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.
Find out more on Heritage Audio's website.
