We're currently living in the age of digital audio. Echo is an incredibly powerful tool that is essential to any music producer.

But there are so many different Echo plugins in the music production landscape, so we decided to create the ultimate list of the top Echo plugins today that will help you find the perfect fit.


EchoBoy

Echo by Soundtoys



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Description


The Ultimate Echo Plug-In

Decades of echo devices in a single plug-in.

At Soundtoys we are more than a little obsessed with delay effects, and EchoBoy is the ultimate realization of that obsession. It wraps decades of echo device history and new forward-thinking features into one versatile effect that will find its way into every corner of your mixes.

Vintage Tone

We dug deep into our collection of vintage gear to find the essence of our favorite echo boxes, and we channeled it into EchoBoy. You’ll find an echo tone that fits your mix easily by choosing one of the 30 built-in styles modeled on vintage gear. Get instant access to a whole range of classic echo box tones, including EchoPlex, Space Echo, Memory Man, DM-2, and the TelRay oil can delay.

EchoBoy’s chorus even emulates the CE-1 chorus, considered a holy-grail of guitar chorus pedals. We’ve also modeled other gear to give you a range of sounds that goes beyond standard delay stompboxes. If you want warm, smooth saturation, try the “Studio Tape” style, inspired by our Ampex ATR-102 half-inch two-track machine. And yes, turn it up! EchoBoy sounds great when pushed hard, just like the best analog gear.

Designed for Musicians

We designed EchoBoy with musicians in mind, and we’ve made it easy to get expressive, musical echo effects quickly. Unlike vintage hardware echoes, getting perfectly timed delays with EchoBoy is simple. Just dial in a musical note value and lock it to your song’s tempo with the flip of a switch.

But the real magic happens when you fine-tune the echo’s rhythm with the Groove, Feel and Accent controls. Create echoes that rush or drag against the beat. Add some shuffle or swing to match the groove of your song. EchoBoy is the only delay effect that gives you this level of musical groove control.

Expressive Tools

EchoBoy is easy to use, but it’s also incredibly versatile and offers a wealth of advanced features for those who want to explore. Keep it simple with Single Echo mode, Switch to Dual Echo or Ping-Pong modes for powerful stereo echo effects, or dive deep with EchoBoy’s powerful Rhythm mode and the Echo Style editor.

New Rhythms

If you’re bored with conventional delay effects, switch EchoBoy to Rhythm Echo mode for a new experience entirely. In this mode EchoBoy lets you select the rhythmic timing of up to 16 repeats. Rhythm Mode is like having a tape echo with up to 16 read heads (or “taps”).

You can add taps to the Rhythm Editor graph, control their timing and sculpt their loudness curve using the Shape control. Rhythm Echo mode is a unique take on delay effects that might just become your new secret weapon in the studio.

Deep Customization Options

Slide open the Style Editor to get access to a full set creative tools that let you create any delay sound you can dream up.

Choose the amount and type of analog saturation to get the vibe just right. Dial in some realistic tape wobble, or add reverb-style diffusion.




Features

  • Choose from 30 different echo styles: Echoplex, Space Echo, Memory Man, DM-2, and many more
  • Warm up vocals with high-end tape sound modeled on the Ampex ATR-102
  • Control saturation, tape flutter and diffusion for strikingly analog-sounding effects
  • Create rich stereo delays with Dual and Ping-Pong modes
  • Adjust shuffle, swing and accent. The only echo with true “groove”
  • Design one-of-a-kind rhythmic delay effects using Rhythm Echo mode

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Rating


Value For Money

Sound Quality

General Ease of Use

Number of Presets


Operating Systems:

  • Windows 7, 8, 10 (64-bit only)
  • macOS 10.10 Yosemite - macOS 12 Monterey (Intel / M1 Apple Silicon supported) (64-bit only)

Plugin Formats:

  • VST
  • Audio Units (AU, Mac only)
  • AAX Native
  • AAX AudioSuite

Supported Sample Rates:

  • Minimum: 44.1 kHz, Maximum: 192 kHz

Important Notes:

  • A FREE account at ilok.com is required (a physical USB iLok is not required)
  • This software is 64-bit only and is not compatible with 32-bit systems.

