Pre Loved Akai E2 Headrush Delay Looper Inc PSU
Pre Loved Akai E2 Headrush Delay Looper Inc PSUPre Loved Akai E2 Headrush Delay Looper Inc PSUPre Loved Akai E2 Headrush Delay Looper Inc PSUPre Loved Akai E2 Headrush Delay Looper Inc PSUPre Loved Akai E2 Headrush Delay Looper Inc PSU

Pre Loved Akai E2 Headrush Delay Looper Inc PSU

MPN: SHAKAIHEADRUSH-JW

Availability: in stock

£70.00

This pre loved Akai Professional E2 Headrush is in good working condition and is a classic multi-function digital delay, tape echo emulator, and looping recorder pedal. Enclosed in a rugged, iconic blue metal chassis, this dual-footswitch pedal became famous for its reliable live performance capabilities and its distinct multi-amplifier routing options.
An overview of its distinct three-mode architecture, control layout, and unique connectivity options is detailed below:

Core Performance Modes

  • Normal Delay: A 16-bit digital delay offering pristine repeats ranging from 0.5 milliseconds up to 23.8 seconds. It features a built-in tap-tempo function controlled via the right footswitch.
  • Tape Echo: A specialized simulator that mimics a vintage four-head analog tape machine with a maximum delay of 5.9 seconds. Musicians can tweak the decay and physical spacing (head gap) between the virtual tape heads to create lush, three-dimensional rhythmic patterns.
  • Looping Recorder: A streamlined, highly intuitive looper with unlimited overdubbing layers. It offers up to 11.9 seconds of recording time in "Normal" quality (44.1kHz) or up to 23.8 seconds in "Extended" mode (29.4kHz sample rate).

Control Interface

  • Knobs: Level (mix), HF Damp (cuts high frequencies to simulate analog tape degradation), Feedback, Time Coarse, Time Fine (or Head Gap), and Ratio.
  • Switches: Mode Select, Loop Level (Fixed/Adjustable), and Loop Time (Normal/Extend).
  • Footswitches: The left footswitch governs On/Off and Play/Stop functions, while the right footswitch commands Tap Tempo, Record, and Overdub.

Unique Multi-Output Connectivity

The most notable feature of the E2 Headrush is its array of five 1/4" output jacks:
 
  • Mix/Head 1: Outputs the standard blended wet/dry signal.
  • Heads 2, 3, and 4: In Tape Echo mode, the signal from each individual virtual tape head is separated and sent to its own independent output. This allows players to route different repeats to up to four separate amplifiers or mixer channels for a massive panning soundscape.

Cultural Legacy

Though it lacks modern luxuries like internal preset memory storage or loop saving, the Akai E2 Headrush remains highly sought after on the used market. It is celebrated for its dead-simple, fail-safe live looping workflow, famously utilized by solo artists such as KT Tunstall to build full acoustic arrangements from scratch on stage.