The Tap Tone is a delay pedal from the Danish maker T-Rex, built around a tap tempo footswitch and analog-voiced repeats. T-Rex describes it on its own page as a "TAP TEMPO DELAY" and says that with the Tap Tone it "wanted to create the world's most musical delay"1. Pedal of the Day's review, by Mike B, called it a "Great vintage sounding Delay" and noted it is "Related to the famous T-Rex Delays", the family that includes the T-Rex Replica2. Delicious Audio's reviewer, Howard J. Stock, summed it up as "a versatile and intuitive delay pedal"3.
What it does to your sound
The Tap Tone sits in the delay pedals family but is voiced for older-style echoes. Pedal of the Day described it as "Boasting awesome analog tones, plus a few other tricks up its sleeve"2. At low settings the reviewer found it works as an always-on thickener: "the Tap Tone gives of a great pseudo-reverb sound, one that really thickens up" the tone, with knobs around 9:00, one to leave on all the time2.
Premier Guitar's review looked at the clean side of the pedal and found "the Tap Tone's clean repeats match the bypassed tone with pinpoint accuracy, and the pedal has an exceedingly smooth and natural" response to picking dynamics4.
The controls: Delay, Feedback, Time, Bite and Mix
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Delay | Blends the clean signal with the delayed one, the basic mix control2 |
| Feedback | Governs the feedback parameter, how many repeats you hear3 |
| Time | Governs the delay time3 |
| Bite | T-Rex says it adds vintage color; better thought of as a tone control for the delay's repeats3 |
| Mix | The Delay knob doubles as the mix, for total control of how powerful or subtle the effect sits2 |
Delicious Audio noted that "Delay," "Feedback" and "Time" govern the usual delay parameters, with Bite as the curveball3. On Bite, the same reviewer found "it makes a big difference when Delay and Feedback are at higher settings, putting a crisp edge on a nice warm feedback loop"3. Premier Guitar heard it the same way: "Turning up the bite control gradually stirs the stew to a warm, lo-fi, warbling simmer, filling the spaces in chords" with analog color4.
Tap tempo in use
The Tap footswitch is the pedal's signature control. As Delicious Audio put it: "To match tempo with a drummer, just keep time with your toe and you're all set", and the speed stays until the Time setting is altered3. A red light flashes in time with the delay in any mode, "so you know what you're getting before you engage it"3.
Where it came from and what reviewers made of it
T-Rex is a Danish pedal maker3, and the Tap Tone appeared in its delay line at a $169 USD list price, which Delicious Audio's 2011 review noted was "at least a Benjamin short of T-Rex's regular pricing" at the time3. The pedal's metal case, the reviewer wrote, "will withstand the rigors of regular use"3.
Reviewers' verdicts in brief:
- Pedal of the Day (Mike B, 2015): a great vintage-sounding delay with analog tones, useful as a pseudo-reverb thickener at low settings2
- Delicious Audio (Howard J. Stock, 2011): versatile and intuitive, with Bite making a real difference at higher Delay and Feedback settings3
- Premier Guitar (2021): clean repeats match the bypassed tone closely, with a smooth and natural response to picking dynamics4
Videos
T-Rex Effects
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Questions
What does the Bite knob do on the T-Rex Tap Tone?
Bite is best thought of as a tone control for the delay's repeats. T-Rex says it adds vintage color, and Delicious Audio's reviewer found it puts a crisp edge on a warm feedback loop, making a big difference when Delay and Feedback are set higher. Premier Guitar's reviewer described turning it up as stirring the repeats into a warm, lo-fi, warbling simmer with analog color.
Is the T-Rex Tap Tone an analog or digital delay?
Pedal of the Day's review describes the Tap Tone as boasting analog tones, and the pedal is generally covered as an analog-voiced delay. It is a compact delay pedal rather than a rack unit, and it sits in T-Rex's delay line alongside pedals like the Replica.
How does tap tempo work on the T-Rex Tap Tone?
The Tap footswitch sets the delay speed: to match a drummer, you keep time with your toe on the switch and the pedal follows. The speed you tap stays in place until the Time setting is altered. A red light flashes in time with the delay in any mode, so you can see the tempo before you engage the effect.
What was the list price of the T-Rex Tap Tone?
Delicious Audio's 2011 review listed the Tap Tone Delay at $169 USD, which the reviewer noted was well below T-Rex's regular pricing at the time.
Is the T-Rex Tap Tone Delay the same pedal as the Tap Tone?
Yes. T-Rex's own page calls the pedal Tap Tone and describes it as a tap tempo delay, while reviewers have referred to it as the Tap Tone Delay from T-Rex Effects. The names refer to the same delay pedal.
Sources (4)
- → T-REX EFFECTS ← Pedals for guitar and bass players!, T-Rex Effects
- T-Rex Effects Tap Tone Delay, Pedal of the Day (www.pedal-of-the-day.com), 2015-10-07
- T-Rex Tap Tone Delay Review, Delicious Audio, 2011-09-22
- T-Rex Tap Tone Pedal Review, Premier Guitar, 2012-09-05