Officially Supported Host Applications:

All version 5 Soundtoys products come in 64-bit VST, AU and AAX Native plug-in formats. Here is a list of officially supported host applications:

  • Pro Tools 11 - 2021.7 (Mac & PC: AAX Native and AudioSuite)
  • Logic Pro X - 10.7* (Mac: AudioUnits)
  • Ableton Live 9.2.2 - 11 (Mac: AudioUnits & VST; Windows: VST)
  • Digital Performer 9 - 10 (Mac: AudioUnits & VST; Windows: VST)
  • Studio One 4.5+ (Mac: AudioUnits & VST; Windows: VST)
  • Cubase 9.5 - 11  (Mac & PC: VST)
  • Nuendo 8 - 11 (Mac & PC: VST)

OS Compatibility



Crystallizer

Echo by Soundtoys



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Description


Granular Echo Synthesizer

Pitch shifting granular reverse echo. A mind-warping sound design trip.

Crystallizer is an otherworldly creative effect that transforms instruments using a combination of pitch shifting and reversed echo. Based on the Eventide H3000’s innovative “Reverse Shift” algorithm, Crystallizer brings granular echo slicing, old-school pitch shifting and powerful new features together into one inspiring tool.

If you listened to the radio in the late 80s, you’ve heard the Crystal Echoes effect from the Eventide H3000 effects processor. The sound is absolutely unmistakable and has been used on countless records to transform simple chords into epic soundscapes. Once musicians and engineers got their hands on this unique technique and realized how it instantly turned minimal guitar lines into shimmering symphonic textures, there was no going back. You can hear it on hundreds of records - from 80s anthems to ambient compositions, to modern indie rock and chillwave. And now you can have it, too.

Getting the Glitch Right

Because Soundtoys’ founders actually designed algorithms for the original H3000, you can be sure we didn’t rest until we’d recreated its icy tones flawlessly. One of the key elements of the Crystallizer sound is its old school pitch shifting. Modern pitch shifters (like our own Little AlterBoy for example) use sophisticated mathematical algorithms to transform music and vocals as naturally as possible. The original old school devices (like Eventide’s classic H910 Harmonizer) used a simpler resample and crossfade technique that introduced audible artefacts in the pitch-shifted audio. This retro technique adds a glitchy character to the sound that is an essential part of Crystallizer’s 80s-futuristic charm.

Upping the Ante

Once we nailed the sound of the original effect, we didn’t stop there. We put our heads together to improve it. We added MIDI sync and automation to give you precise creative control. A built-in Gate and Duck feature adds a new level of dynamic control over triggering echos, helping you keep this sometimes wild effect in check. You can also shape the sound with low- and high-cut filters to create bright shimmery blooms or dark, rich beds of sound. In short, we’ve brought a classic effect up to date with all the convenience and tweakability of a Soundtoys plug-in.

Instant Inspiration

Does “granular echo synthesizer” sound a bit hard to get your head around? Don’t worry. We’ve included over 200 ready-made presets that you can explore, organized into categories that make finding the perfect starting point for your tracks simple. We’ve included everything from the subtle to the all-out psychedelic, so don’t be afraid to experiment! When you’re ready to go deeper, you’ll find plenty of tweakability and control for making your own signature presets.




Features

  • Recreate the classic crystalline sounds of the Eventide H3000
  • Turn simple melodies and chords into shimmering, textured soundscapes
  • Create rich, evolving effects with reverse echos and pitch shifting
  • Lock the effect to your project’s tempo and even add custom automation
  • Transform guitar, bass, drums or loops into something completely new
  • An amazing tool for creative sound designers

Video


Rating


Value For Money

Sound Quality

General Ease of Use

Number of Presets


Operating Systems:

  • Windows 7, 8, 10 (64-bit only)
  • macOS 10.10 Yosemite - macOS 12 Monterey (Intel / M1 Apple Silicon supported) (64-bit only)

Plugin Formats:

  • VST
  • Audio Units (AU, Mac only)
  • AAX Native
  • AAX AudioSuite

Supported Sample Rates:

  • Minimum: 44.1 kHz, Maximum: 192 kHz

Important Notes:

  • A FREE account at ilok.com is required (a physical USB iLok is not required)
  • This software is 64-bit only and is not compatible with 32-bit systems.

