19/04/2026
The Echoplex EP1 released in 1959 is a vacuum tube tape delay and the predecessor to the solid state version (EP3 and later EP4) which was used on many iconic tracks.
The EP1 was created by Mike Battle and sold under various names such Maestro and Market Electronics. In the late 60s he was asked to create the EP3 to succeed the EP1 / EP2 and to use transistors to make it more reliable. After a few years Mike Battle and Don Dixon eventually released the EP3 in 1970 but Mike was so unhappy with the sound, he sold his stake in the company and left.
The EP3 and later EP4 models were so successful, they were manufactured until 1991 and remain one of the best selling and most iconic tape delays ever made.
But Mike was right, the EP1 does sound better 😉
