Universal Audio UAFX Galaxy '74

The Universal Audio UAFX Galaxy '74 is a delay and reverb pedal that puts a Space Echo-style tape delay with spring reverb in a single enclosure¹. It is a digital recreation of multi-head tape delay, modeled on the classic mid-'70s Roland Space Echo tape effect², and follows the UAD plugin digital recreation of that same machine³.

What it does

The Galaxy '74 models the Roland Space Echo, the tape machine whose multi-head echoes and spring reverb shaped dub, reggae and countless studio recordings. Universal Audio had already recreated it as a UAD plugin, and MusicRadar reported the pedal being hailed as "the most authentic emulation of the classic mid-'70s Roland Space Echo hardware"³. Because it is digital, the pedal models the behavior of a tape loop rather than carrying one, and it runs in stereo.

One control sets it apart from simply copying the original: a tape age control for the sound of an old, worn-out tape loop. As gearnews.com's reviewer put it, "Want the sound of an old, worn-out tape loop? Simply twist the tape age control!"⁴

Features beyond the original hardware

The pedal adds functions the 1970s machine never had. Delicious Audio's buying guide lists⁵:

• Presets
• Dual stereo effects
• Tap tempo
• A momentary footswitch function
• Doubled delay times, allowing rhythmic subdivisions not possible on the original hardware⁵

What reviewers said

The pedal drew a strong verdict from gearnews.com's review⁴. The review stated:

Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio described it as "A stereo pedal that encapsulates the essence of the '70s Roland Tape Echo into an almost compact case," calling it an almost compact take on the Space Echo with extra features, while flagging the price as its main drawback⁵.

Where it sits in the UAFX range

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