time of approximately 300-310 milliseconds, providing a distinctive echo effect that is ideal for creating classic vintage soundscapes.

How does the Binson Echorec 2 create its unique echo effect?

The Binson Echorec 2 uses a rotating magnetic drum with four playback heads, allowing for multiple delay times and complex echo patterns that contribute to its renowned sound.

Is the Binson Echorec 2 suitable for live performances?

Yes, the Binson Echorec 2 is suitable for live performances. Its unique echo capabilities and vintage tone make it a favorite among musicians looking for a distinctive sound on stage.

What makes the Binson Echorec 2 popular among musicians?

The Binson Echorec 2 is popular due to its warm, analog echo effects and historical use by iconic artists like Pink Floyd, contributing to its legendary status in the music world.

Can the Binson Echorec 2 be used with modern digital setups?

While the Binson Echorec 2 is an analog device, it can be integrated into modern digital setups with the proper connections, providing a unique vintage echo effect alongside digital gear.

Soundgas

Soundgas

Binson Echorec 2 T7E - guitar demo

Video thumbnail for Binson Echorec 2 T7E - guitar demo by Soundgas

Binson Echorec 2 T7E - guitar demo

Soundgas

Soundgas

Video thumbnail for Binson Echorec 2 T7E 1970’s Drum Echo Machine [Tube Type] by HOWL GUITARS

Binson Echorec 2 T7E 1970’s Drum Echo Machine [Tube Type]

HOWL GUITARS

HOWL GUITARS

Video thumbnail for Binson Echorec 2 restored - One of these days by Fred Hervieu

Binson Echorec 2 restored - One of these days

Fred Hervieu

Fred Hervieu

Video thumbnail for Binson Echorec 2 T7E 1960’s Drum Echo Machine [Tube Type] by HOWL GUITARS

Binson Echorec 2 T7E 1960’s Drum Echo Machine [Tube Type]

HOWL GUITARS

HOWL GUITARS

Video thumbnail for 60's Binson Echorec 2° T7E on ebay by Marco Tiraboschi

60's Binson Echorec 2° T7E on ebay

Marco Tiraboschi

Marco Tiraboschi

Reviews

PROS

  • Unique pitch modulation and delay capabilities

  • Produces rich, swirling, lush sounds unmatched by digital emulations

  • Revered by iconic musicians for its distinctive sound

  • Offers a reverb-like quality on repeat and swell modes

  • Can inspire creativity and enhance musical expression

  • Fully restored units provide tonally-even repeats across all settings

  • Adds historical and aesthetic value to a studio or collection

  • Varispeed motor modification praised for expanding sound possibilities

CONS

  • Prone to issues like worn-out heads, wiring degradation, and motor bushings due to age

  • Amateurs’ modifications can ruin authenticity and resale value

  • Significant hiss can be a problem for some units

  • Potential safety hazards due to deteriorating internal wiring

  • High restoration costs and need for expert technicians

  • Expensive and hard to find in good condition

  • Clones and modern alternatives might offer more usability for some

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Binson Echorec 2 T7E.

Build quality

  • Modern Binson Echorecs use approximately 95% original parts, with modern upgrades reducing noise compared to the originals.

    Source

Features and functionality

  • The modern Echorec sounds like a hybrid of tape echo and digital delay, with clean, distinct repeats that don't wash out like tape.

    Source
  • The Boonar's modulation can be adjusted via internal trimmers, allowing for fine-tuning of the delay's character.

    Source

Comparisons

  • The Dawner Prince Boonar and Catalinbread Echorec are commonly compared alternatives, but owners note significant differences in sound compared to the original Binson.

    Source
  • The Boonar features a push-button drum selection, which users find more intuitive than the Catalinbread Echorec's knob without click stops, especially in low-light settings.

    Source
  • The Boonar's multi-drum settings offer noticeable modulation, unlike the cleaner, digital-like repeats of the Echorec at similar settings.

    Source

User experience

  • The unit can be prone to overdrive, producing crunchy repeats, influenced by gain staging and power supply.

    Source

Use cases and applications

  • Pairs well with fuzz and modulation effects like Univibe, offering unique soundscapes for creative experimentation.

    Source
  • The Echorec excels with Gilmourish tones, but some owners prefer using a different delay pedal for single drum head effects.

    Source
  • Both Echorec and Boonar are noted for shining when using different two-drum combinations, revealing their strengths in complex delay patterns.

    Source

Value and pricing

  • Limited production by Marcello, a former Binson employee, with fewer than 30 units made, enhancing rarity and collector value.

    Source
  • Users find the Boonar's price significantly higher than the Echorec, with some questioning if the tonal differences justify the cost increase.

