Description
Compact in size at 2.8 x 4.5 x 2.1”, the Electro-Harmonix Canyon is a pedal designed for electric guitar which provides eleven different time-based effects, from clean digital delay to tape echoes filled with wow and flutter. Modulation delay, reverse delay, octave delay, and more are all possible by means of a single rotary mode controller; the pedal not only provides an individual emulation of the well-regarded Deluxe Memory Man pedal, but also a Soul Preacher, a POG 2, and a second Memory Man, all chained together to give you a shimmering, echoed wash of harmony.
Indeed, many timbres and modulations are possible utilizing the Canyon’s relatively simple interface. You are provided with an FX level knob, a delay knob, a feedback controller, a tap/divide switch, and the aforementioned rotary mode controller. However, more controls are possible by selecting an effect and engaging the secondary knob mode, which gives you the ability to further tweak most of the individual effects. To create tap tempos to your liking, you can do so by stepping twice—or more—on the footswitch.
In addition to its conventional delay modes, the Canyon offers a 62-second phrase looper, with control over how loud the loop will be upon adding overdubs into the mix. You also can make use of the sample/hold effect, which will grab onto plucked notes of pre-selected sensitivity and repeat them until you play another note similar in velocity. A momentary footswitch can be routed into the pedal via a 1/4" jack. This is a mono pedal, with one 1/4” instrument input and one 1/4" instrument output. A power supply is included.
11 Different Modes
ECHO: This is a digital delay, in which each delayed repeat sounds exactly like the previous one, and the repeats gradually decrease in volume.
MOD: This is a modulated delay, giving you the same digital repeat structure as ECHO mode, but with added modulation to the delayed repeats to impart warmth and complexity on the echo.
MULTI: In Multi-Tap Delay mode, each repeat of the delayed signal occurs at exactly the same volume. The FEEDBACK knob sets the total number of these constant-volume repeats.
REVRS: In this Reverse Delay mode, your echoes will play in reverse, using an intelligent algorithm to study your playing so that it can produce reversed echoes that best suit the delay time setting. You can use the pedal’s Secondary Knob Mode to adjust the sensitivity of the intelligent pluck detection algorithm.
DMM: This mode provides a faithful emulation of the Deluxe Memory Man bucket-brigade analog delay pedal—specifically, its tone. Organic echoes will transform as they repeat, and lush modulation is available using Secondary Knob Mode.
TAPE: This mode simulates the prized analog tape echo units of the 1970s. Echoes degrade and distort as they repeat, as tape Wow and Flutter provide tape-like character.
VERB: In this mode, each echo also has plate reverb applied to it. If you turn the FEEDBACK knob all the way down, you’ll get a pure reverb effect, and the DELAY knob will control the pre-delay of the reverb.
OCT: In this octave delay, each repeat is progressively pitch shifted up one octave. You can also generate a sub-octave by using the Secondary Knob Mode.
SHIM: This mode creates a shimmer effect, generating a rich octave-shifted wash of harmony with your guitar. The pedal achieves this by modeling a chain of four other EHX pedals: The Soul Preacher compressor, the POG 2 Pitch Shifter, and the Stereo Memory Man Delay/Mod unit—all looped into a second Stereo Memory Man.
S/H: In sample/hold mode, the pedal senses each of pluck of your guitar, repeating them indefinitely until another pluck is sensed. The FEEDBACK knob will control the Canyon’s sensitivity to guitar plucks. At the minimum position, only the strongest plucks will trigger the S/H mode. As FEEDBACK is turned up, the sensitivity of this mode increases.
LOOP: Built into the pedal is a 62-second phrase looper. A recorded loop will be stored permanently, even when the unit is removed from power. The FEEDBACK knob controls the level of the existing loop that is preserved when overdubbing. Turning it all the way up will keep every overdub audible, but decreases in feedback will result in loops from long ago fading away into a sonic sunset.
Controls at a Glance
FX LVL Knob: This controls the output volume of the delay effect. As the knob is turned up, the delay output increases in volume. As the knob is turned past 2 o’clock, the dry signal decreases in volume. When the knob is at the maximum position, the output is only the delay output. In S/H and LOOP modes, the dry signal remains at unity volume even as FX LVL is turned to maximum.
DELAY Knob: This controls the delay time of the pedal, from a minimum position of 5 milliseconds to a maximum of 3 seconds.
FEEDBACK Knob: This parameter controls the number of repeats in the delayed signal. As this knob is turned clockwise, the number of repeats increases. In S/H mode, this knob controls the pluck detection sensitivity. As the knob is turned clockwise, the sensitivity increases. In LOOP mode, this knob controls how much of the existing loop is preserved when overdubbing. As the knob is rotated clockwise, more of the existing loop is preserved. At the maximum position, the loop will stay the same volume while overdubbing.
MODE Knob: This is an 11-position rotary switch that selects which of the pedal’s delay modes is active.
TAP/DIVIDE Switch and LED: This switch controls the Tap Divide setting. When the delay time is set using tap tempo, this button controls the division of the tapped tempo. Press the switch to cycle through the Tap Divide options, which are indicated by the LED color. Red indicates quarter notes, orange indicates dotted-eighth notes, and green indicates eighth notes. If the LED does not change color when pressing this switch, tap tempo is disabled internally.
BYPASS/ENGAGE/TAP Footswitch: Press this switch to toggle the pedal between bypass and effect modes. When the pedal is in effect mode, the LED will be lit. The footswitch can also be used to set the delay time by tapping it at least two times. This functionality is enabled from the factory, but can be disabled.
TAILS Switch: The pedal allows you to choose whether delayed echoes continue to repeat or stop immediately after the pedal is switched to bypass. To control this, remove the Canyon’s bottom cover and locate the small slide switch on the bottom of the board labeled “TAILS.” When Tails are set to "on," the echoes will continue to repeat after the pedal is switched to bypass, with the number of repeats set by the FEEDBACK knob. Anything you play after entering bypass will not repeat. If the pedal is set for infinite feedback (i.e., if the FEEDBACK knob is set to maximum), the repeats will continue until you turn the FEEDBACK knob down or switch to a different mode. In Sample/Hold mode, repeats will not continue indefinitely when Tails are on. The repeats will fade out over half a second. When Tails are set to off, all repeats will stop as soon as the bypass switch is pressed, regardless of the FEEDBACK knob setting.
Secondary Knob Mode
The pedal allows you to edit each mode—except for Echo and Loop—and thus, sculpt a unique tone. This is achievable by selecting the desired mode with the rotary control and holding the TAP/DIVIDE switch for one second. Now you can use the DELAY and FEEDBACK knobs to edit a secondary set of controls for each effect. These controls change from effect to effect, and each individual instance of editing will be stored until you change it again, or until you initiate a factory reset.
