Valhalla DSP ValhallaDelay plug-in: features and spec-based rating

Valhalla DSP’s ValhallaDelay is a delay with 17 switchable modes, including tape echo, BBD (analog) and 1980s digital. Diffusion (a smearing function) can also make a reverb-like sound.

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 ValhallaDelay with 10 delay plug-ins and rate how well it serves its purpose on three criteria. The basis is official manufacturer information.

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Image: from the Valhalla DSP official website (product image)

Summary

Among the 10 delay plug-ins, ValhallaDelay is rank S. The ranks run S, A, B and C, and S is the top. Averaging the scores for each criterion (out of 5, with the one criterion that matters most for the purpose counted double) gives 4.5.

Strengths

• Tone character (5 points): you can choose the tone of the repeats, from warm tape style to clear sound.
• Rhythm and width (4 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.

Who it suits: people who want to try many kinds of delay, from tape-style to analog-style and digital, at a reasonable price.

Main features of ValhallaDelay

17 modes

MODE lets you choose among 17 ways of acting, including tape based on the RE-201 and others, BBD (a part used in old analog delays), 1980s digital, Pitch, which changes pitch, backwards Reverse and lo-fi. Version 3.0.0 added Chrome Tape and Analog. When you change the mode, only the knobs used by that mode appear on screen.

One-knob ducking

The BBDuck, Clarity, DuckTape, PitchDuck and LoFi modes have a one-knob ducking. The repeats automatically get quieter in line with the volume of the original sound, and the manufacturer says you can use it without detailed settings. You can keep the repeats modest while singing and let them be heard in the gaps.

STYLE sets the left-right relationship

STYLE chooses the relationship between the left and right delays. Ping Pong returns the sound alternately left and right, and Quad can use up to four taps like an old multi-head tape echo. With Ratio you can change the ratio of the left and right lengths to make a sound in which the repeats gradually thicken.

Diffusion turns repeats into reverb

In any mode, Diffusion can smear the repeats into a reverb-like sound. Amount sets the strength of the smearing and Size sets the width, so you can make long tails of up to 20 seconds. The delay length can be set from 0 ms to 20 seconds, so it can also be used for short effects like chorus and flanger.

Where it is useful

• Adding a modest tape echo to a vocal that stays back while singing, with DuckTape
• Using Quad to make rhythmic repeats like an old tape echo
• Raising Diffusion to cover both delay and reverb in one plug-in

Rating by criterion

Tone character: 5 / 5

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

You can choose among 17 modes, including tape (based on the RE-201 and others), BBD, 1980s digital and lo-fi.

Rhythm and width: 4 / 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.

There are Quad, which recreates a multi-head tape echo (up to 4 taps), and ping-pong, and it can be matched 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).

The BBDuck, Clarity, DuckTape, PitchDuck and LoFi modes have a one-knob ducking, and diffusion and Age (the amount of noise and degradation) can also help the sound blend in.

How we score (Delay plug-ins)

Criterion	Basis	5 pt	4 pt	3 pt	2 pt	1 pt
Tone character	Warmth that blends with a vocal, and the choice of coloration	Choose from the styles of many vintage units	Tape-style sound plus other coloration to choose from	Either tape-style or vintage-style	Clear digital sound only	—
Rhythm and width	Ping-pong, multiple taps, tempo sync and so on	Multi-tap rhythm editing and ping-pong, or more	Multiple taps and ping-pong	Either ping-pong or tempo sync	—	Not mentioned on the official page
Easy to blend	Controls that keep it from getting in the way of a vocal	Ducking and a filter for the delayed sound	Two or more controls, such as a filter and saturation	One 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.

ValhallaDelay screens and images

Image: from the Valhalla DSP official website (product image)

ValhallaDelay system requirements and getting started

Operating system	Windows / Mac (Intel and Apple Silicon)
Plug-in formats	VST2.4, VST3, AU, AAX (64-bit)
Trial	Trial available (on the manufacturer’s download page)
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.

Read next

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• EchoBoy: features and rating (rank S)
• MDelay: features and rating (rank A)
• REPLIKA: features and rating (rank A)