    Source

5.0 out of 5

Based on 1 Review and 6 Ratings

5 star
4 star
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2 star
1 star
pepper_roberts

Love the Old Stuff

I know most People I Play with kid Me about a lot of the Equipment I use and or own.I've been playing Guitar 51 years now and I really love and appreciate all that old stuff We had to work with. I feel it made Me a better Guitarist 'cause I had to really WORK at finding new sounds and making them work within a song. Just so much more fun. Even today on My right channel, I use a '65 Twin Reverb and on the left is a '71 50 watt tube Bassman head running through 4 X 12 Celestion in the cabinet.I have a really sweet balance between the two Amps. ~Pepper~

Artist usage

Add artist
See how David Gilmour uses Binson Echorec 2 T7E

David Gilmour

Guitarist

Pink Floyd

...
Verified via Gilmourish

Used live from 1968 to 1977, as researched by Bjorn Riis of Gilmourish. One unit was sold on Reverb.com in 2017 via London Vintage Guitars, with the listing revealing that the unit was an OEM "Sound City Echomaster 2".

Gilmourish, "Binson Echorec"

David used the Binson 2 model from 1968 up to the Animals tour in 1977 after which he replaced it with MXR digital units. He later recalled, “I was tired of cleaning it and needed something more reliable”. Although he probably traveled with several backups, the constant touring and not least the outdoor gigs must have been hell for the delicate Binson.

After years of absence, David’s old Binson made a brief cameo on the 2003 BBC Dark Side of the Moon documentary and Richard Wright again used one with his Farfisa organ on David’s last tour in 2006.

A Binson 2 is also featured in David’s new recording studio, Medina, located in Hove outside Brighton. Both Pink Floyd’s Endless River and David Gilmour’s Rattle That Lock was recorded in the studio but it’s not documented if the Binson is featured on the albums.

(...) Between 1968-73 David had a very basic setup layed out on the floor that consisted of a Fuzz Face, a wah wah pedal, DeArmond volume pedal and an on/off foot-switch for the Binson. Later, the 1973-75 board and the 1976 Cornish board had built in on/off switches for the Binson that was connected through send/returns.

David would mainly use the repeat mode for a classic delay sound. The Binson 2 had a maximum time setting around 300-310ms, which was David’s main setting for most Floyd songs (he used the Echo/slap back setting on live versions of the intro on Time). The level and swell were both adjusted for different songs.

One of David’s trademarks in the early days was the sustained violin effect on the intro of Echoes and many other songs. On the beginning of Echoes on Pompeii you can see David using the slide, rubbing it back and forth on the high E string to create this sustained violin effect. This is achieved by drenching the tone with echo and adjusting the guitar volume for a mild ovedrive from the Fuzz Face. The effect is used on countless early Floyd songs from 1968-1971.

2017 Reverb.com listing

We are happy to offer the following original Binson Echorec which was used , owned by one of the worlds most respected of all artists , that is “Pink Floyd” , please see full details , specifications as follows

  • Binson / Sound City Echomaster 2
  • 1969 ( Circa)
  • Green Hammerite Casing
  • Pink Floyd Stock Plaque to side
  • Service Signature by Pete Cornish to side dated 1979
  • Remnants of original Input / Output Labels - Notes

Verification

The above unit comes with the following verification

Original Pink Floyd Stock Number Plaque to side

Email Verification from Pete Cornish that verifies his Signature / Label and confirms that he serviced , checked the unit for Pink Floyd in 1979

Various Photographic Verification - The unit comes complete with various published photographic verification of David Gilmour using a Sound City Echomaster II that has the Pink Floyd Original Stock Serial Number Plate that is affixed in exact same location / position ( The Picture is taken from 1975 Wish You Were here tour)

Please See Picture 6 + 7 for Verification of Stock Label Position

Note - The above unit is a Key Factor in the sound and tone of Pink Floyd

See how Jimmy Page uses Binson Echorec 2 T7E

Jimmy Page

Guitarist

Led Zeppelin

...
Verified via Guitar Lobby

According to Guitar Lobby, Jimmy used Echorec 2.

See how Paul McCartney uses Binson Echorec 2 T7E

Paul McCartney

Bassist, Singer

The Beatles

...
Verified via Reddit

At the beginning of this clip from the Get Back documentary, Paul asks for a Binson Echorec to be used on the mics.

See how Roger Waters uses Binson Echorec 2 T7E

Roger Waters

Singer, Guitarist

Pink Floyd

...
Verified via Watersish

In Pink Floyd's 23-minute long song Echoes, Roger Waters used a Binson Echorec to create the eerie underwater wind noise heard during the first interlude (10:40-15:02 on studio recordings, underneath the screaming seagull sound produced by Gilmour); he vibrated the strings of his bass guitar with a steel slide and fed the sound through the Echorec. Waters reproduced this sound during live performances.