Officially Supported Host Applications:

All version 5 Soundtoys products come in 64-bit VST, AU and AAX Native plug-in formats. Here is a list of officially supported host applications:

  • Pro Tools 11 - 2021.7 (Mac & PC: AAX Native and AudioSuite)
  • Logic Pro X - 10.7* (Mac: AudioUnits)
  • Ableton Live 9.2.2 - 11 (Mac: AudioUnits & VST; Windows: VST)
  • Digital Performer 9 - 10 (Mac: AudioUnits & VST; Windows: VST)
  • Studio One 4.5+ (Mac: AudioUnits & VST; Windows: VST)
  • Cubase 9.5 - 11  (Mac & PC: VST)
  • Nuendo 8 - 11 (Mac & PC: VST)

OS Compatibility



Outer Space

Echo by AudioThing



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Description


Vintage Tape Echo

Outer Space is a faithful emulation plugin of a famous vintage tape echo made in the early seventies. As the original unit, Outer Space features an echo section with three playback heads and a spring reverb tank. We have modelled three different tape frequency responses and saturations, along with all the analog imperfections of tape recording/playback. We’ve also modelled the ballistic response of the delay rate (repeat rate) which can create eerie pitch shifts (due to the Doppler effect), one of the classic tape echo-based sound effects.

Tape Modelling

We’ve modelled three different tape types. The original RT-1L, a more modern replacement, and an older worn out tape. Each tape will affect the sound in a subtle but different way, especially at higher feedback (Intensity) settings.

WOW/Flutter will also change according to the selected tape, creating different amount of pitch and volume nonlinearities.

Changing the speed of the repetitions (Repeat Rate) will also affect the tape frequency response.

Mode Selector

Just like the original unit, with the Mode selector you can choose 12 different combinations of echo playback heads and reverb (4 Echo only, 7 Echo+Reverb, 1 Reverb only).




Features

  • Vintage Tape Echo
  • 3 Tape modes: Original, Modern, Old
  • Spring Reverb (with short/long Decay)
  • Background Noise with Envelope
  • Oversample up to 16x
  • Preset system with randomizer
  • Platforms: OSX, Windows

Video


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Value For Money

Sound Quality

General Ease of Use

Number of Presets


Mac

  • OS X 10.9 – macOS 11
  • 2GHz CPU, 4 GB RAM
  • VST2, VST3, AU, or AAX (64-bit only)

Windows

  • Windows 7, 8, 10
  • 2GHz CPU, 4 GB RAM
  • VST2, VST3, or AAX (64-bit only)

OS Compatibility



Echoes T7E MKII

Echo by Audiority



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Description


Analog Modelled Italian Magnetic Echo Plugin.

Echoes T7E is a faithful recreation of a vintage tube magnetic echo made in Italy in the early ‘60s. This echo effect unit is based on a magnetic spinning drum with both record and playback heads arranged around a recording wire wound around the drum circumference. This solution provides better stability over the usual tape transport with reduced wow and flutter.

Since the main “core” of this effect is based on the above mechanism, we modelled both the mechanics and the electronics. Echoes T7E also provides 3 different playback modes allowing you to set different spinning speed or ever synchronize it to your host tempo extending the original delay length from ~310ms up to ~1100ms.




Features

  • Analog Modeled Vintage Tube Echo
  • 3 Playback Modes: Classic, Varispeed and Sync
  • 4 Playback Heads (equally spaced)
  • EM81 “Magic Eye” Tube Level Indicator
  • 3 Echo Modes: Echo, Repeat and Swell
  • 12 Heads combinations
  • Tone, Error and Volume controls for each head
  • Independent panning for each head
  • Stereo Spread
  • Heads Pan Law
  • Magnetic Drum Age and Speed settings
  • Internal hum noise (for increased realism and self-oscillation)
  • Input Tube Low Cut
  • PE 603 style head switching matrix (NEW v2.0)
  • Delay Extension (up to 11s with Speed at minimum) (NEW v2.0)
  • Pre-amp mode (with Delay Extension set to 0) (NEW v2.0)
  • Output Booster (NEW v2.0)
  • Speed Filter (NEW v2.0)
  • Lite Mode (NEW v2.0)

Video


Rating


Value For Money

Sound Quality

General Ease of Use

Number of Presets


PC

  • Windows 7 or later (64-bit Only)
  • Intel i5 or higher
  • 2GB RAM
  • Screen resolution: 1024×768
  • VST2, VST3 64-bit host
  • PT 11+ AAX 64-bit host

MAC

  • OSX 10.8 or later (64-bit Only)
  • Intel i5 or higher
  • 2GB RAM
  • Screen resolution: 1024×768
  • VST2, VST3, AU 64-bit host
  • PT 11+ AAX 64-bit host

Important Note: This software is 64-bit compatible only and will not function on 32-bit systems.

