"A tape delay plugin that finally sounds like the real thing": Heritage Audio takes on the legendary Echoplex with its TAPEoPLEX plugin
Favoured by Brian May, Jimmy Page and Joe Satriani, the Echoplex is one of history's most iconic effects units

Heritage Audio is a Spanish manufacturer focused on creating modern recording equipment that captures the spirit and sound of vintage gear; the company has a solid reputation for delivering high-performance, retro-inspired hardware that's often affordably priced.
The company also has a fast-growing collection of plugins in its product catalogue, a list that expanded this week with the release of TAPEoPLEX, an emulation of the classic Echoplex hardware tape delay favoured by Brian May, Jimmy Page and Joe Satriani, among many others.
Released in 1961, the Maestro Echoplex EP-1 was a hugely influential tape echo unit that spawned several popular follow-ups, including the sought-after EP-2 and solid-state EP-3.
Heritage Audio tells us that TAPEoPLEX has been meticulously modelled on an original Echoplex and can deliver everything from soft and clean delays to distorted, self-oscillating repeats imbued with the space, depth and warmth that's so characteristic of the Echoplex.
TAPEoPLEX's interface closely mirrors that of the original hardware, with controls for Echo Time, Echo Repeats and Echo Volume joined by adjustable input level and a two-band EQ.
Unlike the original, though, TAPEoPLEX is a stereo delay with independent delay times for left and right channels, both of which can be synced to your DAW's tempo. An additional control also lets you change the amount of wear-and-tear on your simulated tape loops, adding a chosen level of colour and harmonic distortion to the wet signal.
Priced at €99.00/$99.00, TAPEoPLEX is available for free to owners of any of Heritage Audio's i73 PRO audio interfaces. The plugin is compatible with macOS and Windows and available in VST3/AU/AAX formats.
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I'm MusicRadar's Tech Editor, working across everything from product news and gear-focused features to artist interviews and tech tutorials. I love electronic music and I'm perpetually fascinated by the tools we use to make it. When I'm not behind my laptop keyboard, you'll probably find me behind a MIDI keyboard, carefully crafting the beginnings of another project that I'll ultimately abandon to the creative graveyard that is my overstuffed hard drive.
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