The Spirit of the Space Echo

 NuX MDD-7 Tape Echo Review – Capturing the Spirit of the Space Echo on a Budget

If you’ve been hanging around the guitar world for any length of time, you’ll know that certain effects achieve a kind of cult-like status. They aren’t just tools for making music—they become legends in their own right. Few effects embody that mystique quite like the Roland Space Echo.

The original RE-201, and its descendants, have long been worshipped by guitarists, producers, and tone chasers alike. It’s a tape echo machine that delivered not just delay, but atmosphere, warmth, and vibe. When I first started getting into pedals, the BOSS RE-20 (the digital twin pedal that captured the sound of the Space Echo) was already discontinued and widely considered a grail pedal. The mystique only grew from there, with whole communities of guitarists swearing by it as the gold standard for ambient delay.

BOSS eventually answered the demand with two modern versions: the RE-202, which aims to fully recreate the Space Echo experience, and the smaller RE-2, which brings that character to pedalboard-friendly form. Both are fantastic, but both come with fairly premium price tags.

Somewhere in the middle of all this, NuX quietly dropped their own take on the Space Echo sound: the MDD-7 Tape Echo. I’ll be honest—I’ve never been one to get swept up in hype. In fact, I usually head the other way from it. When people online start describing a piece of gear as “life-changing” or “essential,” my instinct is to push back. Surely no pedal can live up to that kind of status?

And yet, after spending some time with the NuX Tape Echo, I get it. I finally understand the appeal of the Space Echo sound.

What is the Space Echo Sound?

At its core, the Space Echo was a mechanical tape echo unit with a built-in spring reverb. That might not sound particularly groundbreaking by modern standards, but the way those two elements interact is what makes it so special.

The tape delay itself is naturally imperfect. The repeats degrade over time, with a bit of wobble and modulation creeping in as the tape runs. Add to that the warm, slightly unpredictable spring reverb, and you’re instantly transported to the sound of vintage records. Huge, expansive echoes, swirling with character, that somehow feel organic rather than clinical.

The NuX Tape Echo captures that beautifully. The moment you plug in, you’re hit with lush repeats that shimmer and wobble in just the right way. Pair that with the characterful reverb, and you’re living inside classic ‘70s guitar tones. If you’re into players who used ambience not just as a background effect but as a key part of their sound, you’ll feel right at home.

Controls and Tone Shaping

One of the standout aspects of the MDD-7 is just how much control it gives you. It’s not just a one-trick pony; it lets you dive deep and sculpt the sound exactly how you want it.

The EQ section is particularly powerful, with separate Treble and Bass knobs to shape the character of your repeats. Personally, I prefer delay to sit behind my dry guitar tone rather than fight with it. Pulling back the treble slightly allows the repeats to melt into the background, almost like a reverb. It thickens and fills out the sound without dominating it.

On the other hand, if you want your delay to be a key part of your sound—think The Edge from U2—you can push the treble up, cut a bit of bass, and suddenly your repeats stand shoulder-to-shoulder with your guitar. Pair that with the Level control, and you can blend the echoes to sit exactly where you want them in the mix.

Of course, you also get the standard delay controls you’d expect: Time for setting the delay length, and Repeats for dialling in anything from a slap-back to a self-oscillating wash. There’s also a dedicated Tap Tempo footswitch, which is a must-have if you want your delay to sync tightly with a song.

The Select Knob and Delay Patterns

Where things get really interesting is with the Select knob and the small LCD screen. This visual element displays three playback heads, representing different tape delay patterns. Depending on how you set it, you can get single, dual, or multiple rhythmic repeats—including dotted rhythms that immediately conjure up iconic guitar tones.

This makes the pedal feel more like an instrument than just an effect. You’re not just adding echoes—you’re creating rhythmic textures that interact with your playing. Whether you want subtle depth or a cascading wash of ambience, the Tape Echo can deliver.

Spring Reverb Built In

Another highlight is the built-in DSP spring reverb control. Spring reverb has a distinctive character—it’s splashy, it’s drippy, and it screams vintage. On its own, it’s fun. Combined with tape echo? It’s magic.

Adding just a touch of spring can transport your sound straight to a smoky club in the ‘70s. Push it further, and you’re in full-on surf rock territory. It’s not a pristine studio reverb, and that’s the point. It’s vibey, imperfect, and dripping with character.

Hidden Features and the Editor App

True to NuX form, the Tape Echo doesn’t stop at the obvious features. There are hidden parameters tucked away for players who want to go even deeper.