OS Compatibility



PlexiTape

Echo by Audiority



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Description


PlexiTape is a faithful analog modeled simulation of a vintage tape echo that made THE SOUND of the ’70s for its tone and reliability. Audiority put special care on modelling this unit on every aspect: motor, tape, FET preamplifier, heads and even the infamous “Sound On Sound”. SOS allows you to use bypass the echo and therefore use the tape as a looping recorder. Furthermore, Audiority expanded it with new features including a full stereo double delay line, tempo sync and more.




Features

  • Analog Modeled Vintage Solid State Tape Echo
  • Auxiliary Echo with Echo Pan for full stereo effects
  • 3 Echo Modes: Echo, Off (Preamp + Tape colour only) and Sound On Sound
  • 2 FET Preamp models: Early and Late
  • 2 Playback Modes: Regular (with Varispeed) and Sync
  • Varispeed from 3 to 15 IPS
  • Echo Tone equalizer
  • Internal hum noise (fully adjustable, for increased realism and self oscillation)
  • Resizable interface

Video


Rating


Value For Money

Sound Quality

General Ease of Use

Number of Presets


PC

  • Windows 7 (64-bit only)
  • Intel i5 or higher
  • 2GB RAM
  • Screen resolution: 1024×768
  • VST2, VST3 64-bit host
  • PT11 or higher, AAX 64-bit host

MAC (Intel)

  • OSX 10.8 or later (64-bit only)
  • Intel i5 or higher
  • 2GB RAM
  • Screen resolution: 1024×768
  • VST2, VST3, AU 64-bit host
  • PT11 or higher, AAX 64-bit host

MAC (Silicon)

  • macOS 11.0 or later (64-bit only)
  • Apple M1 or higher
  • 2GB RAM
  • Screen resolution: 1024×768
  • VST2, VST3, AU 64-bit host
  • PT11 or higher, AAX 64-bit host

OS Compatibility



MultiBender

Echo by W.A. Production



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Description


Echo Chamber

Let’s face it, you already own a delay plugin... probably more than one. That’s awesome, but you haven’t heard anything like Multibender. 

With delicious multi-band processing and 4 (count ‘em) simultaneous delay modules, Multibender is your tempo-synced solution to creative delay processing. Conjure intricate percussion patterns, wild ping-pong synths and grooving leads with just a few clicks, or less if you use one of the inspirational presets. Each individual delay band has bespoke effects to transform boring keys into wobbly vintage progressions or tighten up your flabby bass parts with distortion and saturation for dance-floor domination.

For truly epic delays, here are the facts behind this groove-tastic effect:

Multiband Madness

The delay processing is split into 3 separate modules, linked to the standard delay controls at the top of the interface, although they can all be adjusted independently. Drag the crossover points in the waveform display to quickly set up the frequency ranges of the 3 bands. Then choose a delay time (including dotted and triplet feel), feedback level and gain adjustment for each. This means that you can have a short delay for your low end and longer ones for mids and highs to send them bouncing around the room. On and off buttons for each band allow you to disable any unwanted processing, just in case you want to keep your bass line tight or mid-range clean.

Saturate, Crush & Detune

Standard delays for each of the 3 bands sound complex and expansive, but you can push the effect to the limit with 3 effects for each band. These run completely independently of one another and include saturation, bit crush and detuning. Apply as much or as little of each process as you like to create different kinds of audio effect. Try introducing sparkling highs with saturated harmonics in the upper-frequency range. Detune the midrange delay for a wavering analogue feel in the body of the sound. Make your bass line scream with crushed low end. 

No HAASsle

The built-in HAAS control of the main delay unit can create a subtle stereo effect by shifting the timing offset of the left or right channel - a tried and trusted technique for adding space and width to your delay adventures.  

Looks are everything

The central window shows exactly what’s happening to each of the 3 bands as the audio passes through the plugin, useful visual feedback to keep tabs on your signal transformations. The 3 coloured waveforms clearly display the effect of each module’s processing allowing for accurate monitoring and surgical shaping at every stage of the chain.

