TD-201

Name: TD-201
Price: 49 USD
Author: Black Rooster Audio

by Black Rooster Audio · Delay · Space Echo-style tape echo

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A multi-head tape echo inspired by the Roland RE-201 Space Echo, with three playback heads and a built-in spring reverb.

It adds per-head position, level and pan, tempo sync and detailed tape imperfection controls, for $49 at Plugin Boutique.

Best for: Guitars, Vocals, Keys & Synths, Drums, Sound Design. Genres: Rock & Indie, Electronic & EDM, Lo-Fi, Ambient & Cinematic.

Keywords: tape echo, tape, spring, hardware emulation, inspired by, dub, electric guitar, synths, 70s, bass, clean, colored, convolution, drums, flutter, impulse-response based, lo-fi, mixing, rhythmic, sound design, tempo-synced, vintage, vocals, wide, wobble.

What it does

TD-201 is Black Rooster Audio's "Vintage Multi-Head Tape Echo", modelled on the Roland RE-201 Space Echo. The developer's aim is a delay that behaves like the tape machine, "not like a clean digital line".

Mode selector: 12 positions route the three playback heads (H1, H2, H3) and the spring reverb: four head-only modes, seven heads-plus-reverb modes and one reverb-only mode.
Per-head controls: each head has its own Position, Level and Pan, so the repeat pattern and stereo spread can be set beyond what the hardware allows.
Delay and feedback: Repeat Rate and Feedback, with enough feedback to self-oscillate, plus a Sync switch and Tap Tempo.
Headroom and dry path: Headroom adds saturation that builds with each repeat; Dry Mute removes the dry signal and Dry Pre chooses a preamp-coloured or clean dry path.
Tone: Bass and Treble EQ (±6 dB at 95 Hz and 650 Hz), plus separate Tape Bass and Tape Treble controls for the repeats.
Tape imperfections: Floor (hiss and hum), Dropouts, Wow Flutter and Motor Acc, which simulates motor speed instability.
Spring reverb: a convolution spring reverb with its own Reverb Volume control.

A 14-day trial is available.

Source: Black Rooster Audio product page

When to use it

TD-201 is a focused Space Echo model for people who want to shape the head pattern in detail. Compared with Arturia Delay TAPE-201 and UAD Galaxy Tape Echo, which model the same machine, it stands out for separate position, level and pan on each of the three heads, plus a full set of tape-fault controls. Against Soundtoys EchoBoy, it covers only one machine but goes deeper into that machine's routing, wear and spring reverb. It is also cheaper than EchoBoy.

Best for: dub throws, self-oscillating feedback swells, guitar and synth echoes, and multi-head rhythmic repeats panned across the stereo field.
Genres: reggae and dub, rock, electronic, lo-fi and ambient.
Look elsewhere if: you want many delay styles or clean digital delays in one plugin; EchoBoy covers far more ground, and Valhalla Delay is the more general-purpose pick.

Where to buy

Plugin Boutique: $49

Tutorials and reviews

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