The Cusack Tap-A-Delay is a tap tempo digital delay pedal from Cusack Effects of Michigan, offering up to 750 milliseconds of delay time12. Cusack describes it as a 750mS digital delay that mixes the original analog signal with the delayed signal, and the company is upfront that the repeats are not meant to be pristine: "It is a bit gritty, and very analog flavored. This isn't a clean studio quality digital delay with perfect repeats"34. Premier Guitar's reviewer found the same character in the Deluxe version, calling its repeats "slightly dirty and gritty repeats that sound studiously analog"5.
The pedal is compact for what it does. As Premier Guitar put it in its review, "For all its capabilities, the Tap-A-Delay is a compact pedal"2. It is currently on sale from Cusack Music at a list price of $229, marked down to $17536.
How it works and how it differs from other delays
The core idea is a delay line that you can drive two ways. The Delay knob sets the time directly, and turning it overrides whatever tempo you tapped in. Tapping the Tap Speed footswitch twice sets the time by ear, and a tapped tempo overrides the knob37. When you tap a tempo, the Divide toggle lets you choose whether the delay lands on 1/8, dotted 1/8, or 1/4 notes, which is a musical subdivision scheme rather than a raw milliseconds readout3.
The sound is deliberately not a clean digital delay. Cusack voices the repeats to be gritty and analog flavored, closer to a worn tape echo than a studio processor4. Premier Guitar's reviewer confirmed this in the Deluxe review, noting the repeats sound "studiously analog"5.
Two features set it apart from most tap tempo delays:
- Brake control. Hold the Tap Speed switch down and it acts as a modified brake, changing the tempo on the fly8. Vintage Guitar reported that when using this function the delay time can stay where it left off, snap back to where it was, or slowly slide back to where it was1.
- External tap jack. An RCA jack on the back of the pedal works as either a tap input or a tap output, so it can share tempo with other gear7.
The controls
The control set is shared across the Tap-A-Delay family, with the knobs doing the same jobs on the standard pedal and the Tap-A-Delay Deluxe1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Level | Sets the volume of the delay3 |
| Mix | Balances dry and delayed signal3 |
| Feedback | Sets how many repeats and how quickly they build3 |
| Delay | Sets delay time, 50mS to 750mS; turning it overrides the tapped tempo7 |
| Tap Speed footswitch | Tap twice (Cusack suggests at least four taps for accuracy) to set the tempo; hold it down for the brake function8 |
| Divide toggle | When tapping, selects 1/8, dotted 1/8, or 1/4 note divisions3 |
| External Tap jack | RCA jack on the back, usable as tap in or out7 |
The manual adds a practical detail on the interaction between the two time controls: while adjusting the tempo with the Delay knob the Tap-Divide does not operate, and tapping a tempo with the footswitch overrides the knob8.
MIDI clock sync
The Tap-A-Delay does not have a MIDI port, but it can still sync to MIDI Clock. Molten Voltage's CTL-Sync system sends tempo information to pedals through their tap input jacks, and the Tap-A-Delay is on Molten Voltage's list of pedals that can sync this way. As Molten Voltage's blog put it, these are "28 pedals with a Tap Input Jack that can sync together even though they don't use MIDI Clock"9. A later Molten Voltage index describes CTL-Sync as a way for a whole bunch of pedals to sync to MIDI Clock10. For a player running several delay or modulation pedals off one tempo, the external RCA tap jack is what makes this possible.
The Deluxe and Tiny versions
The Tap-A-Delay Deluxe adds a second footswitch and a few toggles on top of the standard control set. It debuted at Summer NAMM 201711 and Cusack now lists it as discontinued114.
The headline addition is the Float switch, a momentary feedback loop. In the manual's words4118:
"With a press and a soft click, the FLOAT footswitch effectively maximum delay, it jumps back to minimum."8
Cusack Music, Tap-A-Delay Deluxe manual8
A Float Input toggle on the back left corner decides whether new notes you play are added to the floating feedback or stay dry, so you can play over the top of the loop. Left lets the feedback continuously evolve with your playing, which Cusack suggests for build-ups and extended outros; right latches the delay line into a droning pad or momentary bursts of glitch8. The manual also suggests combining functions: "Engage FLOAT and BRAKE at the same time to get lost in warping washes of echo, or tap in a new tempo while floating for a shifting effect"8.
