This evening belonged to the Empire 67.
Just twenty minutes. Empire 67 into Dorcas, then into the Phil Jones Bass X4C, monitored through the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro. Nothing loud. Nothing rushed. Just another quiet opportunity to explore.
The first half of the session paired the VOX Cooltron Bulldog Distortion with the TC Electronic Infinite Sample Sustainer. The Bulldog was set modestly—Gain 1 around eleven o’clock, Volume at two, Bass at one, and Treble at ten. The Infinite remained in its now-familiar reverb mode, creating a surprisingly convincing pseudo slapback. The result was spacious without sounding like a traditional delay, allowing the Bulldog’s musical character to shine through.
For the second half, I switched over to the ThorpyFX Team Medic. With the gain sitting at eleven o’clock, volume at two, bass and treble both around eleven, and the mids pushed to two o’clock, the Team Medic produced a wonderfully articulate edge-of-breakup tone. This time, the Black Country Customs Secret Path handled the ambience. Once again, the slapback effect was convincing—slightly longer in its tail than the Infinite, but equally satisfying in a completely different way.
What struck me most wasn’t which sounded “better.”
It was the realisation that I no longer felt dependent on a dedicated delay pedal to achieve the sounds I enjoy. The Infinite and the Secret Path, each in their own way, delivered enough space and reflection that the Mimic Mock I has comfortably stepped into guest status within Dorcas.
Two different gain voices.
Two different approaches to ambience.
Two convincing interpretations of slapback.
One thoroughly enjoyable twenty-minute session.