Electro Harmonix Attack Decay Tape Reverse Simulator Stompbox

General

Sadly, and like many vintage effects pedals that are no longer made, you're incredibly unlikely to come across the original '80s Reverse Simulator. By way of apology, Electro Harmonix offer the Attack Decay stompbox. Those devoted to the classic original will be elated to hear that this little box is just as capable of the original envelope-effects, reverse tape effects, super-short staccato notes and delicious volume swells. By adding in the integrated Harmonix Fuzz, you can even get a little close to that distinctive bowed string-instrument sound. To get the full extent of the magic this box is able to weave, hook up an expression pedal and assign it control over one of the parameters.

The Attack Decay: The Hunt for the Hallowed Tape-Effect

Once you get your hands on the Attack Decay, it's a good idea to start by selecting your preferred mode and making this the foundation of your sound. In Mono mode, an envelope is assigned to every attack. If you strike more notes in Poly mode, then every note gets its own volume-envelope per attack. Once you've found your mode, use the Attack control pot to determine the extremity of the reaction to your dynamics and set the length of the tail using the Decay pot. In classic EHX fashion, if you'd like a little more of your dry signal mixed in with glorious-tape-sound (or less, or none) then, simply tweak the Blend pot. Once you've carefully customised a few preferred sounds, they can be saved to one of the three user preset slots.