Soundtoys - Echoboy

Soundtoys EchoBoy is a delay plugin for macOS and Windows with 30 echo styles modelled on vintage hardware, including Echoplex, Space Echo, Memory Man and DM-2. If you only buy one delay, this is the usual answer.

It sounds like the boxes it copies: repeats that darken, wobble and saturate rather than sitting there as clean copies of the input. You can also lock it to tempo and bend the timing, which the old hardware never made easy.

Thirty echo styles

The styles run from tape units and the TelRay oil can delay to pedal classics like the Memory Man and DM-2. The Studio Tape style is modelled on the Ampex ATR-102 half-inch machine and gives vocals a warm, saturated tail. Saturation, tape flutter and diffusion are all adjustable, so you can push it further than the hardware ever went.

Groove, Feel and Accent

Dial in a note value, lock it to your tempo and the repeats land on the beat. Then use Groove, Feel and Accent to make them rush, drag or swing against it. Soundtoys say no other delay gives you this level of groove control, and it's what stops a tempo-synced echo sounding mechanical.

Dual, Ping-Pong and Rhythm Echo

Single, Dual and Ping-Pong modes cover the usual stereo jobs. Rhythm Echo lets you place up to 16 taps by hand and shape their loudness, like a tape echo with 16 read heads. Try it when a standard delay isn't doing what you hear in your head.

Where it fits

Vocals are the obvious home, particularly with the tape styles. Synth leads and arps also work well with a tempo-locked Dual or Ping-Pong setting, which suits trance leads. Thirty styles is a lot of choice. Pick by ear, not by name.

Features

• 30 echo styles including Echoplex, Space Echo, Memory Man and DM-2
• Ampex ATR-102 tape modelling
• Saturation, tape flutter and diffusion controls
• Dual and Ping-Pong stereo modes
• Groove, Feel and Accent timing controls
• Rhythm Echo mode with up to 16 taps and a Style Editor
• Resizable interface (Soundtoys 5.5 release)

System requirements

• macOS 10.15 or later, native Apple Silicon support
• Windows 10 or later (64-bit)
• Formats: VST2, VST3, AU and AAX on macOS; VST2, VST3 and AAX on Windows
• Authorised through iLok: computer licence or iLok USB. Internet connection needed to activate.

SOUND7 is an authorised Soundtoys reseller. Digital delivery: licence activation code sent by email.