Tag: UltraTap

  • Review: Eventide Anthology XI – a Preeminent Bundle of Effects Plugins

    Review: Eventide Anthology XI – a Preeminent Bundle of Effects Plugins

    When it comes to excellent effects, musicians have trusted Eventide for decades. This golden rule applies to both hardware and software. Their legendary status throughout the industry remains unchanged.

    Recently, the company released Anthology XI, the latest version of its “all-in-one” plugin bundle. If you are in the market for a full library of effects, this needs to be on your short list. We previously reviewed MangledVerb, UltraTap, and Fission (now known as Physion); all three are included in Anthology XI.

    Don’t forget there are over 2,900 presets included in the Anthology bundle; some from music industry legends, like Suzanne Ciani, Vernon Reid, and Tony Visconti. Over the next few months, expect additional full reviews of most of effects contained within Eventide Anthology XI. This page serves as an overview of the entire collection, while also providing a landing spot for our complete reviews of the individual plugins.

    Note that Anthology XI is available for $1,799, but a variety of update plans are available if you own previous Anthology versions as well as individual Eventide plugins. Some options are a cheap as a few hundred dollars. A 30-day fully-functional free demo is also available.

    Eventide Anthology XI Effect List

    Let’s provide a quick overview of all 22 Anthology plugins, along with a link to our full review if available.

    H3000 Band Delays

    Looking for something to split an audio signal by frequency band, which then lets you add delay or other tweaks to each separate band? If so, Eventide’s H3000 Band Delays plugin needs to be in your wheelhouse. Expect our full review in the future.

    H3000 Factory

    The H3000 Factory provides a software simulation of Eventide’s classic H3000 Ultra-Harmonizer. Combining pitch, delay, modulation, and filtering, its in-studio applications abound. A TabMuse review of the H3000 plugin is also on the way.

    Octavox

    Not only useful for vocal harmonization, Eventide Octavox is able to process any incoming tone, including synths, guitars, and even drums. Panning and delay are also possible, adding some rhythmic flexibility to the proceedings. Our full review is coming down the pike.

    Physion

    Physion, formerly known as Fission, serves well as both a utility and experimental effect. Able to split an audio signal into its transient and tonal components, Fiss-uh-Physion lets you tweak both signals with a host of delays, reverbs, and more. Check out our full review here.

    eventide fission
    Fission — now Physion — in action in the studio. Photo by author.

    Quadravox

    Similar to Octavox, Quadravox performs similar harmonization functionality with four voices. Expect us to cover both of Eventide’s “vox” plugins in one overarching review someday soon.

    UltraTap

    Essentially a tap delay on steroids, UltraTap offers everything from mindfreaked rhythmic delays to huge reverberated swells. It’s one of the most fun plugins in the Anthology collection. Check out the TabMuse review at this convenient link.

    ultratap screen shot
    Eventide UltraTap in action. Photo by author.

    2016 Stereo Room

    Searching for a top notch reverb plugin? Look no further than Eventide 2016 Stereo Room. Yes, that was a vintage year for reverberation. Expect us to dive into a full review shortly.

    Blackhole

    Got space? Eventide Blackhole does. A reverb plugin capable of simulating otherworldly large spaces and more, Blackhole is perfect for spacerockers and ambient musicians. Check out our full review.

    MangledVerb

    When you need a mashup between state of the art distortion and that classic Eventide reverb, MangledVerb is your choice. It works great on synths and drums in our studio. We’ve got a full review for your perusal.  

    mangledverb
    MangledVerb in action. Check out that Guy Evans beat. Photo by author.

    Tverb

    No, Tverb isn’t a reverb with an endorsement from Mr. T. The “T” belongs to Tony, as in Visconti, the legendary producer of David Bowie and others. It even lets you place virtual microphones within a simulation of Berlin’s Hansa Tonstudios, so you can be heroes. We’ll be reviewing this shortly.

    UltraReverb

    UltraReverb serves as the Swiss Army Knife within Eventide’s plugin collection. Comprised of nine high-end reverb algorithms from Eventide hardware units, this is one reverb you need in your DAW. A review is soon-come.

    FL201 Instant Flanger

    This flanger plugin is modeled from the mid-70s hardware original. Current Anthology owners will be able to download it when it becomes available.

    According to Eventide: “The current version of the FL201 Instant Flanger plug-in is not yet available stand alone because it falls short of capturing the distinct organic sonic quality of the hardware.

    H910 Harmonizer

    The H910 Harmonizer is the plugin version of the world’s first digital processor. Expect a wide range of in-studio uses; something perfect for experimentation. A dual version of the effect is also part of the package. Our review is on the way.

    H949 Harmonizer

    The H949 Harmonizer takes the H910 to another level, just like the hardware original. The fact Jimmy Page and Suzanne Ciani both loved the 949 is enough recommendation. Expect a full TabMuse review someday.

    Omnipressor

    The first dynamic processor ever gets its own software plugin. Eventide Omnipressor warrants experimentation with your own compression needs. Our review arrives soon.