The Deluxe's Mode switch controls how the effect reacts while braking, with positions labeled Stay, Snap, and Drift from left to right8. Tapping both footswitches simultaneously toggles between Speed Up and Slow Down for the Slide and Snap modes, with the light blinking to confirm the change4. Premier Guitar's reviewer noted that even the bypass footswitch "turns it all on or off (but also does more, as we'll see)"5.
There is also the Tiny Tap-a-Delay, which Cusack calls the "Never-Off" version of the Tap-A-Delay, packing all the features of the original into a housing a quarter of the size, or half the size of a Tube Screamer12. It too is listed as discontinued12.
Where it came from
What reviewers said
Premier Guitar reviewed the Tap-A-Delay in March 2021 and concluded that it "hits the mark on both counts," in a review that highlighted its compact size given its capabilities2. Of the Deluxe, the same magazine found the repeats voiced dirty and gritty on purpose, sounding studiously analog rather than like a clean studio delay5. Delicious Audio called the Deluxe "the fully loaded 750ms delay from Cusack Music" when covering its Summer NAMM 2017 debut11.
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Questions
What is the maximum delay time on the Cusack Tap-A-Delay?
The maximum delay time is 750 milliseconds. The full delay range runs from 50 milliseconds to 750 milliseconds, and the time can be set either with the Delay knob or by tapping the Tap Speed footswitch. Turning the knob overrides the tapped tempo, and tapping a new tempo overrides the knob.
Is the Cusack Tap-A-Delay analog or digital?
It is a digital delay, but Cusack mixes the original analog signal with the delayed signal, and the repeats are voiced to sound analog rather than clean and studio-like. Premier Guitar described the Deluxe version's repeats as slightly dirty and gritty, sounding studiously analog.
Can the Tap-A-Delay sync to MIDI clock?
Yes, in a roundabout way. The pedal has an external RCA tap jack on the back that works as a tap input or output, and using Molten Voltage's CTL-Sync system it can sync to MIDI Clock through that tap input, alongside other pedals with tap input jacks.
What does the Float switch do on the Tap-A-Delay Deluxe?
The Float switch controls a momentary feedback loop. Pressing it effectively raises the feedback, so at lower feedback settings you get floating ambient washes, and at higher settings the repeats build into runaway oscillation. A Float Input toggle decides whether new notes you play are added to the loop or stay dry.
Is the Tap-A-Delay Deluxe discontinued?
Yes. Cusack Music lists the Tap-A-Delay Deluxe as discontinued. The standard Tap-A-Delay remains on sale at a listed price of $229, marked down to $175, and Cusack has since shown newer delay pedals including the Prototype Delay teased at NAMM in 2022.
Sources (12)
- Cusack Effects Announces Tap-A-Delay, Vintage Guitar magazine, 2010-12-22
- Cusack Effects Tap-A-Delay Pedal Review, Premier Guitar, 2011-04-19
- Tap-a-Delay Tap Tempo Analog Voiced Delay, Cusack Music
- Tap-a-Delay Deluxe with Float and Modulation, Cusack Music
- Cusack Music Tap-A-Delay Deluxe Review, Premier Guitar, 2018-03-06
- Delay TME Time Modulation Emulator (Original), Cusack Music
- on:, Cusack Music, 2021-02-17
- on:, Cusack Music, 2021-02-17
- MIDI PedalBoard Devices: 28 Effects that can sync to MIDI Clock with CTL-Sync, Molten Voltage (blog.moltenvoltage.com), 2014-06-12
- MIDI PedalBoard Devices: Guitar Effect Pedals that Sync to MIDI Clock, Molten Voltage (blog.moltenvoltage.com), 2014-10-07
- Cusack Music Tap-A-Delay Deluxe, Delicious Audio, 2017-12-11
- Tiny Tap-a-Delay Never-Off Delay (Discontinued), Cusack Music
