kenfanem on the infanem website wrote:
The Small Echo Array is Infanem's vision of the ideal pedal delay: a circuit that combines the best features from classic echos into one small, reliable, and affordable box. Multihead style playback, inspired by legendary tape and disk machines, allows for syncopated echos. Delay times ranging from 30ms to 2.3 seconds and feedback that can skate just at the edge of self oscillation make the SEA a perfect replacement for aging PDS units. Echos that are clear and full range with just enough grit are a pleasing middle ground between analog BBD and early digital units: fidelity without sterility, character without mud.
The Small Echo Array uses a fully analog clean path with digital delays to do all this reliably and with a reasonable current draw (just under 150mA). As with all Infanem products, the SEA is true bypass, runs on standard 9VDC negative tip power, and is built by hand in Portland, OR by its designer.
Controls:
Echo Playback Selectors-
These switches select which playback sources, analogous to the playback heads of a tape machine, may put out signal. The sources are evenly spaced in a t, 2t, 3t, 4t sequence. For example, when Echo Time is set at its minimum and all sources are selected, echos will come at 30, 60, 90, and 120 ms. See the signal diagram below for a visual representation of the signal path and the relationship between playback sources.
Echo Time-
Controls the delay time between echos. Because all delay stages share the same control, echos are always in sync. Approximate time ranges for each playback source are:
1: 30ms to 575ms
2: 60ms to 1150ms
3: 90ms to 1725ms
4: 120ms to 2300ms
Feedback-Controls how much of the echo mix is fed back into the beginning of the delay chain. Range is from no feedback to self oscillation.
Clean Volume-
Controls output level of the clean signal from silent at full counterclockwise to unity gain near 12 o'clock to +15dB boost at full clockwise.
Echo Volume-
Controls output level of the echo signal from silent at full counterclockwise to unity gain near 12 o'clock to +15dB boost at full clockwise.
Connections/power:
All top-mounted jacks. Right to left: Input, power, output.
Standard Boss-style 2.1mm 9VDC input, negative tip. Current draw is just under 150mA. In a first for an Infanem pedal, power supplies up to 18V may be used with the SEA. This increases headroom in the clean signal and output mixer but does not affect the delay stages which are voltage regulated and have fixed headroom.
Tech details:
True bypass switching
1590BB Hammond enclosure (4.7 x3.7 in) in brushed aluminum with black graphics. All screen printing, machining, and assembly done in-house in Portland, OR.
Double sided, through-hole plated PCBs produced in Mulino, OR and assembled in-house.
