ORBIT ELECTRONIX
PSYCHOPLEX
BY CHARLES SAUFLEY
Strictly left-brain engineers must be positively confounded by tape delay
freaks. Even now, as DSP power makes
possible the emulation of the analog irregu-larities these weirdos love (and I count
myself among this tribe), the hardcore
remain steadfastly unsatisfied. Their skepticism isn’t entirely unfounded, of course.
Most players with a half-decent ear can
hear and appreciate the warmth of a well-kept Echoplex compared alongside a digital
simulation. But for those that believe that
digital emulation represents the pinnacle of
audio evolution, the lack of love must be a
bit upsetting.
The Orbit Electronix Psychoplex isn’t
a tape delay. And for that shortcoming
alone, it may underwhelm Echoplex fanatics. But by using a 12AX7 to drive a circuit derived from the Echoplex EP- 1 and
embracing bucket brigade analog delay
technology, the Psychoplex goes a long way
toward imparting the sweet preamp-style
signal coloration that makes Echoplexes—
and the tube-driven EP- 1 in particular—so
sweet and unique sounding.
Big Red
Whatever side you choose in the great
delay schism, you have to admit the
Psychoplex looks the way a stompbox
ask yourself if you needed that third over-
drive anyway.
Mean Repeater
One of the first among many of the
Psychoplex’ pleasant surprises is that it can
be subtle. With the big red pedal between
a Rickenbacker 330 and a blackface Fender
Tremolux, the Level, Repeat, and Time
controls all at noon, and the Delay switch
set to Short, the Psychoplex had a soft and
subdued, but still distinct presence that give
chords a little more movement and makes
leads stand out a little more prominently.
The sound was great for smoky,
nourishing, bluesy jazz moves—adding
a little mystery and attitude to hanging
octaves and half-step slides.
should look. Big, bright, and bold, it
recalls a time when Morley and Electro
Harmonix built the stompbox equivalents
of a Buick Wildcat. Yes, it’s large. And if
you’re already complaining that it won’t
fit on your pedalboard, you should really
With the Rick’s neck pickup engaged and
the Tone rolled off the sound was great for
smoky, noirish, bluesy jazz moves—
adding a little mystery and attitude to hanging octaves and half-step slides. When I
switched to the Long delay, but left the
REVIEW > ORBIT ELECTRONIX
12AX7 tube
12V DC power
Long/Short
delay switch
other settings untouched, the Psychoplex
became more prominent and spacey—
perfect for languid, lazy Hendrix-inspired blues
runs.
The two most reactive and organic-feeling controls are the Level and Repeat.
Both have great range and are sensitive to
fine-tuning. Moving the Level control just a
notch or two past the noon mark gives the
repeats a cool volume swell before they start
to taper. And you can combine that effect
with shorter repeat setting to add a faint,
but discernable backwards-tape sound that
sounds doubly hip with a fuzz and some
slow raga bends.
With a Fender Jaguar on the business
end of the signal chain, the Psychoplex
seems in a slightly more natural setting. The
cutting Fender single-coils almost have an
exciting effect on the stompbox—
highlighting the circuit’s capacity to cut high end
on repeats without ever sounding thin or
diminishing harmonic complexity. Slapback
settings at heavy levels are perfect for over-the-top Cramps-style psychobilly vamps
and leads. Switching to the Long delay setting gave the super-clean combination of
Fender guitar and amp a sweet, Gilmourish
flavor. When I added an overdrive, it conspired with the Psychoplex’ 12AX7 to create
a just-sizzling tone that sounds amazing for
