J. Rockett Audio Designs Immortal Echo

SOUND:
The Immortal Echo is best described as clean and clear. This pedal is at a very good price, which means it is more of a barebones pedal than some other delays that may offer several types of echo with modulations, etc. However, if you’re the type of player that likes it simple with some modest customization, the Immortal Echo does a fine job. The YouTube demo video accompanying this pedal provides a look at the range of the Mix, Time, Repeats and Tone.



What is most noticeable with the Immortal Echo include two factors. First is the Mix: Even when turned up 100% it is not 100% wet. Even when turned up full you still can hear the dry signal or original tone. And so, if you’re looking for some extra-ethereal sounds this is not the delay for you. The second noticeable aspect is the Tone knob. I’ve used other delays that have tone controls, but I found the Immortal Echo to be one of the most obvious, going from a nice warm sound to a very crisp and thinner sound (in the echo, of course). It does a most excellent job at cleaning up muddy pickups or thickening up bright ones, simply by altering how much bass or treble is in the echo itself.

OVERALL IMPRESSION:
Developed by J. Rockett Pedals, the Immortal Echo is one of a limited edition four pedals, part of the JET collection. Also available is the Squeegee Compressor, the Steampunk Boost/Buffer and the Touch Overdrive. Half the size of a regular pedal, the Immortal Echo comes in at only $99 USD (as do the other three in the collection), and when combined with the other three you can have a very basic, yet highly functional mini-pedal board. Miniaturized pedals, like the Immortal Echo, are becoming more common and more popular, allowing a musician to squeeze in just one more thing on a pedal board. The Immortal Echo fits that bill, but it also is of excellent quality as it produces a crystal clear echo tone that can be adjusted for general use, from country to rock to ambient. Consequently, you can darken or brighten the overall sound by adjusting the pedal’s Tone knob, which then alters the outcome of dark or bright pickups. The one drawback is that there is no tap tempo function, which is difficult to achieve in a pedal of this cost and size. As well, if the power input were located in the back the Immortal Echo would be just about perfect at its price point, as it would allow an even tighter pedal fit and board layout. Available from: https://www.rogueguitarshop.com/products/rockett-pedals-immortal-echo

EASE OF USE:
All the JET series pedals are easy to use, including the Immortal Echo. It has a Mix, Time, Repeat and Tone knob. The Mix indicates how much of the echo you hear, regardless of how high or low the Time and Repeats are. Even at 100% you still hear some of the original tone (it is not 100% wet). Time extends to about 1000ms, or so it seems (I did not time it, nor is it indicated on Rockett Pedals’ site). You can achieve some good slap-back echo (around 9-o’clock), and definitely decent ambient echo once turned up to about 2-o’clock and higher. The Repeat function has a nice fading effect, meaning that if you place the control around 12-noon for 4-5 repeats, each one fades off slightly for a more natural echo effect, rather than one pulse or repeat remaining as strong as the last. Consequently, whether going for only a few repeats or up full for a good 10-seconds worth of repeats, there is a very organic trailing off that occurs. The Tone control needs some tweaking for best effect, as you want to match it with your pickups. Typically (although you may want different), if your pickups are dark, then increase the Tone more toward treble to create a differentiation between tone and echo – at least if you want the echo effect to be more dramatic and the sound thicker. Conversely, thinner or brighter pickups (e.g., Strat and Tele) would benefit with more bass in the echo to, likewise, produce a thicker tone and more differentiation.

RELIABILITY & DURABILITY:
The Immortal Echo’s all-steel chassis feels rather hefty in the hand, and measuring in at only 1.75 x 3.5 inches (4.44 x 8.89 cm). Due to its small size, a big foot may touch down on the plastic knobs occasionally, although the knobs are of good quality. In that regard, the feel of the pots when turning the knobs are very solid and smooth. The cable input/output both are located in the back, whereas the power supply (standard 9v 2.1 mm) insert is on the side. Even with the power insert located along the side, you still can fit the pedals rather tightly together (particularly with EBS flat head patches), which helps to keep the power input snug and in place, and out of harm’s way. The Immortal Echo cannot run on a battery.