The Ecoplate Reverb c. 1980

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• Didn't one of Ed Dell's magazines run a DIY plate reverb project very similar to this one (at least in appearance?)

• I used to build the Ecoplates, models 1, 2, and 3, for Studio Technologies in Lincolnwood, Illinois, back in the 80's. They were designed by Jim Cuningham, and were a knockoff of EMT's big plate. Ours was much smoother and brighter and less expensive than EMT's that they stopped making their big plate.
  Ken Kruse

  • hi ken! thanks for getting in touch. Did Studio Technologies have any other products?

    • They also made a stereo simulator, mono in, simulated stereo out. It had some kind of comb filters in it. It too was designed by Jim Cuningham.
      http://www.studio-tech.com/pdfs/archive/ds_gen2_4.pdf

  • Ken:

    Please call me at 715 486-6202 as I am interested in an Echoplate.

    • I have an Ecoplate II and live in Mpls. MN
      Are you still looking?

      • Hey Jim:

        Please call me back as I spoke to a studio owner last weekend in Wisconsin that wants to buy your Echoplate II.

        Bobby

        • Bobby I think own the ecoplate that was used on the snare for Thriller - email me if interested: mattmalley@mac.com

      • I am looking.
        Doug
        818-588-1817

        • I have an echo plate 1 if you are still looking.
          619 252-8763
          Steve

      • Doug Messenger here. I am interested in an Echoplate i or ii.
        818-588-1817
        Thanks.

  • Ken, how can i get in contact with you ? Do you still make these? regards

  • Hello Mr. Kruse. My name is Kendall Brown, and I am an audio engineer and equipment owner currently residing in the New York, Tri State area. I am in possession of a pair of Ecoplate II's and am willing to part with them. I wish to make anyone that is interested aware that one of the units is missing the audio interface and I do not possess the remote units required to manipulate the reverb time.
    Additionally, I also possess a pristine pair of Altec "Big Red" studio monitors that I'm willing to sell.
    Anyone who is interested in discussing the acquisition of these devices, I can be reached via the following:
    646-489-0000
    646-345-8323
    basherbrown@gmail.com
    basherbrownaudio@aol.com
    Thank you in advance for your time.
    Professionally.
    Kendall A. Brown
    Basher Brown Audio Production Services LLC

• I have an ecoplate, the larger 4x8 model, it's a great reverb, very musical, great tone.

  • drew, do you still have it ? do you sell it ? greetings

• Not sure if this tread is still active but here goes - I have an Ecoplate III that is in very good shape. Measures about 56x38x9 inches, so I am guessing it's one of the smaller offerings from Studio Technologies. Definitely willing to sell but not willing to ship. I'm in East Tennessee if anyone is interested. Thanks!

  • WR Livesay,

    How much do you want for the Ecoplate III?

    Trevor

  • Did you end up selling this? I'm in TN.
    mattvallen
    @gmail

• I would love to buy it and can pick it up
  vincentgallo@vincentgallo.com

  • I have an Ecoplate II and live in Mpls. MN
    Are you still interested?

    • I am interested.

    • Jim, do you still have this? I am in Mpls as well.

• Ecoplates are great reverbs and sound much different then EMT plates (which is a welcome option to have)! There's a large (4'x8') version at the studio where I do most of my sessions and I use it all the time.

  Question for the experts: Did all Ecoplates come standard with remote controllers? Or are there hand crank only models as well?

  Thanks!

  • I have an Ecoplate II and a III. neither came with a remote.
    I also have Jim Cunningham's prototype remote ( somewhat cannibalized for parts) and what I suppose is his original schematic.

    • Jim’s remote setup was interesting to say the least, I remember that the remote control (wired), had an analog meter, like meter on a VOM with a sweeping needle that he somehow got to show the position of the dampening plate using an electric signal from the motor assembly installed on the Ecoplate Unit, installed somewhere remotely.

