Pinchroll
Tape echo, inspired by tape echo machines.
Pinchroll is a tape echo: each repeat a little darker and more worn than the last, with Wow & Flutter, an Age control for worn tape, Drive into the tape, Ping-Pong, and feedback that can run away into a howl without ever blowing up your speakers.
The controls
- Time
- The echo time, 30 ms to 2 s. Turning it while it plays bends the pitch like a real machine.
- Feedback
- How many repeats. Above 100% it builds and self-oscillates, but it's kept under control.
- Wow & Flutter
- The machine's pitch movement.
- Age
- How worn the tape is: each repeat loses more highs and lows.
- Drive
- How hard you hit the tape: warmer, grittier repeats.
- Ping-Pong
- Repeats bounce from side to side.
- Low Cut
- Cleans the low end of the echoes.
- Width
- From mono to extra-wide.
- Mix
- How much echo.
Best for
- Vocals: slapback and long throws
- Guitar: rockabilly slap and dub echoes
- Synths: rhythmic delays
- Effects: self-oscillating builds and throws
Starting points
Load Pinchroll, set these, then adjust by ear. In the plugin, Level match helps you judge the sound, not the loudness.
Slapback
Time 110 ms, Feedback 10%, Wow 20, Age 30, Drive 4, Mix 25%
Vocal throw
Time 375 ms, Feedback 35%, Wow 25, Age 40, Drive 4, Ping-Pong On, Mix 20%
Dub
Time 500 ms, Feedback 75%, Wow 35, Age 60, Drive 8, Low Cut 250, Mix 35%
Hints and tips
- Set Time to the song's tempo: 60000 / BPM is a quarter note in milliseconds.
- Age at 40 to 60 keeps repeats from fighting the dry sound.
- Automate Feedback above 100% for a few beats for a classic dub build, then back down.
Chains it works best in
Every Original works in a chain with the others and with members' hardware. These are good places to start.
- Lumiq then Pinchroll then Platen: a vocal with echo and plate
- Pinchroll then Cellar: echoes that bloom into a big space
- Fettle then Pinchroll: a punchy, slapback rock vocal
Watch out for
- Feedback above 100% left on: it builds forever. Automate it.
- Bright repeats on a bright vocal: they clash. Raise Age.
Pinchroll is free
Like every DigMusiK plugin, Pinchroll is free for registered members: it's part of the platform, so the chains you hand on and send for approval play the same for everyone. Try it in your studio, on your own mix.