Echo Fix CHORUS ECHO EF-X3 User manual

USER MANUAL
CHORUS ECHO
EF-X3

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USER MANUAL
Congratulations on your purchase of the EF-X3 Chorus Echo!
If you have not owned a tape echo unit before, it is strongly recommended
that you review this document prior to use.
THANK YOU
FOR CHOOSING
THE EF-X3
CHORUS ECHO
CHORUS ECHO EF-X3

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1. Start here
2. Understanding the EF-X3 - Front Panel
3. Understanding the EF-X3 - Rear Panel
4. Remote Inputs
5. Spring Reverb & Analog BBD Chorus
6. Upkeep and troubleshooting
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
USER MANUAL
PAGE 3 OF 12
CHORUS ECHO EF-X3

USER MANUAL
PAGE 4 OF 12
For nearly 15 years, we’ve been keeping tape echoes alive. Now that we make
our own, our standards are higher than ever. Built by the same team to the
highest quality, this new machine includes many of our most requested features
and builds on the momentum and trust gained after 3 years of making the EF-
X2. Rest assured that your machine will be the most capable, reliable tape echo
on the market, supported by a team with some of the best customer service in
the industry.
We have designed this manual to assist in getting the best possible result from
your EF-X3. Please note the following and keep them in mind as you get to
know your unit:
• The EF-X3 is an electromechanical, analog tape echo device. The echo is
produced by a tape loop engaging with multiple read and write heads,
therefore some inherent tape hiss and minor noise artefacts will always be
present. However, you can radically improve your signal to noise ratio by
ensuring your input signal is loud enough to reach ‘0’ on the VU Meter and
cause your peak light to flash red. This will give you the best echo sound
quality.
• When it comes to maintaining your unit, please use only genuine Echo Fix
parts and tape loops. Using anything other than Echo Fix tape loops will
void your warranty and could damage your EF-X3.
• We are excited to offer CV control with the unit. Please do not use voltages
outside of the 0-5v range. Doing so will void your warranty and may cause
damage to the unit.
START HERE
1
CHORUS ECHO EF-X3

USER MANUAL
PAGE 5 OF 12
A. Direct ON/OFF Switch - Switches the direct
signal ON or OFF. For traditional echo operation
(wet + dry signal), set to “ON”. For wet-only, set to
“OFF”.
B. Motor ON/OFF Switch - Allows you to turn
the tape drive motor ON or OFF. This is useful
for achieving slow down/tape stop effects or
increasing tape life when using the EF-X3 as a
preamp or reverb/chorus effect only.
C. Sound On Sound ON/OFF Switch - Activates
the fourth playback head, positioned to achieve
the longest possible delay time. The S. on S. head
functions independently of the Echo ON/OFF
switch.
D. Echo ON/OFF Switch - Disables playback heads
1, 2 and 3. Also turning off switch (C) allows you to
use the unit as a preamp or reverb/chorus effect
only. We recommend turning “Echo Volume” (S) all
the way down when using the unit in this way.
E. Chorus ON/OFF Switch - Activates the chorus
effect.
F. Guitar / Line - A dedicated instrument-level
input with a vintage FET EP style preamp circuit
(1MΩinput impedance). Input gain is
controlled by (N). Front input controls do not affect
rear balanced XLR input.
UNDERSTANDING THE EF-X3
FRONT PANEL
2
A B C D E F G H I J K L
T
SRQ
V W X
PON
M
U
CHORUS ECHO EF-X3

