Heritage Audio Releases TAPEoPLEX Plugin ‘Emulates Original Echoplex’
Heritage Audio takes on the legendary Echoplex with its TAPEoPLEX plugin.
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.
Here’s what they have to say about it:
“It was about time someone got serious about recreating the legendary tape delay sound to today’s standards and the use of today’s technology to carefully model this plugin from an original unit (Serial # 34553) is the real secret behind the sound of the TAPEoPLEX, making it the best sounding tape delay plug-in available today. And taking advantage of the extra options that a plug-in allows, the TAPEoPLEX is now a full independent stereo unit where you can choose different echo times for the L and R channel or link them to have the same or different delay time constant on each side, following either the same tempo or the DAW’s tempo.
An additional control even allows to choose the amount of freshness of the tape, adding color and a slight harmonic distortion to your tracks when needed.”
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.
Find out more on Heritage Audio website.
