Tape Echo is a tape delay effect plugin from AIR Music Technology, an authentic recreation of the Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo. It runs as VST3, VST2 and AU on Windows and macOS.
Tape Echo models the sound of classic tape delay hardware. It recreates the Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo, with its multi-head modes, and adds a joggable playhead, BPM sync and a built-in chorus section. The plugin also includes a preamp with three character modes, spring reverb, and tone and stereo controls. Motor drift, dropouts and tape noise are included to reproduce the unpredictable behavior of the original hardware.
The preamp offers three modes: Dirty, Clean and Warm. Each one shapes the tone at the input stage, so you can choose how the signal is colored before it reaches the delay.
Motor drift, dropouts and tape noise add the irregular behavior associated with worn tape machines. These elements can be used to make repeats feel less mechanical and more like a live hardware unit.
Multi-head modes recreate the head combinations of the RE-501, giving a range of rhythmic patterns. BPM sync includes natural variation, so repeats do not lock perfectly to the grid, and the joggable playhead lets you move through the delay material by hand.
The chorus section, three spring reverb sizes, bass and treble controls, stereo offset and dry/wet control give further options for shaping the echo within a mix.
Formats, systems and requirements as listed by Plugin Boutique. Missing details are left out, not guessed.
| Developer | AIR Music Technology |
|---|---|
| Type | Plugin |
| Category | Echo |
| Formats | VST3, VST2, AU |
| Operating systems | Windows, macOS |
Tape Echo is an authentic recreation of the Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo, a tape-based delay unit. It includes the RE-501's multi-head modes.
Tape Echo is available in VST3, VST2 and AU formats. It runs on Windows 10 and 11 and on macOS 14 Sonoma and macOS 26.
The plugin needs 4GB of RAM, with 8GB recommended, and a dual-core 2.5GHz CPU.
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