Universal Audio Orion Tape Echo Effect Pedal

The compact versions of the UAFX pedals didn't initially catch my eye at the original list price (around $179), but UAFX has marked these down to $99.99 across all vendors twice now, so keep an eye out for sale opportunities! I should note that I do already own the Golden Reverberator, and these compact pedals basically break off pieces of the larger units in smaller and cheaper form. So, given that I do not own the Starlight (which is their full-size delay pedal with several different modes), I opted to give the Orion a chance.The Orion is an excellent digital adaptation of a vintage Echoplex tape delay unit. For those unfamiliar, the EP-III was like the size of a small suitcase (or large lunch box, maybe?) and became popular in the 70's not just for its echo effect, but also its preamp, which adds a subtle warmth and saturation to your tone. The cool thing about the Orion is that it has a switch on top of the unit to allow you to leave the preamp circuit on even when the delay is disengaged. I tried it, and the effect is noticeable. I could definitely see wanting this as an always-on effect. For that reason, a lot of people actually run Echoplex style effects in front of your amp/preamp, instead of in the effects loop. That way, you get the benefit of the preamp fed into your amp or modeler. However, there is no right answer to this, and you can experiment and use it whichever way you feel sounds best.As for the delay effects, I wouldn't say that a tape delay is the type of delay I would normally go to first, but the Orion sounds amazing and is quite versatile. First of all, the DELAY knob ranges from 80 to 700 milliseconds, so you are covered on everything from vintage slap back to quarter-note/rhythmic delays. With FEEDBACK all the way down, you get only a single repeat, but turn it up and the pedal can go into self-oscillation.The mod switch goes between models of MINT, WORN, and OLD tape units. On MINT setting and with the WONK knob set low, you can get relatively pristine repeats that are closer to a digital delay than an analog delay like a DM-2 or MXR Carbon Copy. The WORN and OLD models have repeats with lower fidelity and, combined with the WONK knob, they add "wow, flutter, and modulation" to the repeats. Finally, the Orion has a REC LEVEL adjustment, which adjusts how hot the signal is fed into the tape delay. This will make the repeats louder, but also more saturated and (eventually) a bit distorted. You can work this control in conjunction with the MIX knob to make your repeats more or less prominent in your signal.At the full price, an argument could be made that the UAFX Starlight - or a competing multi-delay pedal like the BOSS DD-8 or DD-200 - would be a better value. However, I think the compact size, excellent build quality, and ease of use make the Orion an attractive option, especially at the sale price. I think the Orion is an excellent pedal for what it offers as a vintage style delay, as well as the EP preamp feature.

I have a real Fulltone Tube Tape Echo, and this emulation is the closest to the real thing I’ve heard. Yes, the real one is better, but it costs much more, is huge, has mechanical noise, and is vulnerable to wear. This pedal has 90% of the vibe and none of those downsides.

Very lush and realistic tape delay. Sounds great in a mix!

Just what I was looking for in a delay pedal. I use it with a 1977 Fender Vibro Champ 5w tube amp.

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