Hold down the Select knob, and you’ll unlock controls for Wow, Flutter, Saturation, and even a Kill Dry option for running in parallel setups. These secondary parameters give you the ability to really fine-tune the tape character—whether you want smooth, stable repeats or unpredictable warbles that feel like your tape machine is on its last legs.

For those who don’t want to scroll through menus on the pedal itself, NuX offers an editor app. The app gives you access to all of these parameters in a clean, easy-to-use visual format. It’s intuitive, it’s quick, and it makes experimenting with sounds much less intimidating.

Add in the ability to hook up an expression pedal, and you’ve got even more flexibility. You can assign it to control time, repeats, or level, making the Tape Echo a powerful performance tool.

How Does it Stack Up?

Now, the obvious question: how does this compare to BOSS’s RE-2 and RE-202? Honestly, I can’t say for sure. I haven’t spent any time with those pedals so it would be unfair to make a direct comparison. What I can say is this: the NuX Tape Echo costs less than the smaller RE-2, and yet it offers a serious amount of control and flexibility.

It’s not necessarily aimed at beginners. The wealth of features and tweakable parameters might overwhelm someone who just wants a simple delay. But for players who love to get lost in sound design, or who want to add a very specific vintage flavour to their rig, the Tape Echo hits a sweet spot.

And that’s really the point. It’s not just another digital delay. It’s a love letter to a legendary sound, made accessible to players who don’t want to spend a fortune chasing it.

Two Cents

I’ll admit it: I used to roll my eyes a little at the hype surrounding the Roland Space Echo. It seemed like one of those things guitarists romanticised because of its rarity and vintage status. But after playing through the NuX Tape Echo, I get it.

There’s something about the combination of tape-style repeats, modulation, and spring reverb that just works. It feels lively. It feels organic. And it instantly transports you to another era of music.

The NuX MDD-7 Tape Echo isn’t the cheapest pedal in their range, and it’s not the simplest either. But it’s one of the most characterful, and one that rewards exploration. If you’re a guitarist who loves ‘60s and ‘70s tones, or if you’re chasing ambience with a vintage flavour, this one is absolutely worth a look.

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Too good to be true? Sonicake Levitate

 Sonicake Levitate Review – Budget Ambience Done Right

When it comes to budget pedals, reverb and delay can often be hit or miss. Affordable delay pedals some diamonds within the fold, with classics like the Donner Yellow Fall or the Mooer AnaEcho punching well above their weight. Reverb, on the other hand, tends to be a lot more difficult to find great examples in the budget space. Occasionally you stumble across a gem like the Mosky Spring, but more often than not budget reverbs feel a little flat, a little lifeless, and ultimately uninspiring.

Sonicake clearly decided that wasn’t good enough. Ambience is such a vital part of modern guitar playing that there needed to be a proper go-to option for those on a budget. Enter the Sonicake Levitate—a compact dual reverb and delay pedal that aims to deliver practical, great-sounding ambience at a fraction of the cost of the big names.

Breaking Down the Levitate

The Levitate is essentially two pedals in one, split between its reverb side and its delay side. Both are controlled independently via their own footswitches, making it a versatile addition to any pedalboard.

On the reverb side, things are kept simple. You get just two controls: Reverb (which works as your mix knob) and Decay (which sets the length of the reverb). At shorter decay settings, you’re working with a modest reverb—subtle, natural (like the sound in the room), and perfect for adding a touch of space without overwhelming your dry tone. Turn the knob the other way, and it blooms into a spacious ambience that starts to take on a life of its own. Paired with the mix control, you can set it anywhere from “barely-there” airiness to “drenched in reverb” soundscapes where the effect becomes as important as the guitar itself.

The delay side, however, offers a few surprises. On paper, it looks standard enough, with Time and Feedback knobs to control the length of the repeats and how many you get. But here’s where Sonicake gets clever. Instead of a single mix knob, they’ve given the delay independent controls for the dry and wet signals.

At first glance, that might not seem like a big deal. After all, most delays handle this with a single knob that blends between the two. But if you’re the kind of player who likes to experiment, this is where the Levitate reveals its hidden depth. By dialling out the dry signal completely, you’re left with nothing but the wet repeats. That means you can stack modulation, distortion, or other effects onto the repeats themselves while keeping your original guitar tone pristine and unaffected. It’s a trick usually reserved for more expensive studio gear, but here it is on a £50 pedal. For ambient players, this opens up some serious creative potential—thick, washy textures sitting under your clean playing, or glitchy experimental tones that wouldn’t be possible otherwise.

Does it Rival the High-End Options?

