UltraTap is a versatile multi-tap effect for rhythmic delays, glitchy reverbs, and pad-like swells with up to 64 taps, featuring The Ribbon for real-time morphing and a programmable HotSwitch for instant alternate settings.
Concept and Design
UltraTap builds on a lineage stretching back to Eventide’s pioneering digital processors, offering a modern take on the classic multi-tap delay. It simulates the flexibility of multiple tape heads, letting you add as many as 64 individual taps and control their positions and levels. This design makes it equally suited for rhythmic precision and expansive, evolving soundscapes.
The effect is a direct port from the award-winning H9 Harmonizer, with all original H9 presets converted and included, plus new factory and artist presets. Over 150 presets cover a wide range of sonic territory, from subtle echoes to dramatic, cathedral-like reverbs. The interface emphasizes hands-on control, bringing the tactile feel of hardware tweaking to your DAW.
Key Capabilities
At the heart of UltraTap is The Ribbon, a unique touchpad-like control that allows you to program two distinct settings for any combination of parameters and transition seamlessly between them. This is designed for real-time performance, letting you morph from a clean delay to a dense, modulated wash with a single glide. The programmable HotSwitch offers an instant jump to an alternate version of your current settings, perfect for dramatic changes mid-performance.
The Slurm control provides another layer of innovation, smearing taps together or modulating them to create entirely new reverbs and textures. You can also use built-in LFOs and envelope followers to chop the audio into stuttered rhythms, and the Spread knob adjusts the rhythmic spacing between taps. Stereo imaging options allow taps to alternate between hard-panned and mono positions, while the Length and Chop LFO speeds can sync to your DAW’s tempo.
Workflow and Integration
UltraTap is optimized for live use and studio production alike. The Ribbon can be controlled via MIDI, and Tap Tempo enables quick synchronization with your session. The Mix Lock feature ensures that the wet/dry balance remains constant while you scroll through presets, preventing sudden volume jumps. This makes it easy to audition different effects during a performance or while mixing.
The user interface is designed to support fast, intuitive adjustments. Whether you’re shaping a drum fill, adding depth to a vocal, or crafting a swelling guitar chord, all essential parameters are accessible without menu diving. The included artist presets—by Chris Carter, Colin Newman, Sasha, and others—provide a starting point that showcases the effect’s range, from subtle enhancers to bold, otherworldly transformations.
Practical Applications
UltraTap excels at creating rhythmic effects: use it to generate intricate delay patterns for drums, arpeggiated synth sequences, or vocal stutters. The multi-tap engine can also morph from simple repeats into chorus-like textures or full reverbs, making it a valuable tool for sound design. You can swell chords into pad-like volumes or create reverse-reverb effects by manipulating tap positions and levels.
Beyond standard use, the Slurm control lets you build glitchy, smeared reverbs that add unexpected motion. The stutter effects from LFO/envelope chopping are great for electronic genres, while the Ribbon’s morphing is ideal for live sets. Whether used subtly to add space or pushed to extreme, UltraTap serves as a creative centerpiece for shaping evolving, dynamic audio.
Key features
- Up to 64 individual taps for creating delays, chorus, and reverb
- The Ribbon control for seamless morphing between two programmable settings
- Programmable HotSwitch for instant alternate effect states
- Slurm control for smearing taps into unique reverbs
- Built-in LFOs and envelope followers for stutter effects
- DAW sync for Length and Chop LFO speeds
- Mix Lock to keep wet/dry balance constant while browsing presets
Best for
Best for producers and sound designers needing a versatile multi-tap effect for rhythmic delays, glitchy reverbs, pad-like swells, and morphing textures. It shines in live performance contexts due to The Ribbon and HotSwitch, but also offers deep sound design possibilities for studio work.