TL;DR: Erica Synths has released firmware update 1.04 for the Echolocator desktop delay, adding a frequency shifter option alongside the existing pitch shifter for the Shimmer effect. The update is free and available now, turning an already versatile performance delay into a more experimental sound design tool.
- Firmware 1.04 adds a selectable frequency shifter mode to the Shimmer effect, complementing the original pitch shifter.
- The update is free and downloadable from the Erica Synths website; no hardware modifications required.
- Echolocator remains a digital stereo delay with tap tempo, resonant filter, modulation, freeze, and built-in reverb.
- Priced at €569 / $521, the unit is now shipping and fully MIDI-controllable with 30 factory presets and 70 user slots.
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What is the Echolocator?
For those who blinked and missed it, the Erica Synths Echolocator is a digital stereo delay in a desktop metal enclosure that arrived alongside Nightverb last year. Developed with 112db, it’s a performance-focused box designed to be tweaked in real time—no menu diving, no hidden subpages. Every parameter has a knob, and every knob invites you to twist it during a live set.
It’s not trying to replace your rack-mounted digital delay from the 80s. It’s a tool for the DAWless crowd, the modular-adjacent, the people who want to shape delay textures without staring at a screen. The layout is straightforward: Time, Feedback, Mix, Ping Pong, a resonant filter, modulation depth, freeze, and the Shimmer parameter that just got a lot more interesting.
The unit also includes a one-knob reverb, which is handy but not the star of the show. The delay engine is the heart here, and it sounds clean, gritty, or anything in between depending on how you push the filter and feedback.
The Firmware Update: Pitch vs. Frequency Shifter
Firmware 1.04 doesn’t overhaul the interface or add a thousand new presets. It does something smarter: it adds a frequency shifter option to the Shimmer effect. Previously, Shimmer was tied to a pitch shifter—useful for those ethereal, octave-up delay tails that make everything sound like a cathedral with a hangover. Now, you can toggle to frequency shifting, which is a whole different beast.
Frequency shifting doesn’t preserve harmonic relationships. It shifts every frequency by a fixed amount, resulting in metallic, sci-fi, sometimes chaotic textures. Think ring modulation but with delay feedback. It’s the kind of effect that can turn a simple chord into a bubbling alien landscape. For experimental producers and sound designers, this is gold.
The update is free and straightforward to install via USB. No soldering, no sending your unit back to Latvia. Just download, flash, and suddenly your Echolocator can do things it couldn’t before. That’s the kind of update we appreciate—no hype, just utility.
Key Specs and Performance Features
Let’s get the numbers out of the way. The Echolocator is a digital stereo delay with a frequency response that covers the audible spectrum. It offers tap tempo, so you can lock in delay times live. The resonant filter is post-feedback, which means self-oscillation is a real possibility if you push it—and you should.
Modulation is built in, with controls for rate and depth. The Freeze function captures the current buffer and holds it, looping whatever chaos you’ve created. The unit has 30 factory presets and 70 user slots, all exportable via USB. MIDI in/out, stereo inputs and outputs, and a configurable footswitch jack round out the connectivity.
Dimensions are compact: it sits comfortably on a desktop or in a Eurorack case with an adapter. The build quality is typical Erica Synths—aluminum, solid, knobs that feel like they’ll outlast your grandchildren. Power is via a standard 12V adapter.
The new frequency shifter mode is selectable per preset, so you can have some patches with pitch shifting and others with frequency shifting. That kind of flexibility makes the update feel essential rather than optional.
Market Context and Who It’s For
At €569 / $521, the Echolocator sits in a competitive space. You can get a Strymon Timeline for more, a Boss DD-500 for less, or a used Eventide for about the same. But the Echolocator isn’t competing on feature count. It’s competing on immediacy and character.
This is for the person who wants to twist knobs during a set, not scroll through menus. It’s for the modular user who wants a delay that doesn’t require patching. It’s for the studio producer who wants a dedicated delay box with a distinct voice. The new frequency shifter mode makes it even more appealing for sound designers who crave unpredictability.
If you’re looking for a pristine, digital delay with infinite headroom and pristine clarity, look elsewhere. The Echolocator has personality—it can be clean, but it’s more fun when it’s messy. The firmware update just expands the mess-making possibilities.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I install the firmware update on the Echolocator?
Download the 1.04 firmware file from the Erica Synths website. Connect the Echolocator to your computer via USB, put the unit into update mode (instructions are in the manual), and transfer the file. The process takes about two minutes.
Can I use both pitch shifting and frequency shifting at the same time?
No. The Shimmer effect offers a choice between pitch shifter and frequency shifter, but you cannot use both simultaneously on the same patch. However, you can assign either mode to different presets, so you can switch between them on the fly.
Does the update affect the existing presets?
No. The update does not overwrite factory presets. Your user presets are also preserved. The frequency shifter option appears as a new selectable parameter in the Shimmer section, so existing presets remain unchanged until you edit them.
We at Noxal are now considering whether our morning pour-over would benefit from a touch of frequency-shifted reverb. Probably not, but we’re going to try anyway—for science.