USER MANUAL
PAGE 6 OF 12
G. CV Remote Speed - Allows for control of the
unit “speed” function using control voltages,
including any TRS expression pedal (100KΩ
impedance recommended). Connecting a CV
source to this input will disable the “Speed” control
(R).
H. CV Remote Feedback - Allows for control of the
unit “feedback” function using control voltages,
including an expression pedal (100KΩimpedance
recommended). Connecting a CV source to this
input will disable the “Feedback” control (X).
I. Chorus Cancel - Allows for bypassing of unit
functions with an external footswitch. Connect a
one-button TS footswitch to bypass the chorus. It
is also possible to use a two-button TRS footswitch
(latching type) however the ring switch will not
have any effect.
J. Echo / Reverb Cancel - Allows for bypassing of
unit functions with an external footswitch. Connect
a one-button TS footswitch to bypass the echo
only, or a two-button TRS footswitch (latching
type) for bypass of the echo (tip) and reverb (ring).
K. Output - Connect to an amplifier, audio
interface or additional effects processors.
L. Output Level - Sets the output level of the front
output Jack (K). Note this does not set the output
level of any of the rear outputs, these are fixed at
high output.
M. Echo Mode - 7-position selection of the unit’s
playback heads. Please consult the following table
for a guide to these settings:
Mode 1 - Head 1 (short) [56 - 221ms]
Mode 2 - Head 2 (medium) [121 - 477 ms]
Mode 3 - Head 3 (long) [187 - 800 ms]
Mode 4 - Head 1 + 2 (short + medium)
Mode 5 - Head 2 + 3 (medium + long)
Mode 6 - Head 1 + 3 (short + long)
Mode 7 - Head 1 + 2 + 3 (short + medium
+ long)
The Sound On Sound playback head can be
engaged over all the above settings.
N. Guitar / Line Volume - Adjusts the gain for
input (F).
O. Chorus Rate - Sets the rate of the chorus.
P. Chorus Depth - Sets the depth of the chorus
by changing the amount of pitch modulation in the
affected signal.
Q. Reverb Volume - Controls the volume of the
spring reverb.
R. Speed - Adjusts the echo rate, corresponding
to the heads selected with control (M). Turn
counterclockwise for longer echo times, or
clockwise for shorter.
Please note: This is controlling the physical
motion of a motor and echo times will ramp up
or down gradually when adjusted, with the pitch
of any repeated sound being raised or lowered
accordingly.
S. Echo Volume - Adjusts the volume of the
echoes mixed into the overall output signal. Turned
all the way to maximum, the echo volume is slightly
louder than the dry signal. Please note: This does
not affect the individual head outputs at the rear of
the unit.
T. On / Off - Supplies power to the unit.
U. VU Meter - Indicates the input signal volume.
The loudest peak signal should go “into the red” for
optimal signal to noise ratio.
V. Bass - Cuts or boosts the bass frequencies of
the overall output. 12 o’clock is “flat”.
W. Treble - Cuts or boosts the treble frequencies
of the overall output. 12 o’clock is “flat”.
X. Feedback - Adjusts the amount of regenerated
signal. Please note: Setting this control past
12 o’clock will likely result in self-oscillation.
Additionally, using multi-head echo modes at
higher feedback settings will increase the likelihood
of self-oscillation.
CHORUS ECHO EF-X3

USER MANUAL
UNDERSTANDING THE EF-X3
REAR PANEL
3
PAGE 7 OF 12
CHORUS ECHO EF-X3
Serial No:
000000
A B
C D E F
IJ
K
H
G
A. Balanced XLR Input - Line level input. This input
can be used in addition to the input on the front.
The Guitar / Line Volume knob does not affect this
level.
B. Balanced XLR Output - Line level output.
C - F. Individual Head Outputs - 4 TRS balanced
head outputs provide access to the signal from
each of the 4 playback heads. These can be mixed
and panned with a mixing desk or DAW to create a
variety of echo effects.
G. Chorus / Reverb Output - Provides access to
the wet effect only. In the case of the Chorus effect,
wet-only results in a vibrato effect.
H. Direct Only - Provides access to a duplicate
direct signal after the EF-X3 preamp.
I. Auto Tape Stop - If set to ON, the motor
and roller arm will disengage after 4-5mins of
not receiving signal. This increases tape life and
reduces wear on the motor and tape heads. You
can disable this feature by switching it to OFF.
J. Earth Point
K. DC Jack - Use Echo Fix provided power supply.

