Review: Soundghost Ekko scrambled cassette delay

Here’s a comprehensive review blog of SoundGhost Ekko—a creative, cassette‑inspired delay plugin that merges warm nostalgia with forward-thinking experimental tools.

Key Features

• Scramble Playhead: Inspired by SoundGhost’s sampler Jumble, this feature randomly jumps the delay playhead in sync with your DAW, creating fragmented rhythms and ambient trails Elektronauts+4KVR Audio+4KVR Audio+4.

• Weighted Ping‑Pong Delay: Control stereo movement more organically with a ping‑pong that favors one channel—perfect for nuanced spatial effects KVR Audio+1KVR Audio+1.

• Tape-style Degradation: Includes flutter, wow, tape saturation, and hiss. Mimics the imperfections of vintage cassette playback SoundGhost+2KVR Audio+2KVR Audio+2.

• Flip/Freeze Modes: Create glitchy stutters or sustained ambient drones by flipping or freezing the delay bufferKVR Audio+1KVR Audio+1.

• Fade Control: Adds tremolo-style volume modulation to smooth transitions or create pulsing patterns KVR Audio+1KVR Audio+1.

• Filters: 12 dB high‑pass and low‑pass filters let you shape brightness or muddiness in the echoesSoundGhost+2KVR Audio+2KVR Audio+2.

• Automation & MIDI Support: All parameters can be automated or modulated via MIDI for dynamic controlKVR Audio.

• Resizable Interface: Clean UI that scales to your screen and workflow preferences.

Sound & Style

Ekko delivers anything from smooth vintage echoes to wildly warped textures. Its random-playback scramble function opens a creative playground—ideal for ambient, experimental, or lo‑fi producers. Here's what KVR Audio highlights:

The plugin spans a one-minute delay buffer—long enough for immersive atmospheres and rhythmic stutters alike. Add your favorite saturated or degraded textures into the mix.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Affordable introductory price (~£29, then £39) compared to richer delay options KVR Audio+2KVR Audio+2sinesquares.net+2.

• Unique scramble/playhead randomness for evolving textures.

• Minimalist, intuitive interface.

• Low‑latency, stable support for MIDI automation.

• Apple Silicon native performance included.

Cons

• Niche appeal: For standard delay, more traditional plugins may offer a cleaner, predictable result.

• Limited feedback has surfaced—no widely published user reviews yet.

• Focus is on creative decay and glitch—less suited for clinical clean echoes.

Final Verdict

If you're chasing a delay plugin with soul, randomness, and character, SoundGhost’s Ekko is a potent and playful tool. It shines in ambient, lo‑fi, and experimental productions—especially when paired with modular or sample‑based workflows.

If, instead, you need surgical, deeply controlled delay, something more traditional like Valhalla Delay or Soundtoys Delay Boy may better fit. But if you revel in chaos, texture, and cassette-inspired grit, Ekko offers a delightfully broken memory machine at an attractive price.