Imitor

Name: Imitor
Price: 49 USD
Author: Noise Engineering

by Noise Engineering · Delay · 32-tap multi-tap delay

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Imitor is a multi-tap delay from Noise Engineering with up to 32 taps and delay times from under 1 ms to 1.5 s, inspired by its Eurorack module.

A resonant DJ-style filter, Shimmer and Doom feedback effects, Crunch distortion and deep modulation let it act as a comb filter, flanger or chorus too, for $49.

Best for: Keys & Synths, Drums, Guitars, Sound Design. Genres: Electronic & EDM, Ambient & Cinematic.

Keywords: multi-tap, flanger, modular, rhythmic, shimmer, sound design, chorus, inspired by, live performance, experimental, crunchy, deep, drums, enhancement, macro controls, mixing, perpetual licence, randomize, tempo-synced, vintage, warm, wide.

What it does

Imitor is a multi-tap delay from Noise Engineering, "inspired by the popular Eurorack module" Imitor Versio. It splits one delay line into many taps, so it can do rhythmic echoes as well as comb-filter, flanger and chorus sounds at very short times.

Up to 32 taps: spacing from below 1 ms to 1.5 s between taps, with host tempo sync in straight, dotted and triplet divisions. The Eurorack module had 12 taps and a longer minimum time.
Tap structure: controls for timing, level, panning and dynamics across the taps, checkboxes to switch single taps off, and a display that shows the tap pattern and echoes.
Core controls: Time, Pre Delay, Regen (feedback), Tap Count and tone controls; tap modulation adds stereo width and vintage-style movement.
Feedback effects: a resonant DJ-style filter plus Shimmer and Doom effects inside the feedback path.
Crunch: an output stage that adds warmth or outright distortion.
Modulation: LFOs with adjustable randomness, envelopes and step sequencers, with macro routing to almost any parameter.
Presets and random: a preset library from traditional to experimental, and a random patch button.

It comes with free lifetime updates, though older versions are not available. It was introduced as part of Noise Engineering's Plugin Bundle 2.

Source: Noise Engineering product page

When to use it

Imitor is the pick when a delay is meant to be a sound-design tool rather than an echo of old hardware. Compared with EchoBoy's Rhythm Echo mode, it offers twice the taps (32 against 16) and far shorter times, which open up comb and flanger tones, but it has no tape or analog echo models. Against Eventide UltraTap, which also does multi-tap rhythms and short-time textures, Imitor adds a full modulation matrix and the Shimmer and Doom feedback effects. It is less flexible as a classic delay than Valhalla Delay or Timeless 3, and costs about the same as Valhalla Delay.

Best for: rhythmic multi-tap patterns, comb-filter and flanger textures, and modulated delay sound design.
Genres: electronic, techno, ambient and experimental.
Look elsewhere if: you want a warm, simple tape or analog echo; EchoBoy or Valhalla Delay are quicker for that.
Tip: the developer suggests Tap Count at 1 for a plain delay, or switching off a few taps to turn the line into echo rhythms.

Where to buy

Noise Engineering: $49

Tutorials and reviews

Imitor experimental delay plugin demo for VST3, AU, and AAX - Noise Engineering

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