USER MANUAL
REMOTE
INPUTS
4
We have designed the EF-X3 to accommodate CV or
expression pedal control of the tape speed and feedback
functions. The control voltage range is 0 - 5v for CV
control. The expression pedal needs to be a TRS output
and is recommended to be 100KΩimpedance.
The echo, reverb and chorus effects can be disabled via
TRS latching footswitches. The Chorus cancel has its
own control input. The Echo and Reverb cancel can be
operated with a dual footswitch.
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SPEED
CONTROL
FEEDBACK
CONTROL
2 CHANNEL
FOOTSWITCH
(TRS LATCHING)
1 2
EXPRESSION
SYNTHESIZER
MINI MINI
SYNTHESIZER
EXPRESSION
SYNTHESIZER
MINI MINI
SYNTHESIZER
6.35MM TRS CABLE
OR OR
CV Control
(to EF-X3R)
+5V Supply
(from EF-X3R)
Ground
TIP
RING
SLEEVE
Echo Mute
Reverb Mute
Ground
TIP
RING
SLEEVE
1 CHANNEL
FOOTSWITCH
(TRS LATCHING)
1
Chorus Mute
N/A
Ground
TIP
RING
SLEEVE
CV OUT (0-5v) CV OUT (0-5v)
CHORUS ECHO EF-X3

USER MANUAL
SPRING REVERB &
ANALOG BBD CHORUS
5
PAGE 9 OF 12
CHORUS ECHO EF-X3
A E G H I J
QPO
The EF-X3 has a real spring reverb and fully analog
BBD chorus. They can be used in combination or on
their own by adjusting (E), (O), (P) and (Q).
Blend - With chorus switch (E) in the ON position,
you can adjust the amount of spring reverb in the
mix by increasing (clockwise) or decreasing (counter-
clockwise) knob (Q).
Chorus Only - With reverb volume (Q) turned fully
down (counterclockwise), only the chorus will be
heard. By adjusting Rate (O) and Depth (P), various
chorus settings can be achieved. Switch (E) must be in
the ON position for chorus to be heard.
Vibrato - With chorus switch (E) ON, and direct
switch (A) OFF, the effect heard is vibrato. The rate
and depth of the vibrato are controlled by chorus
controls (O) and (P).
Reverb Only - For spring reverb only, set chorus
switch (E) to the OFF position. Adjust reverb volume
(Q) to set the amount of spring reverb in the mix.

USER MANUAL
PAGE 10 OF 12
UPKEEP AND
TROUBLESHOOTING
6
If you have questions or concerns, you are welcome to contact us at any time, and
we’ll do whatever we can to help: support@echox.com
Your EF-X3 has been designed to last - whether in a studio environment or regularly
used in a live environment, we’ve done everything we possibly can to ensure that
your unit will be up to the task. On your end, however, there are a few simple
measures you can take to ensure reliable and consistent performance.
• Tape echoes rely on the use of tape and parts that are designed for the task. We
have been fitting premium parts and tape to other units for years - it hopefully
goes without saying, but only use genuine Echo Fix parts for the upkeep of your
unit. The fitting of inferior tape or parts will void your warranty, will adversely affect
performance, and will likely damage the unit.
• Regularly clean the heads on your unit with isopropyl alcohol and cotton tips
(cotton tips supplied). Please refer to our “how-to” guide on YouTube if you aren’t
sure how to do this.
• If you are not getting expected results from the unit, please ensure that front panel
switches (A), (B), (C) and (D) are positioned as follows: Direct ON, Motor ON, S on
S OFF, Echo ON. This may seem very simple, but it’s surprisingly easy to miss - even
for those of us who’ve designed the unit. Similarly, make sure that the Guitar / Line
volume control (N) is set to 12 o’clock, the Echo Volume (S) is turned up, and the
Feedback Control (X) is set around 11 o’clock.
• Your unit ships with a universal-voltage switch-mode power supply. This is safe to
connect to any worldwide mains voltage supply, using the correct IEC-C7 (“Figure
8”) cable for your region. If your power supply is damaged or lost, replacement
power supplies are available at www.echox.com.
• If you experience excessive wow and flutter (pitch instability), this usually indicates
it is time to replace the tape loop in your EF-X3. A tape loop can last anywhere from
50 - 300 hours, depending on humidity and other atmospheric conditions. We have
discounted tape loops available at www.echox.com for EF-X3 owners.
• Your EF-X3 is covered by a limited warranty which covers manufacturing defects
for the first 2 years after purchase. This warranty does not cover general wear or
consumables (including tape, felt, rollers and bearings). Any damage caused by the
use of non-Echo Fix branded parts (including tape and power supply) will void your
warranty.
CHORUS ECHO EF-X3

USER MANUAL
PAGE 11 OF 12
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CONNECT
CHORUS ECHO EF-X3

USER MANUAL
CHORUS ECHO
EF-X3
Serial No:
000000