The Library

Gear history, verified

The research behind our instruments, published. Histories of the machines that shaped recorded music — written from factory manuals, patents and schematics, with the myths checked against the record. All gear and manufacturer names are used for historical identification only; Recode Audio is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of them.

Tape Echo · 1970s

The Echoplex EP-3: The Tape Echo That Was Wrong on Purpose

Why a sliding record head, a factory-recall compressor board, and a delay scale that lies became the most musical mistakes in echo history.

7 min read

Synth Effects · 1982

The Juno Chorus: One Button, 256 Buckets, and a Famous Mislabel

How Roland turned a cost-cutting BBD circuit into the widest button in synth history — and why the service manual's own numbers are wrong.

6 min read