Looking for a way to add that vintage tape delay sound to your guitar rig without breaking the bank on bulky vintage equipment? You're in luck -- our list of the best tape echo pedals is here to take you into the wobbly world of tape delay.
Modern tape echo pedals leverage the best of our digital age to reproduce the coveted tones of yesteryear. We've found a tape delay pedal for every purpose below, including a great budget buy and a gigging musician's reverb dream.
Our top pick is the "El Capistan" from Strymon which offers crazy customizable sound in a durable stompbox form factor.
Plus, the buyer's guide near the end of the article should set the facts straight on what matters when making a pedal purchase in this sonic niche.
Let's go over the very best tape echo pedals available!
Quick Summary of the Best Tape Echo Pedals
- Strymon El Capistan dTape Echo Pedal V2 (Best Overall)
- TC Electronic Gauss Tape Echo (Best Budget Tape Echo Pedal)
- BOSS RE-202 Space Echo Digital Delay Pedal (Best High-End Tape Echo Pedal)
- Keeley Magnetic Echo Tape Style Digital Delay (Great for Gigging)
- Wampler Faux Tape Echo V2 Delay Pedal (Great Workhorse Tape Echo Pedal)
- Catalinbread Belle Epoch Deluxe Delay Reverb Guitar Pedal (Best for Additional Effects)
- Universal Audio Galaxy '74 Tape Echo & Reverb Pedal (Best for Vintage Sound)
Best Tape Echo Pedals
1. Best Overall – Strymon El Capistan dTape Echo Pedal V2
SPECS
- Build Materials: Aluminum
- Effects: Fixed-, multi- , and single head, spring reverb, tape age, Wow & Flutter (modulation)
- Inputs and Outputs: 1 x 1/4" (mono/stereo), USB, 1 x 1/4" (MIDI and expression) in | 2 x 1/4" out
- Max Delay and Loop Time: 1500ms | 20 seconds
If you're looking for a tape delay vetted by the greats of guitar legend, then you've found it. Loved by the likes of Jeff Beck and Joe Satriani, the El Capistan digital tape echo defies its own name by actually making sense and making sensuous echo sounds on demand.
Proud owners of this select tape delay pedal praise its configurable settings and convenient preset recall functionality. You can come up with your own singular sound and adjust things on the fly. Plus, this pedal lets you loop sounds to mind-boggling effect.
Combined with a footswitch for the aforementioned preset recall trick, this pedal provides everything you need to shred your way into heaven (but, mind the stairway).
2. Best Budget Tape Echo Pedal – TC Electronic Gauss Tape Echo
SPECS
- Build Materials: Metal
- Effects: Sustain, Delay, Modulation on/off switch
- Inputs and Outputs: 1 x 1/4" TRS in | 1 x 1/4" out
- Max Delay and Loop Time: NA | NA
TC Electronic's Gauss tape echo effect pedal is great and so is its sub-100 dollar price tag. If you're on a budget, this is a great buy.
For a tape delay with such a tiny price tag, the Gauss pedal gets a lot of love. People seem to appreciate its durability and self-oscillating sound, overlooking minor volume issues and minimal modulation.
You can dump in a heap of delay and adjust the sustain to your liking with this pedal's simple array of knobs.
There's a distinctly vintage timbre to the output of this particular tape delay that is sure to appeal to the sentimental and the experimental alike.
3. Best High-End Tape Echo Pedal – BOSS RE-202 Space Echo Digital Delay Pedal
SPECS
- Build Materials: Metal
- Effects: 12 x Echo Combinations, and 5 x Reverb
- Inputs and Outputs: 2 x 1/4" (A/mono, B), 1 x 1/8" TRS, 1 x 1/4" (control/expression), 1 micro USB (firmware updates only) in | 2 x 1/4" (A/mono, B), 1 x 1/8" TRS out
- Max Delay and Loop Time: 2 seconds | NA
Fair warning; this pedal is pretty pricey. But, the BOSS RE-202 is crammed with crazy features to justify its exorbitant price of nearly $500.
You can play around with tape modes modeled after both new and old machines or use this tape delay to channel your inner Radiohead and go wild with crazy transient effects. Radiohead's own Jonny Greenwood seems to enjoy using it for that kind of thing.
Buyers have lauded this pedal's addition of a 4th configurable tape head and its array of presets for quick and quirky experimentation.
Designed as a spiritual successor to Roland's RE-201, this tape echo bridges the gap between nostalgic spring reverb and modern conveniences like every other type of reverb (hall, plate, etc.).
You can configure the tape delay effect's saturation and more with the RE-202. Leverage tap tempo to precisely match the sonic environment you're shredding over and go for stereo output to get that studio-quality ping-pong effect your heart aches for.
