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Eventide UltraTap multi-tap delay plug-in: features and spec-based rating

Eventide UltraTap multi-tap delay plug-in: features and spec-based rating

Eventide’s UltraTap is a multi-tap delay with up to 64 taps. It can make everything from rhythmic delays to reverb-like sound with smeared taps and a pad-like swell of volume. The LFO (a mechanism that slowly varies a sound periodically) and Length can be matched to the tempo of your DAW (music production software).

A delay delays a sound and repeats it, like an echo. You use it to add width and rhythm to vocals and guitars.

In this article we compare UltraTap with 10 delay plug-ins and rate how well it serves its purpose on three criteria. The basis is official manufacturer information.

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, SoundBounty may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices and sale information are as of the date we checked them and can change.

Eventide UltraTap
Eventide / Delay plug-ins
UltraTap
BRank B (3rd from the top of the four ranks S, A, B and C)
Score 3.3 / 5 (average of the 10 products compared: 3.9)
Specs last checked
2026/09/25
Tone character
Clear
Rhythm and width
64 taps
Easy to blend
Tone + Slurm
Price (store, date)
$99 [PB, checked Oct 26]
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Summary

Among the 10 delay plug-ins, UltraTap is rank B. The ranks run S, A, B and C, and B is third from the top. Averaging the scores for each criterion (out of 5, with the one criterion that matters most for the purpose counted double) gives 3.3.

Strengths

  • Rhythm and width (5 points): you can make repeats that bounce left and right or have complex rhythms.
  • Easy to blend (4 points): you can shape the repeats with filters and so on so they do not get in the way of a vocal.

Things to keep in mind

  • Tone character (2 points): the range of tone characters to choose from is narrow.

Who it suits: people who want to build rhythmic delays and changing sounds rather than ordinary echoes.

Main features of UltraTap

Up to 64 taps

In UltraTap you can place 1 to 64 taps within a length of up to 10 seconds. Spread gradually narrows or widens the spacing of the taps, and Taper gradually raises or lowers the volume of each tap. You can make everything from simple repeats to chorus-like and reverb-like sounds.

Slurm smears the taps

Slurm is a knob that blurs and wobbles the taps, smearing each individual grain. The higher you set it, the more the repeats turn into a reverb with chorus. Tone can also make the repeats brighter or darker.

Chop cuts up the sound

Chop is a function that chops the volume going into the delay with an LFO, or raises it slowly. Chopping gives a tremolo-like effect and raising it gives a swell like volume-pedal playing on a guitar. The speed of Length and Chop can be matched to the tempo of your DAW.

Where it is useful

  • Adding repeats that gradually speed up to a drum fill
  • Using Slurm to give a vocal a choir-like spread
  • Using the Chop swell to turn a guitar chord into a swelling sound

Rating by criterion

Tone character: 2 / 5

We check whether you can choose the tone of the repeats, such as the warmth of tape and analog gear.

It is a type that builds sound from combinations of taps, not from the coloration of a particular unit.

If “tone character” matters most to you, EchoBoy and ValhallaDelay (5 points) are a better fit.

Rhythm and width: 5 / 5

We check whether you can make rhythm and width, such as repeats that bounce left and right or repeat several times at different intervals.

You can make rhythms with up to 64 taps, and match the length and the LFO to the tempo.

Easy to blend: 4 / 5

We check whether you can adjust the repeats so they do not get in the way of the vocal (for example, making them quieter while singing).

It has Tone, which makes the delayed sound brighter or darker, Slurm, which smears the taps, and Taper, which sets how the volume of each tap falls.

12345Tone character2 ptsRhythm and width5 ptsEasy to blend4 pts
UltraTap10products average
Tone character
2/5
What we look atWarmth that blends with a vocal, and the choice of coloration
This productClear
Rhythm and width
5/5
What we look atPing-pong, multiple taps, tempo sync and so on
This product64 taps
Easy to blend
4/5
What we look atControls that keep it from getting in the way of a vocal
This productTone + Slurm
How we score (Delay plug-ins)
CriterionBasis5 pt4 pt3 pt2 pt1 pt
Tone characterWarmth that blends with a vocal, and the choice of colorationChoose from the styles of many vintage unitsTape-style sound plus other coloration to choose fromEither tape-style or vintage-styleClear digital sound only—
Rhythm and widthPing-pong, multiple taps, tempo sync and so onMulti-tap rhythm editing and ping-pong, or moreMultiple taps and ping-pongEither ping-pong or tempo sync—Not mentioned on the official page
Easy to blendControls that keep it from getting in the way of a vocalDucking and a filter for the delayed soundTwo or more controls, such as a filter and saturationOne control—Not mentioned on the official page

Each criterion is scored from 1 to 5 on how well the product serves one goal: adding depth and lingering tails to a vocal. Scores follow the conditions in the table above, and the rank is based on an average in which "Tone character" counts double. The basis is official manufacturer information. Sound quality and CPU load are not measured, so they are not scored; reviews from trade magazines are introduced in the articles for reference. Price is not part of the score. Features that cannot be confirmed from the manufacturer's or a retailer's description are scored as if absent. The "OBS (streaming)" column in the table shows whether the official page lists the VST2 format that the streaming software OBS Studio can use (○). OBS does not support the VST3 format. It is not part of the score.

UltraTap system requirements and getting started

Operating systemWindows 10 or later / Mac (macOS 10.14 or later; an iOS version also exists)
Plug-in formatsWindows: VST2, VST3, AAX / Mac: AU, VST2, VST3, AAX
OtherAn iLok account is required (no USB key needed)
Trial14-day trial available
OBS (streaming)Works as it is (VST2 is listed)

Checked on the manufacturer’s official pages on September 27, 2026.

Compared with other delay plug-ins

Click a heading to sort. On a phone, the table scrolls sideways.

ProductRankAvg. scoreTone characterRhythm and widthEasy to blendFreeOBS (streaming)Price (store, date)
FabFilterTimeless 3S 4.5Tape + 5 effects16 taps + ping-pongDucking + filters—○$149 [PB, checked Oct 26]
SoundtoysEchoBoyS 4.830 stylesRhythm editing + ping-pongFilter + saturation—○$199 [PB, checked Oct 26]
MeldaProductionMDelayA 4.0Tape + modern2 taps + ping-pongFilter + distortionFree○Not listed
Native InstrumentsREPLIKAA 3.8Modern + vintagePing-pong + tempo syncFilter + saturationFree○Not listed
EventideUltraTapB 3.3Clear64 tapsTone + Slurm—○$99 [PB, checked Oct 26]
Valhalla DSPValhallaDelayS 4.517 modes4 taps + ping-pongDucking and more—○$50 [Official, checked Oct 26]
ArturiaDelay TAPE-201A 4.0Tape + reverb3 heads + ping-pongEQ + LFO + saturation—Not confirmed$79 [Official, checked Oct 26]
ArturiaDelay MEMORY-BRIGADEB 3.3BBD (analog)Ping-pong + tempo syncEQ + envelope + LFO—Not confirmed≈$54.92 [Official, checked Oct 26]
WavesH-DelayA 3.84 analog + digitalTempo syncFilter + modulation—△ (via Waves' StudioRack)Not listed
SoundtoysPrimalTapB 3.0Vintage digital2 lines + tempo syncVCO wobble—○$99 [Official, checked Oct 26]

Features checked on each manufacturer's official website on September 25, 2026. Check the store page behind the buy button for the price.

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