No, no it doesn't. Next question... Ok, you want to know the details?  Here it is then. Is the Levitate going to rival a £300 Strymon reverb or delay in terms of tone and depth? No, of course not.  It offers more than you'd think though...

What makes the Levitate impressive is just how usable and musical it is for the price. At around £50, you’re getting a dual pedal that delivers reverb and delay of a quality much better than you’d expect. The reverb might not be dripping with the complex shimmer of a BigSky, but it’s solid, tasteful, and versatile. The delay, with its added blend functionality, is far more flexible than most budget offerings.

In short, it’s not about replacing your dream high-end ambient pedal. It’s about having a practical, reliable way to add ambience to your board without breaking the bank. For beginners or players just starting to explore ambience, it’s an ideal entry point. For seasoned players, it’s a surprisingly useful utility pedal that covers the basics with style.

Practical Features and Extras

Sonicake has a knack for cramming in extra features where you wouldn’t expect them, and the Levitate is no exception.

For starters, the delay footswitch doubles as a tap tempo when held down. That means you can lock your repeats to the tempo of the song—a feature that’s often missing from budget delays entirely. The method isn’t as immediate as having a dedicated tap switch, but it’s a clever way to pack in functionality without making the pedal larger or more complicated.

On the reverb side, holding the footswitch engages trails mode, letting the reverb decay naturally after you turn it off instead of cutting abruptly. Again, this is the kind of feature you often see missing even in pedals twice the price, and it makes the Levitate feel a lot more polished in use.

Then there’s the practical stuff: it’s compact for a dual pedal, it only takes up one output on your power supply, and it’s built solidly enough to stand up to regular gigging. It also only draws 92mA on your power supply, so you won't have to set aside one of the bigger draw outputs for this one.

Why the Levitate is a Budget Classic

Since this pedal landed at BPC Towers some years ago, I’ve been saying it: the Sonicake Levitate is a budget classic. In fact, day one of receiving it, I posted a short saying this exact thing and I am glad to say, I wasn't wrong. It’s not flashy, it’s not pretending to be a boutique pedal, and it’s certainly not trying to replace the Strymons and Empresses of the world. Instead, it focuses on giving players a strong, practical foundation for ambient tones at a price that makes it hard to say no.

Good reverb and delay are essential for most modern pedalboards. Whether you’re adding depth to a clean tone, filling out your solos, or creating lush ambient soundscapes, you need at least one of each. Having both covered in a single, compact, affordable pedal is a no-brainer.

The Levitate might not win awards for ground-breaking innovation, but it nails the essentials and sprinkles in just enough extra flexibility to make it stand out. For players curious about ambience but not ready to drop serious money, it’s a perfect gateway. For more experienced players, it’s a solid utility tool that can earn its place on a board as a backup or even a mainstay for smaller gigs.

Jerry Springer moment...

The world of budget pedals can be hit and miss, especially when it comes to ambience. But every so often, a pedal comes along that raises the bar for what’s possible at an entry-level price. The Sonicake Levitate is one of those pedals.

It combines solid, versatile reverb with a surprisingly flexible delay, throws in useful extras like tap tempo and trails, and packages it all into a compact, affordable unit. No, it won’t replace your £300 dream machine. But it was never supposed to. What it does is deliver dependable, musical ambience at a price that makes it accessible to everyone—and that’s something worth celebrating.

If you’re putting together your first pedalboard, or if you’re simply after a compact solution for reverb and delay without breaking the bank, the Sonicake Levitate should be at the top of your list.

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Time to Dime it?

 Sonicake Cowboy Distortion Review – A Mini Pedal with a Surprising Amount of Muscle

Sonicake have made a bit of a name for themselves in the world of mini pedals. Their range covers everything from ambient delays and modulation to bread-and-butter drives, all at seriously affordable prices. For players who want to experiment without dropping boutique money, Sonicake has become a bit of a go-to brand.

The Cowboy Distortion is their take on high-gain tones, but it’s not just another budget distortion box. What makes this one stand out is its powerful EQ section, its surprising versatility, and the way it captures that late-80s, hot-rodded amp vibe - it doesn't just get you Dimebag tones...

Let’s dig in and see what this tiny pedal has to offer.

EQ – Simpler but Still Powerful

One of the headline features of the Cowboy is its EQ. If you’ve ever used the Boss Metal Zone (MT-2), you’ll know it has one of the most powerful EQ sections ever built into a distortion pedal (for better or worse). You’ll also know that’s both a blessing and a curse. The Metal Zone can be shaped to sound incredible, but it can also be dialled into some truly horrendous tones if you’re not careful.