4. Great for Gigging – Keeley Magnetic Echo Tape Style Digital Delay
SPECS
- Build Materials: Metal
- Effects: Regen, Depth & Speed (modulation)
- Inputs and Outputs: 1 x 1/4" in | 1 x 1/4" out
- Max Delay and Loop Time: 600ms | NA
This is the kind of tape delay you can depend on day after day. If you're looking for a reasonable solution to beef up your tone on stage, then Keeley's Magnetic Echo pedal kills it.
Your choice of tape delay should reflect the time you intend to spend learning how to use it. This pedal is praised primarily for its simplicity when it comes to generating inspiring tones.
This tape echo pedal pushes warmth into the mix, saturating the signal just enough to satisfy before backing off with configurable wow and flutter.
5. Great Workhorse Tape Echo Pedal – Wampler Faux Tape Echo V2 Delay Pedal
SPECS
- Build Materials: Metal
- Effects: Delay mix, tone, wow, and flutter (modulation)
- Inputs and Outputs: 1 x 1/4" in | 1 x 1/4" out
- Max Delay and Loop Time: 800ms | NA
Wampler's Faux Tape Echo V2 builds upon its predecessor's strengths with a tap tempo switch and an all-analog signal path to boot.
You get six separate dials to play around with on this analog tape delay pedal with both wow and flutter making an appearance in that lineup.
Some point out that the wrong knob adjustments on this pedal will produce a noticeable hiss, but when used conservatively, it'll practically match the very best of tape delays in tone. Other owners even claim this digital tape echo sounds surprisingly analog, owing to the signal path design.
This tape delay pedal comes packed with top-tier components picked for their sonic response. It's designed not to interfere with your guitar tone too much, imparting a more transparent delay effect instead.
You can work with the tap tempo footswitch to get it synced up with the rest of your performance quickly as well.
With nearly a full second in total delay time available, you can play around with more distinct echo effects that match your playing speed precisely. The Wampler Faux Tape Echo is a solid tape echo to keep in your kit if you're looking for a fairly straightforward device you can depend on.
6. Best for Additional Effects – Catalinbread Belle Epoch Deluxe Delay Reverb Guitar Pedal
SPECS
- Build Materials: Metal
- Effects: EP-3 Tape, Dark "Analog", Roto-swirl, Manually Sweeping Resonant Filter, DMM Chorus, and DMM Vibrato
- Inputs and Outputs: 1 x 1/4", and 1 x 1/4" (expression) in | 1 x 1/4" out
- Max Delay and Loop Time: 800ms | NA
The Belle Epoch Deluxe offers far more by way of effects than most other tape delay pedals and it does so with an ear to the vintage capabilities of the legendary Maestro Echoplex EP-3 of days gone past.
Besides replicating an old classic, this pedal is also built to stand up to serious abuse with an all-metal chassis you can kick around.
This tape echo pushes the envelope of expression, allowing for delay time, volume, filter sweep, or rotary speed to be controlled, depending on your choice of settings.
A special footswitch setting is also available to activate "trails" mode, causing all repeats to decay naturally when you want to build up one crazy crescendo.
Some lament this tape delay's lack of a tap tempo feature, but point out that it doesn't really need one anyway as the sound is so nice—they are also likely to note the utter lack of distracting hiss or feedback when using this pedal and the flexibility of its many features for creative expression.
If you're looking for a great tape echo that piles a ton of customizable effects on top of its base functionality, then the Belle Epoch is ideal. You can control even the weirdest of sonic shenanigans such as the weight with which the virtual tape is struck.
Plus, there's a built-in preamp in this thing to boost your guitar's signal into the saturation zone.
Not all tape delay pedals offer granular control of filter sweeps and delay signal feedback, but you get considerable control over details like these and more with this capable piece of kit.
7. Best for Vintage Sound – Universal Audio Galaxy '74 Tape Echo & Reverb Pedal
SPECS
- Build Materials: Metal
- Effects: Tape age emulation, echo/reverb panning, wow, and flutter
- Inputs and Outputs: 2 x 1/4" TS, 1 USB in | 2 x 1/4" TS out
- Max Delay and Loop Time: 489ms | NA
Among recreations of vintage tape echo units, the Galaxy '74 offered by Universal Audio is one of the most faithful to the original. It claims to have a full model of the multi-head tape delay mechanism in the old-school pedal while incorporating tap tempo features and more.
Cooler still, unlike all of the other tape delay pedals on this list, the Galaxy '74 comes with its own UAFX Control app for swapping functions on the fly.
For spring reverb lovers in particular, this remake is a home run, sporting a genuine recreation of the spring reverb tank in the original Japanese pedal it pays homage to.
This tape echo offers a much more affordable alternative to the discontinued original pedal from so long ago. Owners report the original Echo Fix pedal selling for thousands vs. the mere hundreds this upgraded option goes for.
They swear the sound is about as close as anything can come to recapturing the magic of the original. That is, besides shelling out a couple of grand for the original.
People also point out how quiet this thing is compared to other tape delay pedals on the market, offering an untainted wash of warmth that even the most demanding tone technicians can appreciate.
