The Universal Audio UAFX Starlight Echo Station is a delay pedal that gives you three different kinds of delay in one box: Tape EP III, Analog DMM and Precision1. Premier Guitar's press coverage of the launch names the three delay types as Tape EP-III, Analog DMM and Precision2. MusicRadar's buying guide describes it as channelling the spirits of the Echoplex and Memory Man Deluxe, which makes it an option for players who want some of that character without hunting down vintage units3.
The three delay modes
The Tape EP-III mode is meant to emulate a classic tape-based delay. gearnews.com's reviewer, Asad, started there and found the pedal does not suffer from the apparent digitalness of other digital emulators: in the Tape EP-III and Analog DMM modes, the repeats wash over each other like tape or analog1. When a clean, uncolored repeat is what the part calls for, Precision mode offers the pristine repeat that only digital delays can offer1.
In a separate buying guide, gearnews.com's Julian Schmauch counted the Starlight among pedals with a very good-sounding tape delay mode5.
The controls
The top panel carries the core delay knobs plus a set of switches for the modes and presets13.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Delay | Sets the delay time3 |
| Feedback | Sets the number and level of repeats3 |
| Mix | Blends the effect with the dry signal3 |
| Division | Rotary switch for subdivisions1 |
| Color | Tone shaping3 |
| Mod | Affects the modulation of the selected delay type1 |
| Mode switch | Selects the delay mode1 |
| Store switch | Saves the preset1 |
| A/B/C switch | Selects variations within the selected delay type1 |
The A/B/C switch is worth understanding before you set the pedal up: it selects variations within whichever delay type is currently chosen, so the same knob settings can behave differently across the three positions1.
Footswitches and presets
There are two footswitches: one turns the effect on and off, and the other loads the preset, which also doubles as a tap tempo1. So yes, the pedal has tap tempo, and yes, you can save presets: the Store switch saves a sound, and the A/B/C switch selects between variations1. MusicRadar's buying guide lists toggle switches for effect type, preset storage and selection of sounds A/B/C among the pedal's controls3.
Connections and the USB-C port
The pedal has mono/stereo inputs and outputs, so it works in a mono rig or at the end of a stereo board3. The USB-C port is for app control and updates3, which is how deeper settings and firmware changes are handled outside the panel knobs.
How it compares to the Orion
Universal Audio later launched the UAFX Compacts line, and the Orion Tape Echo was among the four pedals released at that launch. Delicious Audio's product page describes the Orion as emerging from the flagship Starlight Echo Station, thanks to the same award-winning algorithms from the Starlight6. In other words, the Starlight is the source of the Orion's tape echo algorithm, in a full-size pedal with three delay types rather than one. MusicRadar's 2026 review of the Orion lists the pair's prices as $399 and $349 respectively, the Starlight being the $399 one4. MusicRadar's buying guide also notes that UA makes super high spec stuff3.
What reviewers said
"The Starlight doesn't seem to suffer from that."
"+ UA makes super high spec stuff"
The consistent thread across the reviews is that the tape and analog modes read as tape or analog to the ear rather than as simulations, and that the Precision mode is there when a clean digital repeat is wanted1.
Videos
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Universal Audio
Universal Audio
Questions
Does the Starlight Echo Station have tap tempo?
Yes. The pedal has two footswitches: one turns the effect on and off, and the other loads the preset and doubles as a tap tempo, so you can set the delay time in time with the song. The delay time can also be set with the Delay knob, and the Division rotary switch selects subdivisions.
Does the Starlight Echo Station work in stereo?
Yes. The pedal has mono/stereo inputs and outputs, so it can sit at the end of a stereo rig or run in mono with a single cable. gearnews.com's reviewer found the repeats in the Tape EP-III and Analog DMM modes wash over each other like tape or analog rather than sounding obviously digital.
Can you save presets on the Starlight Echo Station?
Yes. There is a Store switch for saving a preset, and an A/B/C switch that selects variations within the chosen delay type. The second footswitch loads the stored preset. MusicRadar's buying guide lists toggle switches for effect type, preset storage and selection of sounds A/B/C among the pedal's controls.
What is the difference between the Starlight Echo Station and the Orion?
The Orion Tape Echo is a compact, single-mode pedal from Universal Audio's UAFX Compacts line, and it uses the same algorithms as the Starlight. Delicious Audio's product page describes the Orion as drawing on the award-winning algorithms from the flagship Starlight Echo Station, bringing the EP-III tape echo to a smaller pedal at a lower price.
What does the USB-C port do on the Starlight Echo Station?
The USB-C port is for app control and updates. You connect the pedal to a computer to adjust settings through Universal Audio's app and to install firmware updates as Universal Audio releases them.
How much does the Starlight Echo Station cost?
MusicRadar's 2026 delay pedal guide lists the Starlight at $399 USD. A gearnews.com buying guide from June 2025 listed it at £333.00 GBP, alongside a euro price of 387.00 EUR; the two guides were published at different times.
Sources (6)
- Review: UAFX Golden Reverberator, Starlight Echo Station and Astra Modulation Machine, gearnews.com, 2021-04-04
- Universal Audio Announces UAFX Effects Pedals, Premier Guitar, 2021-01-27
- Best delay pedals: add extra dimension to your tone, MusicRadar, 2022-05-17
- Universal Audio UAFX Orion Tape Echo Delay pedal review, MusicRadar, 2023-10-28
- Best Tape Delay Pedal: Get the Sounds of Echoplex and Space Echo on your Board!, gearnews.com, 2025-06-16
- UAFX Orion Tape Echo, Delicious Audio, 2023-11-07
