I thought it was user error — nothing I did could coax the pristine-but-dense tones I associate with tape delay out of the Wampler Faux Tape Echo ( FTE ). Finally , I consulted the manual , and there it was : “ It sounds like an old tape echo that ’ s seen better days — you know the type , the ones that sound perfect !” It turns out the FTE isn ’ t supposed to replicate the gorgeous sounds of a well-maintained tape machine . If you can get over that , you may find a lot to love in this box .
To start with , the FTE is an ergonomic dream to use . Top-mounted jacks and soft switches means it takes less space and feels good underfoot . I don ’ t normally comment on power draw but , at only 40 milliamps , the FTE is remarkably easy on a power supply compared to many similarly featured delays . And speaking of features , there are several . Starting at the bottom left is the “ Depth ” knob , which controls the amount of tape-like warble in the delayed signal ’ s decay ; fully counterclockwise is off , and past noon you start to hear some dramatic , seasick wobbling . In the top left corner is “ Rate ,” which affects the rate of modulation when Depth
is active . To the right is “ Tone ,” which seems to function as a low-pass filter ; even maxed , I don ’ t think I got my full top end back .
Moving clockwise , the “ Repeats ” control determines how many times the original signal is repeated ; at about 3:00 it reaches self-oscillation . “ Delay Mix ” blends the clean signal ( which remains analog ) and the delayed signal ( which is digital ), determining the balance of the effect . The “ Delay ” knob , which sits in the bottom right , controls the speed of the repeats . Below that is the Tap Tempo footswitch , which
WAMPLER
FAUX TAPE ECHO V2
REVIEW BY ERIC TISCHLER STREET PRICE $ 239.97
I thought it was user error — nothing I did could coax the pristine-but-dense tones I associate with tape delay out of the Wampler Faux Tape Echo ( FTE ). Finally , I consulted the manual , and there it was : “ It sounds like an old tape echo that ’ s seen better days — you know the type , the ones that sound perfect !” It turns out the FTE isn ’ t supposed to replicate the gorgeous sounds of a well-maintained tape machine . If you can get over that , you may find a lot to love in this box .
To start with , the FTE is an ergonomic dream to use . Top-mounted jacks and soft switches means it takes less space and feels good underfoot . I don ’ t normally comment on power draw but , at only 40 milliamps , the FTE is remarkably easy on a power supply compared to many similarly featured delays . And speaking of features , there are several . Starting at the bottom left is the “ Depth ” knob , which controls the amount of tape-like warble in the delayed signal ’ s decay ; fully counterclockwise is off , and past noon you start to hear some dramatic , seasick wobbling . In the top left corner is “ Rate ,” which affects the rate of modulation when Depth
is active . To the right is “ Tone ,” which seems to function as a low-pass filter ; even maxed , I don ’ t think I got my full top end back .
Moving clockwise , the “ Repeats ” control determines how many times the original signal is repeated ; at about 3:00 it reaches self-oscillation . “ Delay Mix ” blends the clean signal ( which remains analog ) and the delayed signal ( which is digital ), determining the balance of the effect . The “ Delay ” knob , which sits in the bottom right , controls the speed of the repeats . Below that is the Tap Tempo footswitch , which
58 GEAR REVIEW // Wampler Faux Tape Echo V2