- When the Propellerhead group introduced the Rack Extensions (RE) plug-in standard for Reason in 2012, the industry's initial offerings fell into two categories. The first included the obvious ports of existing VST/AU plug-ins like KORG's PolySix, migrated into compatibility with some minor changes. On the other side of the fence were plug-ins created from scratch to take advantage of the new platform. One of the best examples of an RE original is Echobode, a frequency shifting delay originally released by Sonic Charge. Having enjoyed a few years of RE exclusivity, this unique effect was reintroduced to a broader audience this past April, when a brand new version was released in VST/AU format.
If you're not familiar with Echobode, the easiest way to understand it is to see it as a delay with a frequency shifter inserted within its feedback loop. The name Echobode is a rather clever reference to these two main components: "echo" for the delay and "bode" (pronounced boh-dee) for the frequency shifter, which was originally invented by Harald Bode. One important distinction to make here is that a frequency shifter is different than a true pitch shifter, which alters frequency content by a set ratio in order to maintain the harmonic content of the music. A frequency shifter, on the other hand, adds or subtracts a set frequency amount to all of the overtones of a signal passing through it, and the result can vary from subtle phasing at low shift amounts to metallic or inharmonic effects at higher amounts.
Taking a look at the Echobode VST UI, you'll see a very similar design to the RE version. The eye is immediately drawn to the large frequency shifter knob, which is distinguished from the other controls not only by its size but also by its retro styling. The four smaller knobs/selectors surrounding it tailor the behavior of the frequency shift in different ways. At the top left of these you'll find the range selector, which lets you choose from four different frequency shifting modes. The two obvious options here are Fine and Wide, which give you 40 Hz and 400 Hz of shifting potential, respectively. The other two, Sync and MIDI, are a bit more non-traditional in that they cause the shift amount relative to tempo and MIDI notes. The MIDI setting is really useful because it allows you to play Echobode's frequency shift like an instrument, which can be used both for creative purposes as well as utilitarian tasks like re-pitching a drum sound.
Moving on to the echo part of Echobode, you'll find a fairly straightforward delay with a very clean feedback sound. According to the Sonic Charge documentation, the sound quality is thanks in some part to an "all-pass interpolation" technique, which helps to preserve the high frequency content of your sound. While I can't personally vouch for the scientific claims being made, my ears were very satisfied with the results. In case you do want to trim some of the frequency content out of the delayed signal, Echobode provides knobs for both low-pass and high-pass filters that do the job nicely. One of the most interesting parts of the delay is a new addition for the VST/AU version of the plug-in: the Smear knob, which allows you to morph a regular delay into a rather lush and impressive reverb. When you combine this with the frequency shifting, you reach one of Echobode's sweet spots: tunable, ethereal reverb clouds. I imagine that the RE users who see this in action will be pestering the Sonic Charge crew for an update in the near future.
The final component of Echobode is the LFO, which is neatly compartmentalized in the lower section of the UI. Here you get four wave shapes to work with: sine, saw, square and random. Each has a possible rate of zero to 100 Hz in free clock mode or eight measures to 1/64 note in sync mode. The random wave is somewhat special in that when sync mode is enabled, the LFO outputs a stepped sample-and-hold signal rather than a continuous random one. There are four possible destinations for the LFO; you can modulate the delay time, the low pass filter frequency, the phase adjustment, or the frequency shift amount. To choose a destination, you have two possible options. The first and most obvious is by using the selector knob in the LFO section, and when you choose a destination the small triangular LED next to that control lights up to indicate its status as being modulated. The second, less obvious method is by clicking those LED lights themselves, as they also double as assignment buttons. One interesting trick that the LFO and delay both share is the ability to enhance the stereo processing of Echobode. This is achieved with the LFO by inverting the modulation amount of the left and right channels, which is a clever trick that can be used to subtly to enhance the stereo width of a signal or more aggressively to achieve a head-twisting effect.
It's thoughtful choices like these that make Echobode much more flexible than it first appears. In my testing I ticked off a laundry list of distinct effect types that could be achieved with a little practice: flangers, phasers, delays, reverbs, wah and voice filters, ringmod and, of course, loads of different frequency shifts. If you're looking to bring any of those effects into your toolkit, I would definitely recommend giving Echobode a look. It's worth another reminder, though, that if you're looking for a true pitch shifter that retains the harmonic relationships of your sound, you'll have to look elsewhere. Sonic Charge offers a full three-week trial period on their plug-ins, which should be enough for you to go through the presets, get your feet wet and decide if it's right for you.
Ratings:
Sound: 4.5
Cost: 4.8
Versatility: 4.7
Ease of use: 3.9