Eventide UltraTap

The Eventide UltraTap is a multi-tap delay pedal: instead of one repeat chain, it splits the delayed signal into up to 64 separate "taps", each a repeat you can place, level and pan independently¹²³. Eventide describes it as delivering rhythmic delays, glitchy reverbs, huge pad-like volume swells and expressive modulated effects, and the press release pitches it at staccato leads, swelling chords and evolving effects from reversed reverbs to what Delicious Audio calls "Grand Canyon sounds"³². Premier Guitar's reviewer likened it to having 64 playback heads on an Echoplex tape delay, but with pristine digital fidelity⁴.

It is a digital pedal in a rugged, gig-ready silver enclosure, and it shipped on 13 April 2021 as the third pedal in Eventide's dot9 series, after the BlackHole reverb and the MicroPitch Delay²³⁵⁶. It carries the same algorithm family that already existed as a plugin and as an algorithm in the H9 multi-effects pedal³.

What 64 taps actually does

A conventional delay pedal gives you one repeat stream: the same echo over and over, fading each cycle. The UltraTap's Taps knob selects up to 64 taps, which means the delay can be subdivided into separate repeats and manipulated into rhythmic or smeared elements¹⁵. You get control of each tap's volume and its placement in the stereo spectrum². Eventide frames it as adding as many virtual tape heads as you want, with expressive control of head position and output level³.

In practice, reviewers found this opens two very different directions. With the taps spread out and level-controlled you get choppy, rhythmical repeats and dotted patterns; with the taps pushed together you get washes that behave more like reverb or chorus than delay⁹. MusicRadar's review team noted Eventide's own claim of scope for a really wide range of sounds, including more traditional delays, unusual reverbs and choppy rhythmical repeats⁹.

The controls

The compact top panel offers direct control of twelve parameters, which Eventide says lets you create simple repeats or morph delays into chorus and reverb³. Several are familiar from any delay pedal⁵:

The Slurm control is the unusual one. It is the secondary function of the Taps knob, and it mushes the taps together into a sound Guitar.com described as part-delay, part-reverb⁵. Delicious Audio called it a welcome feature, quoting Eventide's description that it "smears/slurs taps together to create truly unique reverbs and choruses"².

Two footswitches handle performance duties: Active (which can be momentary or latching), Tap Tempo, and preset selection and loading³. The LED lights on top of the footswitches are themselves buttons that change the switches' functionality, allowing momentary effects². The multi-function Exp jack takes an expression pedal, a single or triple Aux switch for preset changing, or MIDI over TRS, and any combination of parameters can be mapped to an expression pedal³². Players wanting to go deeper can see the expression pedal options.

Power and connections

The UltraTap runs on a supplied 9V DC adaptor drawing 200mA⁹¹⁰. That current draw is on the high side for a compact pedal, so it is worth planning for on a shared power supply.

Connections are flexible for a pedal this size⁹:

• Input: 1/4" TRS, mono tip or stereo tip and ring⁹
• Outputs: Two 1/4" TS outputs, dual mono⁶⁹
• USB: Rear panel mini USB jack for computer connection, Eventide Device Manager, software updates and MIDI over USB⁹³
• Exp/MIDI jack: Expression pedal, Aux switches or MIDI over TRS³

The pedal is compatible with both line and instrument input signals, and the Guitar/Line Level switch handles level-matching with guitars, synths, FX loops or DAW interfaces²¹¹. Multiple bypass modes are available: Buffered, Relay, DSP+FX or Kill Dry³².

Presets and MIDI

Five presets are loaded at your feet, with dozens more available through Eventide's Device Manager (EDM) software over USB². Guitar World counted 46 factory presets in the EDM to try out¹⁰, and MusicRadar noted 50 more to download beyond the five onboard ones⁹.

MIDI works two ways: over TRS with a MIDI to TRS cable or converter box, or over USB². The rear panel USB jack connects to a computer for EDM, software updates and MIDI over USB control³¹¹. For players building a switched rig, the MIDI pedals page covers this class of control in more detail.

History: from the SP2016 and H3000 to the dot9 series

The UltraTap's lineage is unusually long for a stompbox. MusicRadar traces its history to the multi-tap delay on the Eventide SP2016 in 1983, the first programmable modular effects processor⁹. Delicious Audio dates the development work to 1981, with Eventide's Digiplex and MultiTap Delay algorithms for the SP2016².

The H3000 rack unit, a DSP-based multi-effects unit MusicRadar calls one of the all-time greats, was the first to carry an algorithm with the name Ultra-tap⁹¹². The algorithm later became an UltraTap plugin and an H9 algorithm². When the H9 launched, the UltraTap algorithm was exclusive to it, not carried over from the Factor Series or Space pedals¹³¹⁴, and MusicPlayers.com's reviewer found it offered 64 taps and a full four seconds of delay, "taking notes into uncharted musical bliss"¹⁵¹³.

The pedal version arrived in 2021 as the third dot9 series pedal, following the BlackHole reverb and the MicroPitch Delay, with a similar layout and look to both²⁶. Guitar World explains the series name: the dot9 pedals are algorithms that can be found all together in the H9, given their own dedicated hardware¹⁰. Premier Guitar puts the pedal's circuit in direct line with the H3000 rack unit, which attracted players like Eddie Van Halen⁴.

What reviewers said

MusicRadar's review team called the UltraTap "a lot of pedal for your investment; a creative tool that progressive players will find plenty of inspiration in, and a treat for fans of ambient, versatile multi-tap delay sounds"⁹.

Delicious Audio called it an incredibly inspiring pedal that brings new life to an algorithm already used by many guitarists, musicians and producers, and added it to its list of best advanced delay pedals with unusual features². Performer Mag's Chris Devine praised its audio quality and deep control set while noting it may overwhelm casual delay users¹.

The Edge question

A multi-tap delay with tap division is the natural tool for dotted-eighth patterns of the kind U2's The Edge is known for, and Gearnews made the connection directly, saying the pedal suits "anyone that wants to emulate sounds like those used by The Edge from U2"⁶. The tap division knob and Tap Tempo footswitch give you the subdivision control that style depends on¹⁰⁵, though the UltraTap offers far more than that one sound, and no source claims to reproduce any player's exact rig.

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