  • The remote control was extra cost option. A lever/pointer, that you moved by hand was the standard method for adjusting the delay time. That lever/pointer was attached to an acoustical dampening plate, that would move closer to and farther from the special alloy plate, suspended by the four corners, that was excited by the voice coil/magnet assembly, which was mounted slightly left of center on the plate. Dry mono signal to excite the plate, simulated stereo, wet signal received by either Columbia Scientific accelerometers,(early model, Ecoplate I) or Barcus Berry HotDot piezoelectric pickups,(later model Ecoplate I, II, III) one mounted on the left side of the plate, the other on the right at dissimilar distances from each end,(hence the simulated stereo). When the dampening plate is moved close to the alloy plate, there is little to no reverb, when you move it away, the reverb increases.
    The reverb you hear on Thriller, Bad, anything by The Brothers Johnson, Quincy Jones, Michael McDonald (Sweet Freedom), George Benson (Give Me The Night), to name a few big names the were recorded using Ecoplate I

  • Most EcoPlates were sold without remotes, and were manually adjustable. On the top of the cabinet there was a threaded stud sticking out. The stud was part of the dampening plate mechanism and is what the pointer and the remote control option attached to. There was a plate with a scale that marked reverb time and the pointer would point to the scale. You moved the pointer by hand to the desired reverb setting. With the remote, you would push one of two buttons for more or less reverb.

• hi folks. al here, proud owner of an ecoplate I s/n 1011. does anyone have the electronics schematics and/or any other tech info ?
  thanks!
  flrec.com

• I cofounded the rock band Counting Crows and play bass on all of their hit records. I bought Bruce Swedien’s ranch in 1999 and inherited his Jim Cunningham Ecoplate which sits in the attic of my studio building and works beautifully, thanks to a saint by the name of Benno who is the repair and service technician for Grundman Mastering in Los Angeles. Benno took the brain of my plate into his care for a couple of weeks and fixed and updated it. It’s a famous plate I’m told because among other things, it was used on the snare on Thriller by Michael Jackson. I spoke with Bruce about 10 years ago because I wanted to give it back to him but neither of us could figure out an affordable way to get it out of my attic! Anyway I’m here to say that the Echoplate is a thing of beauty…it’ll make a sneeze sound like an ABBA record.

  • Oops sorry for the double post!

• I have an Ecoplate II in great shape for sale if anyone is interested! I am in Long Island, NY.

  Email me @ danlaconti27@gmail.com

  • Dan, Is this still for sale?? I am in Chapel Hill, NC. Building a new studio and considering a plate reverb.

    John
    Fletcher B Studios

• Jim Cunningham was a tech at United Western Recorders and was charged with tweaking and modifying equipment to be a little better than the versions competing studios had. He experimented with EMT 140's and tweaked and brightened them up. Eventually he made his own, with cold rolled steel he felt was superior to the EMT, and his own electronics.
  The particle board cases have eyehooks so they could be suspended to minimize pickup of ground vibrations (traffic etc.) which they were suseptible to (like EMT's). United Western had an upstairs room with several plates hanging.
  I have the very first production model of the Ecoplate 1 for sale (i'm the original owner, direct from Jim Cunningham), in a package with a 2nd ecoplate 1. There are a few spare parts, and some little bit of documentation. They need some work.
  For years they were my favorite reverb (I had Lex's and EMT 240's). There signal to noise was not as good as a current convolution emulation, which is what I've been using for several years now. So mine are stored in a shed under my living room, down a little bit of a hill inaccessible to vehicles. It usually takes 4 people because in the particle board case the 8' by 4' x 16" unit weighs about 400 lbs, unless it's disassembled.
  8 years ago there were three channels (from 2 outs of each unit) working. I think most of the problem is the little tiny wires from the pickups going onto the bnc connectors.
  I'd rather not spend the time to check or test them further.
  I'd entertain offers - you move, 30' up a 20 degree grade hill and 100 feet to parking in the Santa Cruz California Mountains
  Try me at catalogueordering@yahoo.com, which I check every few months maybe- I'm not in a hurry.

  • I bought both of "g"s plates end of 2018. Nightmare getting them moved but thankfully with the help of a local piano mover managed to do it. Electronics needed work, got one repaired, tech couldn't figure out how to fix the second one.Will try again eventually, waiting for that Covid vaccine...