GS-201 Tape Echo

The tape echo effect originated in the late 1950s with the invention of the first tape echo machine by Charlie Watkins of London, England in 1958. The machine works by recording audio onto a small loop of 1/4" tape with a magnetic head, and then playing it back using three separate heads. The sound is amplified by the internal all-valve circuit before being recorded back onto the tape, creating the distinct feedback or "sustaining" echo effect.

Today, original tape echo machines are highly sought after but difficult to find on the market, with their value increasing every year. There are several characteristics that set tape echo apart from modern digital delay, such as its unpredictability, frequency response, dynamic range, and noise, hum, and distortion. While these defects are generally unwanted in a digital system, they can add a unique and desired musical quality to tape echo.

To obtain the real thing, one must have access to an original tape echo machine. However, an affordable and easy alternative is to use an accurate digital simulation. The GS-201 is a digital simulation of a Japanese tape echo machine from the early 1970s, providing users with the distinct sound and feel of a vintage tape echo.