    PS101 Instant Phaser

    The PS101 Instant Phaser models the original hardware unit, which holds a revered status as one of the first hardware effects units ever made. So there.

    As with the FL201, its actual release is delayed. Eventide: “The current version of the PS101 Instant Phaser plug-in is not yet available stand alone because it falls short of capturing the distinct organic sonic quality of the hardware.

    EChannel

    EChannel serves well as a DAW channel strip with low CPU overhead. A gate, EQ, and compressor highlight its functionality. Expect our review later this year.

    EQ 45

    The Eventide EQ 45 plugin simulates the classic Urei 545 equalizer. A parametric EQ with Butterworth filters, EQ 45 provides a host of useful functionality. Our review is soon-come, likely paired with the EQ 65.

    EQ 65

    The EQ 65 works in a similar manner as its brother, but this time simulating the Urei 565 Filter Set. Eventide calls it the “Frequency MacGyver.” Their wittiness will be celebrated in our upcoming review.

    Precision Time Align

    Precision Time Align – as its name hints – lets you slide a track forward or backward in time. This is a perfect utility for getting the right feel in a song. We will try and slide our full review forward in time.

    UltraChannel

    A more robust channel strip than its little brother, the EChannel, UltraChannel provides a host of Eventide’s effects in one convenient swoop. Dynamics, pitch shifting, EQ, delay, and more are all included. Expect our review in good time.

    Obviously, Eventide Anthology XI provides the perfect way to get all of the company’s plugins in one “package.” Keep checking back on this full review page as we link to our individual reviews once they are added.


  • Review: Eventide UltraTap – a Versatile and Esoteric Delay Plugin

    Review: Eventide UltraTap – a Versatile and Esoteric Delay Plugin

    “Eventide Delay. Digital Delay.” – Jon Anderson, Olympia

    Yeah, I know I used that Jon Anderson quote the last time we reviewed an Eventide product. Jon – bless the wee elf – permanently connected those synapses in my brain years ago, so expect to see the same quote again in the future.

    UltraTap is a versatile plugin capable of everything from freaky rhythmic delays to reverberated volume swells. It’s easy to use, with an intuitive interface and great sound. If you need a multi-tap delay in your studio setup, this is a plugin that belongs on your shortlist.

    Eventide UltraTap Features 

    • Cool Tempo Synced Delays and Volume Swells
    • Intuitive User Interface
    • Excellent Sound Quality
    • Ribbon Control for Real-Time Effect Morphing
    • Loads of Tweakable Presets
    • Available in Most Popular Plugin Formats
    • Street Price of $79

    A Straightforward Delay Plugin Interface

    Expect UltraTap’s easy to navigate interface to play well within your DAW of choice. A menu bar at the top serves to handle preset management as well as a few other useful functions, like Compare and Mix Lock. The latter helps maintain a static mix level when paired with other effects on an effect return track.

    ultratap screen shot
    Eventide UltraTap in action. Photo by author.

    The main interface itself sports a host of virtual knobs familiar to anyone who’s used a multi-tap delay effect. There are also two sliders on either side of the plugin to control the input and output signal levels. The Mix, Length, Taps, Tone, and Pre-Delay knobs all perform as expected.

    The Width knob is useful when using UltraTap as a stereo effect. Spread and Taper work together to build interesting rhythmic delays. Taper behaves in a similar manner as the Feedback parameter found on other delay effects.

    UltraTap’s true freak gets applied using the Slurm knob. From the manual: “Slurm combines slowly varying (random) multi-voice detuning (micro-pitching) modulation AND smearing/slurring via a very small-reverb-like diffusion. The end effect is that the taps get increasingly smeared (lose their attacks and definition) and more chorused as Slurm increases.” Obviously, Slurm tweaking lends itself to real-time experimentation.

    Chop serves as a tremolo, gate, or volume swell effect depending on its setting; the neighboring Chop Speed knob becoming active based on the value of Chop. Many cool LFO modulation effects are possible. Tempo and the ribbon controller (see below) also come into play, so experiment at will to generate interesting results.

    Use the Tempo Sync slider to sync UltraTap to tempo in either a manual or automatic fashion; the latter setting uses the DAW’s tempo. The Tap button sets the tempo manually when Tempo Sync is turned off.

    UltraTap also features a cool ribbon controller which lets you morph between two different effect settings by dragging a slider along the ribbon. The Hotswitch button works in the same manner, but gets toggled instantaneously, instead of based on the ribbon position.

    UltraTap rewards Experimentation

    While Eventide’s Fission plugin focuses more on useful utility functions, UltraTap is simply a fun for sonic experimentation. I spent an evening creating interesting polyrhythmic effects while beatmaking. The effect is capable of cool volume swell effects as well.

    Check out the host of factory preset effects to get an idea of what UltraTap can do, but it is also easy to build your own presets from scratch. Eventide’s effects pedal interface style adds to its intuitiveness. The sound quality is also top notch.

    If you love delay effects, UltraTap belongs in your plugin library. At a street price of $79, it’s an easy recommendation.