Greetings again, stompbox
fans and fanatics. I trust
the intervening months since
my debut column [
“Ode toGear,” July 2011] have been
filled with music and delicious-smelling
equipment. This
month, I’m going to tackle
a slightly (only slightly) less
esoteric subject. I want to
talk about a particular pedal
I acquired some years ago.
Actually, to be completely honest,
I acquired two of them.
Wonderful, quirky devices are
these: Meet the Morley EVO-1
Echo Volume.
What, a single pedal that
measures 18" x 7 1/2"? Well,
this is understandable when
you consider this ’70s device
features an AC motor, an oilcan
drum, and a burly Morley
Expression pedal housing. And
this thing sounds fantastic!
Cantankerous and unreliable,
yes, but when the beast works,
oh how the heavens open
and glorious angelic pulses of
delayed sound drip from the
speakers of my tweed Twin. It
really is that special.
For the uninitiated, the
EVO-1 was Morley’s contribution
to guitar-pedal delay devices.
A rather colossal addition, I
might add. The “oilcan delay”
was invented by a very clever
chap named Ray Lubow. Ray
and his brother had a company
called Tel-Ray, and they supplied
their oilcan delay module—
which was originally called the
“Adineko Memory System”—to
other companies, including
Fender and Gibson. Eventually
Ray and his brother started
producing their own standalone
units under the name Morley.
At the heart of the EVO-1
lies the oilcan unit. This is a
drum containing a spinning,
anodized metallic disc with rubber
“read” and “write” heads
pushed against its side. And
there’s a little magic oil in the
bottom—just enough to coat
the metal disc and keep the
oxygen out. The oil and anodized
disc work as a dielectric
(which means it can store a
charge or signal). So, as the
disc spins around past the write
head, a thin layer of oil coats
the disc and the signal is stored
electrostatically. When the disc
passes by the read head, the
slightly delayed signal is relayed
to the circuitry and sent to the
EVO-1’s output.
The beauty of this oilcan
technology is actually a result of
its failure to work as a straightforward
delay unit. Rather than
providing crisp, accurate repeats,
the oil can offers up watery,
warbly, vibrato sounds that are
unpredictable and oh-so gorgeous.
The fact that the medium
carrying the audio information
is constantly fighting gravity and
doing its very best to drip off
the metallic disc is only the start
of the hijinks. The AC mains-powered
motor is notoriously
inconsistent. This, coupled with
a rubber drive belt and pulley
arrangement, yields significant
wow-and-flutter. It’s a design
truly worthy of Heath Robinson.
In today‘s gear environment,
where we’re blessed with more
and more builders producing
their own pedals and equipment,
I think it’s good to step
back and look at something that
truly is a work of genius—in
concept, if nothing else. Really,
the idea that you could use a
spinning disc with a carrier oil
to create a delay sound? Forget
about changing a few values here
and there to an existing design,
the oilcan delay is invention
on a grand scale. If you have a
technical inclination, you can
study exactly what’s happening
in the oilcan, as the patents can
be found online (look for US
Patents 2892898 and 3072543).
I take my hat off to Ray
Lubow—he is a complete
inspiration to anyone who has
endeavored to think outside the
box. Ray passed away in 2002 at
age 82, having forever changed
the face of ’70s guitar effects
with his giant chrome boxes.
“If it ain’t chrome, it ain’t got
the tone” was their catch cry.
I think as creators—whether
you’re making music, pedals, or
anything—it’s incredibly important
to keep people like Ray
Lubow and his oilcan delay well
in mind. When everything feels
like it has been done and there’s
nothing new to add to the mix,
think of Ray and be inspired!
If you want to learn more
about the EVO-1 and this
unique technology, get involved
with the small but passionate
community of enthusiasts
posting information in various
forums online. As a first port of
call, I’d recommend checking
out Tel-Ray Oilcan Addicts at
telrayoilcanaddicts.yuku.com.
And to hear the fantastic-sounding
Morley EVO-1 in
action, watch the demo below:
Ben Fulton designs Red Witch analog pedals, which are heard in arenas, studios, and bedrooms around the world. Andy Summers and Reeves Gabrels are pleased he ended up doing this instead of going to prison. His mum is relieved about this, too.