Leverage the Galaxy '74's tape age tuning knob and head selection switch to hone your tone in real-time. You can also count on this pedal to produce truly atmospheric sounds with two separate stereo instances of both the reverb and delay sides it generates.
With this tape echo, you can adjust echo volume and harness the utmost in intricacy through quality stereo output too. This is a solid tape delay pedal that should stand the test of time and fuel all of your delay-laden sonic daydreams.
Best Tape Echo Pedals Buyer's Guide
It may take some time to determine which tape echos best match your interests, but you can sort the good from the bad quickly enough by considering the factors laid out below.
You'll need to account for build materials, effects, inputs, outputs, and max delay (and looping) time to find the perfect pedal in this niche.
Build Materials
Although you can quickly find a ton of cheap pedals for sale with plastic housings and switches, it would be wise to reconsider actually buying any of them.
An effect pedal is a musical stepping stone in developing your own unique tone and much like a stepping stone, it will get stepped on a lot.
Without sturdy metal housing and stomp-proof components, your "cheap" pedal can end up costing you quite a bit more to replace after failing repeatedly.
Effects
There are numerous tape delay pedals to consider, yet not so many with a wide array of built-in effects to mess around with.
Tape echo standards like wow and flutter effects are usually accounted for in most pedals of this variety, but swirling modulation effects like in a flanger pedal and in-depth parameter controls are not the norm.
If you're looking to experiment with your sound a bit, then a bevy of configurable effects like those offered up by Catalinbread's Belle Epoch Deluxe should serve you well.
Inputs and Outputs
The inputs that your tape echo device supports are important, but most pedals can handle the basics easily enough. You may be looking to push a stereo signal into your pedal, which would require dual TRS inputs in most cases.
However, it's much more likely that you'll be interested in getting a real stereo signal out of your pedal. Certain effects practically depend on stereo separation to sound their best.
Ping-pong style delays are a classic example and certain modulation configurations will also sound better coming out of two TRS jacks than just one.
Maximum Delay and Looping Time
The amount of time it takes for sounds to die off as they echo can completely change the effect your tape delay has on your tone. If you're looking to beef up your signal and build on its presence, then less is more.
However, if you want the delay to overpower your signal completely and propel notes into liminal space, you'll need longer-lasting delays. Pedals with close to a second (or more) in maximum delay time work best for more ambitious experimentation.
Looping capabilities can be assessed in a similar fashion - the longer, the better, but only if you need them.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the best echo pedal for guitar?
Our pick for the absolute best pedal in the tape echo niche is the Strymon El Capistan dTape Echo Pedal V2 as it offers loads of configuration flexibility and high-quality output at an appropriate price.
Of course, the best pedal that you can buy is one that does what you want it to with little to no fuss. The buyer's guide above goes into more detail on discerning between the options currently available.
Is tape echo a delay?
Yes, the echo effect produced by magnetic tape is also known as "tape delay" and has been used intentionally to lend a uniquely detuned echo to all kinds of instrument sound signals. They are designed in emulation of vintage tape echo machines that were used to create a similar effect.
Generally, the drawbacks of tape-based audio reproduction (wow and flutter effects, for instance) are considered to be desirable as pleasant sounds of their own. Hence, the existence of this niche in the effects space.
How is reverb different from echo?
Reverb and echo or "delay" are very closely linked as they both extend the life of a single sound, but they do so in unique ways.
Reverb stretches out the tail end of a sound in the same way an empty room might, yet this is not an actual echo. Delay echoes or repeats the entire sound in full, sometimes detuning it a bit as the pedals discussed above often do.
Both of these effects can be leveraged to give sounds more presence and make them fuller than before. They can also be used to create more experimental soundscapes at higher mix ratios, yielding uniquely alien-sounding results.
Is Echoplex a tape delay?
Yes, the Echoplex tape delay effect was first created in the late 1950's. There are numerous magnetic tape delays that laid the groundwork for the modern variety of recreations and reimaginings we now have to choose from.
What is the difference between Echorec and tape echo?
A standard tape echo uses magnetic tape to record sound and replay it, whereas the Echorec was designed to record sounds using a magnetic drum.
The sounds these mechanisms produce are distinct from one another as tape can deform in a variety of ways, changing the sound of the signal the magnetized heads used to read it pick up.
Summing Up
We appreciate your curiosity, but there's really no need to confuse yourself with complicated jargon to judge the pedals discussed above—pick one up today and see for yourself.
For the absolute best value at a great price, you can't beat the Strymon El Capistan dTape Echo Pedal V2. It has a wealth of great settings to toy with and is a time-tested favorite among the very best musicians out there.
If you're looking for a truly high-end option, then you'll find all of the functionality you could want in the BOSS RE-202, a favorite of some of the top players in the guitar game.
Thanks for checking out our list of the best tape delay pedals. We hope this list was able to help you in your quest for classic tape delay tones!
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