Also One of These Days is an another typical example where the Binson Echorec was used on the bass. In the interview for Guitar World, Gilmour explains: "One of these Days evolved from some of my experiments with the Binson, as did Echoes. One day, Roger decided to take some of the techniques that I was developing and try them out himself on bass. And he came up with that basic riff that we all worked on and turned into One of these Days. The opening section is me and Roger. For some reason, we decided to do a double track of the bass. You can actually hear it if you listen in stereo. The first bass is me. A bar later, Roger joins in on the other side of the stereo picture. We didn't have a spare set of strings for the spare bass guitar, so the second bass is very dull sounding. We sent a roadie out to buy some strings, but he wandered off to see his girlfriend instead."

The Binson Echorec was a major part of the Pink Floyd sound-image until 1977.

See how Taylor Swift uses Binson Echorec 2 T7E

Taylor Swift

Singer, Guitarist

The Agency

...
Verified via Photo

Taylor Swift is documented using the Binson Echorec 2 T7E, as evidenced by a photograph of her with the equipment while recording her album "The Tortured Poets Department."

See how The Chemical Brothers uses Binson Echorec 2 T7E

The Chemical Brothers

Music Producer

The Chemical Brothers

...
Verified via Synthtopia

you can see this processor in the middle of this image

See how Rory Gallagher uses Binson Echorec 2 T7E

Rory Gallagher

Guitarist, Singer

Taste

...
Verified via Photo
See how Nils Frahm uses Binson Echorec 2 T7E

Nils Frahm

Composer, Music Producer

...
Verified via Beatport News

I have a Binson Echorec 2 and two Roland Space Echo RE-501s. I run them in stereo with different settings. When you run those delay tracks through some more reverbs, things truly start to shimmer.

See how Jack Antonoff uses Binson Echorec 2 T7E

Jack Antonoff

Singer, Guitarist

Bleachers

...
Verified via YouTube

At the 1:12 mark you can watch the Binson being used on the Linn beat in the atached video.

See how Floating Points uses Binson Echorec 2 T7E

Floating Points

Music Producer, DJ

A Pulse Train

...
Verified via YouTube

the unit can be seen 0:30 into this video.

See how Wayne Sermon uses Binson Echorec 2 T7E

Wayne Sermon

Guitarist, Keyboardist

Imagine Dragons

...
Verified via MusicTech

In this interview, Wayne Sermon mentions having a Binson Echorec.

See how Christian Bland uses Binson Echorec 2 T7E

Christian Bland

Guitarist

The Black Angels

...
Verified via Facebook

https://www.premierguitar.com/artists/the-black-angels-left-handed-path

Hunt: We have a real deal Binson Echorec that played a huge role in recording the album, and there’s quite a story behind how we got it. Bland: So, I’m on my second Fulltone Tube Tape Echo. The first one I sold in Ireland to get a discount on a real Binson Echorec at a shop. I got $500 off the Echorec for the TTE and I paid another $1,500 for the Echorec. The very next day, the Echorec broke at our show in Manchester. We went to Paris for the next show and we took it to someone local to fix it, and were told it would be sorted out by the end of the day, and it ended up sitting there for an entire year—and it was never fixed! We retrieved it eventually from Paris and I brought it to Austin Vintage Guitars, and it was there for three weeks until they finally said they had no clue what to do. So—finally—we flew to Los Angeles and took it to our friend, who has a company called Acid Fuzz, and he pulled it off and fixed the thing!

Used With

Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Binson Echorec 2 T7E, it is most commonly used with the following gear.

17 alternative and related items for Binson Echorec 2 T7E, curated by the Equipboard community.

Catalinbread Echorec

$203.99 - $252.00

similar sound cheaper alternative mod

A detailed pedal emulation of the Binson Echorec, with the addition of variable delay time, for new rhythmic patterns.

Strymon Volante Magnetic Echo Machine

$389.00 - $429.00

similar sound cheaper alternative mod

The Volante is Strymon's take on the Binson Echorec, with 8 tape head settings, and savable presets.

Dawner Prince Electronics Boonar Multi-Head Drum Echo

$339.00 - $349.95

similar sound cheaper alternative mod

According to Dawner Prince; "Boonar™ is an effects pedal precisely designed to deliver sound and feel of the legendary original Binson Echorec, a multi-tap magnetic drum echo unit."

T-Rex Engineering Binson Echorec Magnetic Disk Delay

$1,748.00 - $2,100.00

newer similar sound cheaper alternative

A compact but fully featured, modernization of the Binson Echorec, the T-Rex version uses an all analog tape head and spinning metal drum, much like the original that inspired it.

Foxgear T7E Baby
similar sound cheaper alternative mod

Inspired by the Echorec 2 T7E, the Foxgear T7E Baby accurately reproduces the tones of a 4 tape head Echorec, with additional options such as a dedicated "swell" mode.

Foxgear Echosex Baby Delay

$114.10 - $125.00

similar sound cheaper alternative mod

The most recent and most compact Echosex pedal, the Echosex Baby uses an FET preamp to reproduce the Echorec's tones instead of a tube like its predecessors.

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