Real tape in a new stompbox? T-Rex Replicator

We hate to do this to the guitarists out there, but you need to start saving up $800. Rarely does a new pedal completely blow our minds, but this one is pretty special. Amidst of all the hullaballoo around pedal makers and players trying to nail down the best tape echo emulation delay pedal, T-Rex one-upped everybody and is now handcrafting real tape echo delay pedals.

T-Rex recently debuted the prototypes for their T-Rex Replicator at NAMM, so these are not quite ready for distribution, but come this fall, they will be selling handcrafted-in-Denmark tape-delay stompboxes. And to sweeten the pie even more, T-Rex co-founders Sebastian Jensen and Lars Dahl-Jorgensen have committed to hand-make the first 500 or so units themselves.

Like old vintage tape units, the actual magnetic tape will wear down in due time, but among the coolest features is that the pedals come with a built-in easy to remove cassette that contains an actual magnetic tape reel. These are simple to pop in and out and replace, which means you get tape delay without all the hassles of using high priced vintage tape units that wear out and have noisy and hard to replace parts. Plus, the tape will be made from a long lasting thick chrome material made in the US, so it should by all accounts last a really long time.

Perhaps best of all, the T-Rex Replicator comes with tap functionality and expression controls for easy to use live use, so there’s no on-stage dial turning required to get those delays rhythms and tones just right from song to song.

This is truly a first. Overall, the price tag is a bit steep, but not when you compare it to a vintage Echoplex or Space Echo unit that will be a hassle to maintain, produce more noise, and cost about $400 more. – Ryan Dembinsky