Tape Echo
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