This unit has not only changed my overall guitar sound but the way i play as well.
It is feature rich and extremely versatile. Aside from Time, repeats and Mix, the "tape age" dial controls the tone allowing for bright digital delay sounds to very dark/warm analogue delay while the wow & flutter dial allows you to recreate the deliciously manky sound of a worn and loose tape. The tape head switch gives the option to select between fixed(16th, 8th, and 4th notes), multi(creates the sound of using different combinations of tape heads:1+2,1+3,2+3 - I understand only vaguely how this is working but it sounds great and quite different from the fixed mode), and Single. I haven't used the Single option much but the "C" setting provides a loop function; tap to start the loop tap again to start a second loop, hold down to clear the loop. I found this to be quite messy when performing but it does allow you to harmonize with yourself quite nicely and i can accede to the messiness being down to unfamiliarity with the unit.
There is a second set of controls that are accessed by holding down both footswitches; the time dial controls the units reverb feature in this setting. I haven't used many of the other hidden controls yet but will no doubt experiment some more in the future.
If i lost this i would seek counselling and, when i had dealt with the loss, buy another one. If it was stolen i would form a vigilant death squad to get it back.
If i had an underground bunker stocked with provisions to weather the Apocalypse the El Capistan would be the third thing to go into the supply cache; after my guitar and amp and before water.