
Headrush Delay
Tape Echo
Inspired by Maestro® Echoplex EP-3
The Tape Echo simulates vintage tape delays, with typical characteristics:
- Repetitions hot and degraded
- Natural ribbon modulation
- Signal saturation
- Analog imperfections
It is the most "alive" and vintage delay
SOUND CHARACTER
- More and more repetitions dark and dirty
- Slight modulation (wow & flutter)
- Progressive saturation
- Sound organic and analog
Perfect for:
- Blues
- Rock Vintage
- Ambient analog
Control Parameters
SyncY/N
Sync to BPM:
- Y → musical divisions
- N → milliseconds
Delayms / Picklist
Delay time:
- 80–120 ms → slapback
- 300–500 ms → rhythmic
- 600+ ms → ambient
Feedback%
Number of repetitions:
- Low → few
- Medium → sustain
- High → many
Above 70% → vintage self-oscillation
Mix%
Amount of Delay:
- 0–20% → light
- 25–35% → standard
- 40%+ → obvious
Record Level%
Recording level on the “tape”:
- Low → clean
- Medium → hot
- High → saturated
Louder = more analog distortion
Head Tilt%
Simulate head alignment:
- Low → brighter
- High → darker
Controls the tone of the delay
Wow%
Belt instability (pitch):
- Low → stable
- High → noticeable movement
“Wow & flutter” effect
HissY/N
Tape noise:
- Y → more vintage
- N → cleaner
TailsY/N
Bypass behavior:
- Y → continue
- N → immediate stop
Pro Tips
- Want vintage → raise Record Level + Wow
- Want dark → raise Head Tilt
- Want clean → lower Record Level
- Want ambient → raise Feedback
Sweet spots:
- Delay: 400 ms
- Feedback: 35%
- Mix: 30%
- Record Level: 60%
- Head Tilt: 50%
- Wow: 20%
- Perfect tape sound
For “Space Echo” sound:
- Wow: average
- Head Tilt: medium-high
- Feedback: High
Delay that “breathes”
Quick Reference
- Sync: Sync tempo
- Delay: Time
- Feedback (%): Repetitions
- Record Level %: Saturation
- Mix (%): Effect quantity
- Head Tilt %: Tone (dark/bright)
- Wow (%): Instability
- Hiss: Analog noise
- Tails: Tail
Setup Examples
Vintage slapback
Delay100 ms
Feedback15%
Mix20%
Record Level55%
Head Tilt40%
Wow10%
Rockabilly
Classic tape echo
Delay400 ms
Feedback35%
Mix30%
Record Level60%
Head Tilt50%
Wow20%
Vintage rock
Ambient analog
Delay600–700 ms
Feedback55%
Mix35%
Record Level65%
Head Tilt60%
Wow30%
HissY
Atmospheric
Hot lead
Delay450 ms
Feedback40%
Mix30%
Record Level60%
Head Tilt50%
Wow15%
Natural sustainability

