

McDSP EC-300 Plugin Review
REVIEW January 22, 2019 Baby Brown 1

Stir of Echoes
It has been duly noted that we are all (and by all I mean every human being currently living on planet Earth) barely six degrees away from Kevin Bacon. Well, it would seem that in the land of In The Box delays most of our plugins are barely six degrees
away from an EchoPlex. I honestly don’t know if that’s strictly true – but how do you pick a go-to, vintage sounding delay from the morass of copy-cats out there? Well recently, the McDSP EC-300 came to our attention so we decided to take a look.
“how do you pick a go-to, vintage sounding delay
from the morass of copy-cats out there?”
What's All This Then?
The EC-300 is definitely a very interesting addition to the vintage delay paradigm. It is essentially three different types of units packaged in a quite beautiful interface. Each is designed to grab you attention and give a sweet, user friendly environment in which to do ‘that thing’.
Those three environs are of course, Analog, Digital and Tape. The logic being that each of these has it’s own unique flavor that it will impart to your track or vocal. However, we already have a plethora of delays, both modern and classic to choose from. So why the EC-300?
“The EC-300 is essentially three different types of units packaged in a quite beautiful interface.”
Magnetic
Above: It all starts here…
Magnetic really does bare more than a passing resemblance to an EchoPlex but, that is a really beautiful thing. In fact, just pulling this plugin up in your DAW is an inspirational action. As with all McDSP plugs the EC-300 feels both modern and classic at the same time. Everything is accessible from the single face GUI and the options-bar along the bottom gives you access to some basic, but very useful, Global functionality.
“…the options bar along the bottom gives you access to some basic, but very useful functionality.”
For a start, it’s where you can switch between the three different types of delay under DELAY TYPE on the far left. Next up you’ll see DELAY CHARACTER which allows you to pick the type of tape style (when using the Magnetic interface), CLEAN or SIM when using DIGITAL (SIM is short for Simulation, which we’ll touch on later) or TONE TYPE when using the Bucket Brigade aping Analog module. Next you have the TEMPO CONTROL
where you can sync to host bpm or simply free-ball it in milliseconds and finally comes the (now) ubiquitous TAP for tempo button which I have always found to be far more worthwhile in concept than reality. Next up is a horizontal GROOVE slider to pocket your delay of choice and on the far right of the bar is the DELAY MODE selector which gives you a choice of SINGLE, DUAL or PING PONG modes in all modules.
“…on the far right of the bar is the DELAY MODE selector which gives you a choice of SINGLE, DUAL or PING PONG modes in all modules.”
I’ve always been very particular about tape delay simulations because tape delay, more than almost any other effect is ALL VIBE. Of course, Soundtoys EchoBoy is an accepted modern classic and it also has some very convincing tape delay chops but the EC-300’s Magnetic module brings something extra to the table. It’s not just the really sweet width control with its divergent needle VU, or the incredibly useful, super responsive and therefore very effective ducking control. Perhaps it’s the Wow and Flutter dials or maybe a combination of all those.
Above: Adjusting Magnetic’s Width
Above: … Be careful!
It can get extremely (read as all caps) lively when injudicious input is applied to the FEEDBACK control. However it is equally responsive without some of the latency that has annoyed me on other emulations. This means that I was supremely confident midi-mapping that knob to my controller and becoming my alter ego, Baby ‘King Fatty’ Brown. I must have spent almost an hour dialing up triplet Delays and riding them into oblivion when I was actually supposed to be mixing a track for Jamaican Reggae Artist, Yung JR (Bassick Records). So, to addend my own statement… Yes, it’s vibey!
Above: Sweet Saturation
“…it is equally responsive without some of the latency that has annoyed me on other emulations.”
To be honest you either like the tape delay sound or you don’t. I do and subsequently began falling in love with the EC-300 almost immediately. The texture is amazing. Pure lo-fi distress, very convincing and surprisingly appropriate over a huge range of differing production and mixing tasks.
“…I began falling in love with the EC-300 almost immediately.”
Analog
Moving on to the Analog module it swiftly became apparent that the ducking compressor and width control are provided for all modules, which is great. The four modulation controls on the other hand, are only provided for the Analog and Digital modules, though you could look at modulation as a form of updated Wow and Flutter…
The sound of the Analog module is definitely characterful – like a pair of worn out jeans. The ducking control on all modules may be switched to simple compression if one wishes to crush or squeeze the delay at source and it proved extremely effective on the Analog module.
Above: Meters have a very
convincing movement and feel
“The sound of the Analog module is definitely characterful – like a pair of worn out jeans.”
Above: Switching to Dual Mode on the Analog Module
“Phenomenally quick to dial in… the Analog module is certainly easy to work with.”
Digital
Above: EQ and Speaker Sim in Digital Mode
Above: Digital’s central panel
“This… really worthwhile twist… combined with the surprisingly flexible EQ and on board compressor makes for a very powerful unit”
CONCLUSION
“…the EC-300 is definitely in the highest echelons of the genre. This is absolutely what a great vintage delay should sound like.”
Price and Availability
McDSP‘s excellent EC-300 Echo Collection is currrently $129 USD for Native or $179 for the Pro Tools HD version.
You may download the 14 day demo or buy directly from here
Compatibility
Compatible on Mac OS
HD v6: AAX DSP/Native, AU, VST
Native v6: AAX Native, AU, VST
Compatible on Windows
HD v6: AAX DSP/Native, AU, VST
Native v6: AAX Native, AU, VST
NB: Free iLok account, iLok License Manager and an iLok version 2 or 3 USB key is required
NB: iLok cloud is now supported with all McDSP V6 plugins
- Low CPU hit
- 3 era's for the price of 1
- The sound
- No presets in VST format
- Shaky GUI