Developer ZAK Sound has released Echowaves, a free stereo delay for macOS, Windows, and Linux.
One of the things I like most about ZAK Sound is that we never quite know what’s coming next.
This time, ZAK Sound is giving us a one-knob stereo delay plugin, Echowaves.
In addition to the main Mix knob, Echowaves features a Random button and Sync function.
The Random button generates new delay settings that you can dial in using the Mix knob. Meanwhile, the Sync function synchronizes the delay with the BPM in your DAW.
As with any one-knob plugin, there’s a trade-off between precision control and ease/speed of use.
While you can’t directly control parameters that are working away under the hood, you can generate pleasing results immediately.
The plugin’s random nature will always involve an element of hit-or-miss, but not as much as you might think.
Rather than throwing together completely random parameter values, the plugin generates sensible results that target various musical characters. It ranges from tight reflections to rhythmic delays to swirling waves of feedback.
Echowaves is ideal if you want to make a simple sound more interesting, but you aren’t sure how. For example, if you have a piano or synth part that’s fundamentally good, but needs a little help, Echowaves could be the spice it needs.
Echowaves generally sounds great, even if you have to cycle through a few generations to get what you want. And, how you set the Mix knob can be quite transformative.
If you want something more specific, such as adding presence to vocals with subtle delay, adding rhythm to static harmony, or creating a cinematic soundscape, you can save suitable generations as presets. This means Echowaves becomes more immediate the more you use it.
Letting the delay run free (anywhere between 1 – 1000ms), rather than in Sync mode, is often great for Cinematic soundscapes.
Echowaves is available in 64-bit AU and VST3 formats for macOS (10.11 or later), Windows (7 or later), and Linux (Ubuntu 22.04 or later). Fast direct download.
It’s a fun plugin that sounds great on simple sounds, and makes a good partner for some of the other ZAK Sound freebies mentioned above.
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Last Updated on January 8, 2026 by Tomislav Zlatic.
