Apollo
Native
sale
Galaxy Tape Echo
Get lush, dub-style delays and psychedelic spring reverb.
- Add subtle tape delay or colorful cacophony to drums, vocals, guitars, and synths
- Harness distortion, wow and flutter, and pitch shifting, for organic time-based effects
- Use wild-self-oscillation for creative sci-fi textures and moods
- Employ the ambient shimmer of spring reverb on any source
Get Lush, Dub-style Delays and Psychedelic Spring Reverb
What They Say
Richard Chycki
Rush, Aerosmith, Dream Theater
Steve Levine
Culture Club, Beach Boys, Ziggy Marley
Joe Chiccarelli
Jason Mraz, Beck, The Strokes, Morrissey
Reviews
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, Galaxy Tape Echo is worth it if you want tape delay and spring reverb with real analog character instead of clean, clinical repeats. The UAD plug-in emulates the quirks of a classic 1970s tape echo unit, including wow and flutter, tape distortion, pitch shifting, and self-oscillation, then adds modern extras like Tempo Sync and separate pan controls for the delay and reverb. It works just as well for a subtle slapback on a vocal as it does for full-on dub chaos.
Galaxy Tape Echo models a tape-based delay and spring reverb system, so its repeats darken, drift, and saturate the way they do on real hardware. Most digital delays aim for clean, identical echoes. With Galaxy, each repeat picks up a little more grit and movement, which helps the delay sit inside your mix rather than on top of it.
Galaxy Tape Echo is based on a classic 1974 tape delay and spring reverb unit that became a staple of psychedelic rock, art rock, and roots dub records. UA's emulation captures the original's quirks, including the way its repeats warp and self-oscillate when pushed. The plug-in keeps the original front-panel controls (Mode Selector, Repeat Rate, Intensity, Echo/Normal, Bass, and Treble), so it feels familiar if you've ever used a vintage tape echo.
Yes, Galaxy Tape Echo runs natively on macOS and Windows computers, and it also runs on the DSP inside Apollo audio interfaces and UAD Accelerators. When you buy the plug-in, you get a license for both the UAD native and Apollo/UAD-2 versions. That means you can use the same delay on a laptop session and on an Apollo-based studio rig.
Galaxy Tape Echo recreates tape delay by modeling the imperfections that make tape echo sound alive: wow and flutter, tape distortion, and the pitch shifts that happen when tape speed changes. You can adjust Repeat Rate while a delay is ringing out and you get those classic pitch-bending swoops. Tape Select lets you choose between different tape timbres, and the Bass and Treble controls shape the repeats to taste.
Yes, Galaxy Tape Echo includes a spring reverb modeled on the original unit's built-in reverb. You can blend it with the echo or use it by itself through the Mode Selector, and a dedicated reverb pan control lets you place it in the stereo field. It's a great way to add ambient shimmer to vocals, guitars, and keys.
Yes, Galaxy Tape Echo self-oscillates when you turn the Intensity control up high, just like the original hardware. The repeats feed back on themselves and build into a swelling, sustained tone you can bend by riding Repeat Rate. It's a favorite for sci-fi textures, dub throws, and dramatic transitions, and you can pull it back before things get out of hand.
Yes, Galaxy Tape Echo runs on both macOS and Windows as a UAD native plug-in, including Mac computers with Apple Silicon. No UA hardware is required to run the native version. If you own an Apollo or UAD Accelerator, you can also run it on UAD DSP.
Galaxy Tape Echo works in any DAW that supports AAX, AU, or VST3 plug-ins, and in LUNA on both Mac and Windows. On an Apollo interface, you can also load it in the Console application for realtime monitoring and tracking. That covers most setups, from a laptop and headphones to a full studio.
Yes, Galaxy Tape Echo is great on vocals, from a tight slapback that adds thickness to long, dubby throws at the end of a phrase. The spring reverb also works well behind a lead vocal for extra color and excitement. Try a short delay with a touch of wow and flutter to make a vocal feel wider without pushing it back in the mix.
Yes, Galaxy Tape Echo is a natural fit for electric guitar, covering everything from rockabilly slapback to swirling, pitch-bending ambient delays. The wow, flutter, and tape distortion give repeats the kind of movement guitarists love from vintage tape units. It's just as useful on synths, drum machines, acoustic guitar, and electric piano when you want time-based effects with more personality.
Yes, Galaxy Tape Echo includes Tempo Sync, so delay times lock to your session's tempo. The original hardware didn't have this, which is why players set delay times by ear. With sync on, rhythmic dub delays and dotted-note guitar echoes line up with your track, and you can switch it off anytime for free-running, hands-on Repeat Rate moves.
Yes, with an Apollo interface you can run Galaxy Tape Echo on Apollo's onboard DSP while tracking, so singers and players hear the delay as they perform with near-zero latency. You can monitor through the effect only or print it to the recording. On a native system, Galaxy Tape Echo runs on your computer's processor like any other plug-in in your DAW.
Galaxy Tape Echo creates dub delays when you push Intensity toward self-oscillation and ride Repeat Rate and the Echo/Normal switch, by hand or with automation. The Echo/Mute switch cuts the signal feeding the echo, so you can send a single snare hit or vocal word into the delay and let the repeats trail off on their own. Automating delay time and feedback through a mix gives you evolving, performance-style effects in the tradition of classic dub records.
Yes, DSP-powered plug-ins like Galaxy Tape Echo on Apollo are still worth using, especially if you record live performers. Onboard DSP lets musicians hear delay and reverb while tracking without the lag of routing through a computer, and it keeps processing off your CPU during big mixes. Because UA licenses both the native and DSP versions, you never have to pick one platform for good.
Yes, tape delay is still a go-to effect in modern music production, and Galaxy Tape Echo brings that sound to any DAW without the upkeep of vintage hardware. Tape-style repeats sit more naturally in a mix than clean digital delays because they soften, drift, and saturate over time. You'll hear the effect everywhere from indie rock and hip-hop to ambient and electronic music.
Yes, Galaxy Tape Echo is included in UAD Spark Studio, UA's subscription that pairs 60+ UAD native plug-ins with LUNA. That makes Spark Studio an easy way to get Galaxy alongside compressors, EQs, reverbs, and instruments for your whole mix. You can also buy Galaxy Tape Echo on its own if the delay is all you need.
Galaxy Tape Echo is a UAD plug-in for your DAW or Apollo, while the UAFX Galaxy '74 Tape Echo & Reverb is a stompbox built for your pedalboard. Both deliver classic tape echo and spring reverb character, so the choice comes down to where you work. Pick the plug-in for recording and mixing any source in a session, and pick the pedal for playing live or shaping your guitar tone before it hits the amp.