Add realistic, warm delay to recordings

Audio plug-in maker Nomad Factory today released an analog echo-box plug-in called Echoes, meant to replicate some of the classic delay units of years gone by. The plug-in, which is available in Apple's Audio Unit, Pro Tools' RTAS and industry-standard VST formats, combines an easy but retro user interface with settings inspired by well-regarded vintage echo units such as the Echoplex 1 and 3, the Tel-Ray Oilcan Delay, the Electro Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man and other such units. For a limited time, Echoes will be offered at a sale price, as well as included in a bundle offer.

From the reel-to-reel tape loops created in the 1950s and perfected by pioneers such as the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, variable-delay technology quickly found favor with musicians, vocalists and other performers in the 1960s, including such legendary names as Robert Fripp and Jimi Hendrix. Vintage units, often incorporating bygone electronics such as vacuum tubes, are still sought after for their allegedly "warmer" sound and increased flexibility on delay over the solid-state delay units that dominated later eras.

The interface of the Echoes plug-in (seen below) embraces the simplicity and elegance of early delay units with clear, easy-to-operate facsimile tactile controls, including setting echo time from 20 to 2000 milliseconds, presets for the various simulated analog echo boxes, a sync switch to sync the echo to the recording's master tempo, repeats to control the feedback amount, panning and a stereo widener that ranges all the way down to true mono.

Echoes requires an Intel Mac running OS X 10.5 or higher (or a modern Windows machine running XP or higher). Both 32- and 64-bit OSes are supported. A full demo version is available. Until May 15th, Echoes will be priced at an introductory cost of $49 (normal price $129). Echoes can also be purchased along with one of the company's other plug-ins, Magnetic, in a bundle offer for $99 ($158 if purchased separately).

by MacNN Staff