Mike made a machine in the 1960's that would let musicians incorporate studio quality echo effects to their live performance rig and in a device small enough to carry in one hand.

This machine was called the Echoplex.

 

Its functionality has been time proven and almost every delay effect made after it has paid homage to its design: variable delay time, variable repeats/regeneration, wet/dry balance control all in one panel easily adjusted by the player.

 

Mike's designs offer more than just great features, they bring a certain feel to the way they operate, similar to a guitar or amplifier has a feel to it. "Broken in", "warmed up", "seasoned to perfection", all words that we have heard used by our customers to describe theirs. There is nothing like one of Mike's ec ho machines.

 

It has been used by countless numbers of electric guitarists, saxophonists, singers, sythnesizer players, and more. Chances are VERY good that you own a CD, album, or cassette with an Echoplex on it.

 

Guitarists have been the main users of this effect. Mostly due to the effects boom of the 1960's and 1970's when musical effects were all new ground yet to be explored...or invented. If Mike had not built his legendary machine, who knows what we would have missed?

 

Originally it was designed for Country and Western music. Chet Atkins was one of Mike's first users who instantly took to it. Another one of Mike's clients was Les Paul. Country music would not be the same to this day without the Echoplex.

 

The rock n' roll musicians took their guitar sounds to the new limits by creating counter-rhythms, slap-backs, intense echo repeats, and pitch shifted notes all through mega wattage sound systems.

 

In later years, we have heard of a new group of musicians setting their echo's up in a way that they simply, "runaway" while the slider is moved back and forth, creating an ebbing and flowing oscillation for beautiful or chaotic sounds.

Mike Battle and Les Paul with a Tubeplex 2004