AudioThing Mantis is a new effect plugin that emulates the rare Carlsbro Mantis BBD delay/echo unit from the 70s.
Delays/echoes are effects you can’t have enough of. Whether in hardware or software, each delay has its own character and charm—one of the reasons why musicians have so many of them.
Especially those from the past are super exciting as they are capable of generating rich timbres. But they are often also very expensive. See the legendary Roland RE-201 Space Echo. With their new Mantis plugin, AudioThing has emulated a rare and unique echo processor from the 70s.
AudioThing Mantis
Mantis is a plugin that emulates a rare BBD (bucket-brigade device) delay/echo unit of the 70s, faithfully recreating its warm and analog sound.
AudioThing’s new processor is built around the Carlsbro Mantis from the 70s, an early and less common commercial BBD echo/delay unit. It used eight TDA1022 chips that are primarily known for perfect organic analog slap-back echoes, says Carlo of AT.
As the original unit, Mantis features an echo section with four taps and four swell selectors. It also hosts the rotafaze section with speed and depth controls, a unique modulation part that can mimic the wow/flutter of a tape echo. You can also turn it into a unique chorus-delay.
Then, you can choose a vintage and modern operation mode. On the control side, you adjust the echos and swell with vintage-style buttons. Further, you can adjust it with various controls, including dry, echo, tone, swell, input, and output.
AudioThing ships the plugin with a preset system packed with ready-to-use presets. If you need instant inspiration, you can also use the built-in randomizer and let yourself be surprised. Not to forget, the plugin interface is also fully resizable.
Mantis will also be released as an iOS app in the Apple AppStore in the coming days. Of course, with AUv3 support. So you can use it in multiple instances in your projects.
First Impression
I like delays that are bizarre and unusual. In the official demo, the plugin sounds very unique, and I can well imagine taking a closer look at it. Let’s see.
AudioThing Mantis is available now for 39€ instead of 59€ for a limited time. It runs as a VST2, VST3, AU, AAX, and CLAP plugin on macOS, Windows, and Linux. An iOS version with AUv3 support is available now for an introductory price of $9,99 until April 9th, 2023 (reg. $19,99).
More information here: AudioThing Apple AppStore
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