The Cowboy takes a more streamlined approach. The EQ here is still muscular enough to let you sculpt your sound, but it’s less intimidating and easier to work with. In practice, that means you can get useful tones more quickly without the fear of falling down a rabbit hole of endless tweaks.

Depending on your perspective, this is either a strength or a weakness. If you’re someone who loves ultra-precise tone shaping and enjoys the surgical flexibility of the Metal Zone, you might find the Cowboy’s EQ slightly limiting. But if you prefer plug-and-play simplicity and just want to get to the good sounds fast, the Cowboy really nails that balance.

Gain Range – From Blues Crunch to ’80s Firepower

Another surprise with the Cowboy is just how much gain it has on tap. A lot of mini-pedals in this price range stick to one niche — either low-gain overdrive, mid-gain crunch, or saturated distortion. The Cowboy covers all three.

• Low gain: Roll the knob back and you’ll find yourself in crunchy blues-rock territory. It’s dynamic enough to respond to your picking and guitar volume, which gives it a nice dynamic feel.
• Medium gain: Set the control around noon and you get a really satisfying hard rock crunch. Think stadium rock riffs, palm-muted power chords, and sustaining lead tones. It’s tight enough to keep things articulate but still has the thickness to fill out a band mix.
• High gain: Crank it, and you’re straight into late-’80s and early-’90s high-gain tones. Imagine a hot-rodded Marshall stack being pushed with a Tube Screamer up front — that’s the vibe. It roars without getting too fizzy, which is impressive at this price point.

I’ll be the first to admit: I’m not a die-hard high-gain distortion fan. My personal taste leans more towards lower-gain drives and edge-of-breakup tones. That said, the Cowboy manages to be versatile enough that you can still find usable settings at every stage of the gain range. Players who live in heavier styles will probably get even more out of it.

Build Quality and Details

Like all of Sonicake’s mini pedals, the Cowboy is built like a little tank. The metal enclosure feels reassuringly solid, the footswitch has a reassuringly quality feel, and the knobs are easy to use (despite being so small).

Sonicake also do something I really appreciate: they include a perfectly cut strip of Velcro in the box. It’s such a small touch, but it makes life easier if you want to get the pedal onto your board straight away. No digging through drawers, no messy scissors job. It’s thoughtful little details like this that make Sonicake feel like a company that actually thinks about the practical needs of musicians.

And given how compact this pedal is, it’s easy to slot onto even the busiest boards. For players who like to travel light, it’s a great candidate for a grab-and-go setup.

Tone Thoughts – and an Open Question

I’ve shared my impressions above, but here’s where I want to throw the question back to you all. I’m not the biggest high-gain distortion authority, and I’ll freely admit that. What I hear in the Cowboy is a convincing late-’80s high-gain sound, with enough versatility to cover crunch and bluesier edges as well.

But for those of you who live and breathe high-gain tones, I’d love to hear your take. Does it stack up against your go-to distortion pedals? Does it have enough character to replace something like a Metal Zone, or is it more of a “fun extra” to keep on the board? Drop your thoughts in the comments — I’m always up for learning more about how different ears hear pedals like this.

Who is the Cowboy For?

It'll do Dimebag tones, sure. It covers a whole load of other ground too. With the powerful EQ and a gain range that gives you so much control, you can dial in so much more than just the nasal, scratchy tone found on so many of those Pantera records (Dimebag was one heck of a guitarist, but his tone was certainly nowhere near as good as his playing).

It’s probably not for the player who wants the absolute maximum control over their EQ and is happy to spend hours fine-tuning. There are plenty of metal pedals out there that give you EQ control to the Nth degree, but you certainly aren't paying less than you are for the Sonicake.

Final Thoughts

The Sonicake Cowboy Distortion is a great example of what Sonicake does best: making affordable, practical, and surprisingly good-sounding mini pedals. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it delivers exactly what it promises — a versatile distortion with a powerful yet easy-to-use EQ.

The gain range makes it usable for more than just metal, the build quality inspires confidence, and the little extras (like pre-cut Velcro) show that Sonicake care about the small stuff.

It may not unseat legendary pedals like the Metal Zone in terms of sheer tweakability, but for the price and footprint, the Cowboy makes a strong case for itself. If you’re curious about distortion pedals and want a budget-friendly way to explore heavier tones, this little pedal is well worth a look.

And like I said earlier — I’d love to hear from the high-gain fans out there. Where does the Cowboy sit for you? Hidden gem, budget hero, or just a fun experiment? Let me know, because the more perspectives on pedals like this, the better.

If you'd like one of your own and you'd like to support the channel at the same time, please consider using this affiliate link (use code: budgetpedalchap for a discount): 

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