Presets

With many included presets, it’s easy to find the perfect shuffle for your instruments and vocals. These factory options can be used on guitars, bass, drums, synths and more. The presets include everything from subtle ping-pong bounces to massive big-room delays that last for days.

W. A. Production are real-life producers making creative plugins to help you achieve studio quality processing quickly and easily. Enjoy!




Features

  • A 4-stage delay like you’ve never heard before.
  • Independent multi-band processing for high, mid & low-frequency ranges.
  • Saturate, Crush & Detune for each band.
  • Straight, Dotted & Triplet time.
  • HAAS control for stereo width.
  • Click & pop-free bypass.
  • Waveform graph for accurate visual feedback.
  • Factory presets.
  • Full PDF Manual & Tutorial video.

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General Ease of Use

Number of Presets


  • Windows 8 and later (32 / 64-bit)
  • macOS 10.15 and later (64-bit only)
  • ProTools 11 or higher is required for the AAX version.

OS Compatibility



Reverser Snapin

Echo by Kilohearts



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Description


Reverser: Reversed Echo

Remember in The Ring when Samara kind of walks backwards but still towards you and it's all scary and weird? This is not really like that.

However, kHs Reverser does delay and reverse sections of the input sound resulting in anything from hauntingly eerie textures to reverse percussion hits.

What's a Snapin?

This plugin is a "snapin". That means you can use it as a regular VST/AU plugin, or you can use it with our snapin hosts Multipass and Snap Heap where you can combine effects in amazing ways.



Rating


Value For Money

Sound Quality

General Ease of Use

Number of Presets


These are the minimum recommended system requirements for running snapins.

CPU:

  • 2 GHz or faster

Memory:

  • 1 GB or more

Operating System:

  • Windows (7 or newer) or Mac OS X (10.7 or newer)

Software:

  • A VST / Audio Unit / AAX compatible DAW

Supported formats:

  • AAX
  • AU
  • VST2
  • Snapin

Please note: If you use a lot of snapins at the same time in your patch the CPU usage willincrease accordingly. Thus, we cannot guarantee that the snapins will work flawlessly in all use cases even if your system does meet the minimum recommended system requirements.

OS Compatibility



Stardust 201 Tape Echo

Echo by Cherry Audio



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Description


Echoes Of The Past

Stardust 201 Tape Echo is a hot-rodded interpretation of the classic Roland "Space Echo" tape echo effects of the 70s and 80s. Compared to earlier tape echoes, they represented a giant leap in reliability and sound quality. With solidly built tape-transport mechanisms and the inclusion of a spring reverb and chorus effects in some models, the Space Echo was truly groundbreaking with its fantastic variety of sound colors.
 
Stardust precisely recreates the limited fidelity and stability of audio tape, providing a natural rolloff of bass and treble frequencies for super-warm tonality and minor speed variances, lending an organic chorusing quality to repeats. Cranking the intensity knob overloads the circuit, generating the other-worldly runaway echoes and feedback that only a tape echo can.
 
Cherry Audio's Stardust 201 Tape Echo includes features from the original RE-201 and RE-301 Space Echo units, and they've added some of their own to create a great-sounding, super-flexible, ideal tape echo effect that never breaks down and never needs demagnetizing, all for less than the price of a Space Echo replacement audio tape loop!




Features

  • Authentically modeled vintage tape echo, including seven virtual tape head modes
  • 4x extended echo time range
  • LFO echo time mod section
  • Sync to DAW master tempo
  • Exclusive "motor kill" switch
  • Lush, true-stereo modeled BBD chorus circuit
  • Modeled input overdrive
  • Independent stereo "tape head loops" for super-wide imaging
  • Spring-style reverb
  • Selectable mono/stereo modes
  • Bass and treble EQ controls
  • User-selectable color themes

Rating


Value For Money

Sound Quality

General Ease of Use

Number of Presets


macOS

  • macOS 10.9 or above (including macOS 12) 64-bit required.
  • Native Apple M1 processor support.
  • Quad-core computer with 8GB of RAM recommended. 
  • AU, VST, VST3, and AAX formats.

Windows

  • Windows 7 or above, 64-bit required.
  • Quad-core computer with 8GB of RAM recommended. 
  • VST, VST3, and AAX formats.

OS Compatibility