Mantis is a BBD echo delay plugin from AudioThing that emulates a 1970s bucket-brigade delay unit. It has four taps, four swell selectors, rotafaze modulation and both vintage and modern modes.
Mantis models a rare bucket-brigade device (BBD) delay unit from the 1970s. The plugin recreates the warm, dark character associated with BBD echoes, which were a cheaper alternative to bulky tape echo machines. Its echo section offers four taps and four swell selectors, while the rotafaze section adds modulation that can imitate tape wow and flutter or turn the delay into a chorus-style effect.
Vintage mode follows the hardware's behavior. The base delay can be set from 0.512 ms up to 51.2 ms, and the frequency response changes with the delay time: brighter at faster rates and darker at slower rates. That suits organic, analog slapback echoes.
Modern mode removes those limits. It offers a base delay of up to one second and can sync to the host or DAW tempo, which makes it more practical for rhythmic echoes in a track.
The rotafaze section can mimic the wow and flutter of a tape echo or push the delay toward a chorus-delay sound. Brightness and contrast controls let you shape the tone of the repeats, so you can move between dark, worn repeats and cleaner ones.
The window is resizable, and a preset system with a randomizer helps you explore sounds quickly when you are looking for new starting points.
Formats, systems and requirements as listed by Plugin Boutique. Missing details are left out, not guessed.
| Developer | AudioThing |
|---|---|
| Type | Plugin |
| Category | Delay |
| Formats | VST3, VST2, AU, AAX, CLAP |
| Operating systems | Windows, macOS |
| Architecture | 64-bit |
| Free trial | Yes |
Mantis is available in VST3, VST2, AU, AAX and CLAP formats. The VST2, VST3, AAX and CLAP versions are 64-bit, and the Mac version is a universal 2 binary.
Mantis runs on Windows 7 through Windows 11 and on macOS 10.13 through macOS 26. Both platforms need a 2 GHz CPU and 4 GB of RAM.
Vintage mode keeps the base delay within the range of the original hardware, from 0.512 ms to 51.2 ms. Modern mode allows a base delay of up to one second and can sync to the host tempo.
Yes, AudioThing offers a trial version of Mantis.
FREE TRIAL
FREE TRIAL