Get 84% off the SSL Native X-Echo plugin in this limited-time sale at Plugin Boutique

Plugin deals come and go pretty quickly, so we’re always keeping an eye out for the ones that are actually worth your attention. Today’s pick is particularly tempting if your plugin folder could use some vintage tape character.

From now until 31 August, you can grab Solid State Logic’s Native X-Echo for just $15 at Plugin Boutique – a massive 84% saving on its usual price.

Inspired by early tape delay hardware from the 1960s such as the Echoplex, X-Echo combines the familiar wobble and degradation of tape with SSL’s signature analogue saturation and warmth.

It’s designed to sound good without much tweaking, but there’s plenty to play with once you start digging in. The Wow & Flutter and Saturation controls let you dial in everything from subtle tape movement to much more degraded sounds, while the plugin also models details such as tape hiss, soft clipping and self-oscillation when you push the feedback beyond 100%.

There are four switchable tape heads for adding variation to your delays, and you can sync your delay to note values with a single click. There’s also a Freeze function for creating risers and drops, plus a Kill control for more dramatic effects.

A couple of features make X-Echo particularly useful beyond the usual tape-delay duties. Its built-in de-esser helps tame the sibilance that tape echoes can accentuate; there’s also waveform visualisation so you can see how the tape heads are interacting with your audio.

If Native X-Echo has you in the mood for more delay, there are a few other bargains worth checking out at Plugin Boutique:

Liquid Sky’s Zen Delay Virtual is currently 83% off at $14.99, down from $89, while AIR Music Technology’s Delay Pro is 70% off at $29, offering a range of classic delay sounds. Also down to $29 from $99.99 is AIR’s Tape Double Track, which focuses on tape-style doubling and delay for adding width and movement to your tracks.

Check out the full list of deals at Plugin Boutique.

Crystal Koe is a Singapore-based writer covering music and gear news for Guitar.com and MusicTech.com since 2021. A former choir kid with an unhealthy karaoke habit, she once ran an online store peddling earphones to strangers on the internet. Her music taste runs wide — from punk and pop-rock to cool jazz and creepy film scores — and she thinks everyone should listen to Kill The Poor by Dead Kennedys at least once before they die.