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UltraTap Pedal
UltraTap is a unique multi-tap delay effects pedal capable of rhythmic delays, glitchy reverbs, huge pad-like volume swells, and extraordinary modulation. UltraTap is perfect for staccato leads, swelling chords, and other evolving effects — everything from reversed reverbs to the sound of ripping it up in the Grand Canyon
"Single-function" in name only, this inspiring multi-tap delay excels at everything form tough rock to spacy, experimental sounds.
A plethora of inspiring multi-tap echo sounds for just about any style. Wonderfully streamlined and easy to use. Pristine, lovely fidelity.
Takes more effort than traditional stompboxes to get the real goods.
$279
Eventide UltraTap
eventideaudio.com
The Eventide UltraTap puts the multi-tap delay power of the company's famous late-'80s H3000 rack unit (which attracted players like Eddie Van Halen and Steve Vai) into a streamlined, single-effect pedal format. Of course, that same algorithm is also in Eventide's ultra-deep H9 multi-effect pedal. But UltraTap nixes the H9's multi-function knob, LCD display, and multitudes of menus and other effects in favor of a more conventional stompbox design capable of controlling up to 64 delay "taps" (kinda like 64 playback heads on an Echoplex tape delay with pristine digital fidelity), up to four seconds of delay time, and a whole slew of otherworldly modulation sounds. All that is available via just six knobs (mix, taps, length, feedback, spread, and taper), a pair of footswitches, and a couple of buttons—or by interfacing with your computer.
Minimal Tapping, Maximum Ping-Pongin'
While the UltraTap is dedicated to delay, there is still a lot going on. It comes with five onboard factory presets (indicated by the LED "ladder" at left and cycled via the right-side footswitch) and the ability to swap them out for any of 41 others included with the downloadable Eventide Device Manager software (for Mac or Windows). Additionally, the manager offers 81 user slots (for a total of 127) for building and saving your own sounds.
If the thought of having to plug a pedal into your computer makes you queasy, rest assured the software is very self-explanatory and blessedly spartan: Presets are listed along the right margin and placing one into an UltraTap preset location is as easy as dragging it to one of the top five slots and letting go of the mouse button. The manager also avails control of UltraTap's myriad auxiliary functions—from MIDI-control channels to expression-pedal parameter assignment, bypass mode, and more. There are also graphical representations of the UltraTap's six top-panel knobs and another six representing their secondary functions, which you access by holding the triangle button at upper right on the pedal.
Never Tapped Out
For many players, it's easy to read technical stuff like this and think, "What the hell would I do with all that?" But just because a pedal can do many things doesn't mean that's how you have to use it. Indeed, many artists have told us in Rig Rundowns that they only use the more powerful H9 for one or two out-of-this-world sounds. (On the flip side, don't underestimate how many useful, inspiring sounds you can get out of a pedal that's "just a delay.")
"What's perhaps neatest of all is how rhythms created by the various "playback heads" … can push you in creative directions you may never have gone before."
Though I'm typically a one-delay-pedal guy, I was drawn to the UltraTap's ability to dial up hauntingly smudged (or slurmed, as Eventide calls it) delays of the sort Andy Summers would use for his trademark wide, clean-toned arpeggios. It's equally great for chopped, stuttering LFO textures, cathedral-esque valleys that seem to extend for miles, disorienting trippiness that Jonny Greenwood might have used for OK Computer, and even great small-room sounds that inspire tough Brit-rock riffing. What's perhaps neatest of all is how rhythms created by the various "playback heads"—whether they're multi-taps you dream up, or ones Eventide put into the manager—can push you in directions you may never have gone before.
The Verdict
While more complicated than your average delay unit, the Eventide UltraTap strikes a pretty killer balance between straightforward operation and nearly boundless possibilities. What's more, succinct documentation, clear labeling, helpful videos, and nearly foolproof editor software should take the jitters out of all but the most tech-averse players. Especially because once you get the pedal set, it's a piece of cake to use it just like your other "plug-and-play" stomps.
The Premier Guitar Eventide MicroPitch Review.
Isolates a classic studio effect in compact pedal form. Great stereo effects. Envelope-controlled modulation enhances interactive feel.
A bit of a learning curve. Expensive.
$279
Eventide MicroPitch Delay
eventideaudio.com
When introduced in 1975, the Eventide H910 Harmonizer was adopted by producers who recognized the signal-thickening power of this very early digital pitch shifter, delay, and modulator. But it didn't take long before some users discovered that two harmonizers might be better than one. And by setting a pair of H910s to shift the pitch of the original signal by a few cents in opposite directions, adding a short delay to each signal, and then panning them, producers successfully fattened and expanded everything they ran through it—from vocals to snare drums.
Eddie Van Halen made the dual Harmonizer strategy particularly popular for guitarists. But as cool and legendary as that technique is, Eventide has never made a dual harmonizer available in a compact pedal format—until now. Eventide's new MicroPitch Delay isolates the fine-tune pitch shifting and delay functionality from the rackmount Harmonizers and delivers vintage-flavored modulation, totally freaked-out stereo effects, and lot of sounds in between.
Layers of Possibilities
The essential recipe behind the MicroPitch Delay is simple: run an input signal through two separate pitch shifters with discrete delay time settings that can be tuned 50 cents sharp or flat. Add mix and modulation controls along the way, and suddenly things sound very expansive.
The MicroPitch Delay offers plenty of excitement when plugged into a single amp. But it really delivers in stereo.
Mild Goes Wild
By playing around with subtle tweaks of pitch, modulation, and delay-time controls, you can uncover spacious rotating speaker–style tones, retro flanger vibes, and warbly delay settings that sound great in small or liberal dosages. As you work your way into the deeper end of those waters, you'll discover warped-tape vibrato sounds and even vertigo-inducing Shepard tone/barber pole tones. The addition of envelope-controlled modulation makes the pedal feel even more interactive and responsive, which is especially fun when digging into its wilder side.
The MicroPitch's layout is similar to Eventide's other recent compact pedal offerings, the Blackhole and the UltraTap. Six knobs control both primary and secondary functions, the latter of which are accessed by pressing a small LED button. The primary controls are for pitch and modulation, and the secondary controls tweak the twin delay signals, so you'll likely be jumping back and forth between the two modes a lot. This isn't the most intuitive effect at first, and it can be easy to get lost as you switch between modes—particularly because there are no readouts like Eventide's larger effects. But it wasn't long before I could use my ears to reliably navigate settings.
The MicroPitch Delay offers plenty of excitement when plugged into a single amp. But it really delivers in stereo. Some settings, in fact, like high-delay feedback, can sound a little flat in mono. But a stereo spread allows every facet of your signal to develop in a fuller, more immersive way. By tweaking the two delay-time settings you can even achieve polyrhythmic Frippertronics- and loop-style effects that become endless rabbit holes for experimental noodling.
The Verdict
Whether you're looking for subtle ways to make your guitar tone pop with vintage flair, add dimension with stereo, or achieve totally freaked-out, modulated pitch mismatches, the MicroPitch has you covered. There's a bit of a learning curve, but the smart, simple controls and settings are easy enough to figure out and manipulate on the fly. And even though many of the sounds you'll seek and uncover are familiar parts of the modern music landscape, there are plenty of surprises just a few tweaks away.