Comparison

Tap Delay vs RE

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Tap Delay

This app recreates the warm, analog sound of vintage tape echo machines with a modern tapped delay engine. It offers 24 taps for rhythmic effects, tape simulation with saturation and noise, and live input processing from various sources.

Highlights
  • Multi-tap delay machine
  • 24 taps for rhythmic effects
  • Tape simulation (Saturation, Noise, Flutter)
  • MIDI controllable
  • Live input processing
  • Audiobus 3 and IAA compatible
  • AUv3 support
Features
Read full description

Back in the “old days”, producers and engineers created delay and echo effects using tape machines. Tap Delay combines the warm sound of vintage tape echo machines with a modern, step sequencer-like tapped delay engine which continues the tradition of the tape echo machines into the 21st century. The Tape simulation includes all relevant aspects for the recreation of a faithful analog tape sound: • Compression and Saturation • Tape hiss • Tape head bias • Wow and Flutter (Tape speed instability) • Smooth speed / delay time changes Three feedback filters with hipass/lowpass and bandpass characteristic simplify the creation of authentic dub echo effects. The built-in Limiter allows for endless feedback sounds. Use live input from any source - Microphone, Guitar, Audiobus and Inter App Audio - or take a song from your iTunes library for processing. Features: • Multi-tap delay machine • 24 taps for rhythmic delay effects • Tape simulation ( Saturation, Noise, Flutter ) • Alias free tape saturation through oversampling. • MIDI controllable including Tempo sync • Delay loop equalizer for dub effect. • Glitch free simulation of variable tape speeds. • Spatial echo rotation effect. • Audiobus 3 compatible with state saving • IAA compatible ( Auria, Cubasis, Garageband ). • AudioUnit AUv3 with parameter automation. • Ableton Link. • Integrated iTunes player.

About

RE

This app is a versatile virtual tape machine offering authentic tape echo and chorus effects. It also functions as a sampler, looper, and overdubbing tool, allowing for creative audio manipulation and real-time performance.

Highlights
  • Virtual tape deck with 3 read heads
  • Authentic tape echo emulation
  • Tape loop mode with overdubbing
  • Sample/loop library
  • Real-time parameter visualization
  • Wow, Flutter, Color, Hiss & Saturation controls
Features
Read full description

RE-1 - Tape Echo RE-1 is a full featured virtual Tape Machine capable of delivering authentic tape based echo and chorus effects but it doesn't stop there. With it's interactive tape player, sample, loop and overdub features it's possible to use it like a virtual tape recorder, sample player, looper or simply as a master effect. Overview: - Virtual Tape deck including 3 individually controllable read heads, variable delay time and feedback - Interactive user interface and realtime visualisation of various parameters related to the tape simulation - Dedicated controls for Wow, Flutter, Color, Tape Hiss & saturation amount - Tape Loop mode with overdub, tape reverse and time-stretching - Sample/Loop library loads wave files onto the virtual tape loop - Transport and Tempo Sync - Stereo Spread & Stereo Panner - Input processing: Highpass filter - Output processing: 2 band eq Tape Echo: - Authentic tape echo emulation - Multi-tap delay with 3 individually controllable read heads - Color Control adjusts the echo's tone from dark to bright - Delay Time: 5ms - 1000ms (or 1/32th to 1/1) - Wow & Flutter - Tape Hiss and Saturation - Stereo spread - Stereo panner Looper / Sample Player: - Uses the tape like a traditional looper with unlimited overdubs - Configurable Loop length with 1 - 8 bars and tempo sync and tape reverse - Tape transport can be linked to the host's transport controls - Time stretching keeps loops in sync - Samples/loops can be loaded onto the tape directly - Samples can be created from the tape loop and stored in the sample library at any time - Factory content includes a variety of loops grouped by style - Samples/loops can be imported from and exported to other apps Connectivity: - Standalone - AUv3 - InterApp-Audio - Audiobus - Ableton Link - MIDI (Tempo, CC, Program Change) - Requirements: - iOS 11+

Screenshots

Tap Delay4 screens
RE3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: RE at 4.7 against Tap Delay's 4.2. RE also leads on update cadence (every 3 months vs every 29 months) and ratings volume (132 vs 13). Tap Delay's advantage is price ($1.99 vs $9.99) and review sentiment (78% vs 65%). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Tap Delay costs $1.99 and RE $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

RE holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: RE has 132 ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 78% of Tap Delay's written reviews are positive against 65% of RE's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Tap Delay ships an update every 29 months, RE every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Tap Delay versus RE: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTap DelayRE
Price$1.99 — better$9.99
Rating4.2 (13 ratings)4.7 (132 ratings) — better
Positive reviews77.8% of reviews — better64.9% of reviews
Number of ratings13132 — better
Update frequencyEvery 29 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better11.0
Further details — not scored
Size32 MB107 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHarry GohsKai Aras

Customer experience

Tap Delay

All ratings13 ratings
Positive76.9%
Neutral7.7%
Negative15.4%
Written reviews18 reviews
Positive77.8%
Neutral5.6%
Negative16.7%

RE

All ratings132 ratings
Positive90.2%
Neutral4.5%
Negative5.3%
Written reviews37 reviews
Positive64.9%
Neutral16.2%
Negative18.9%

In-app purchases

None

Tap Delay

No in-app purchases

None

RE

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Tap Delay free?
Tap Delay costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is RE free?
RE costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Tap Delay or RE?
RE is rated higher. Tap Delay averages 4.2 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while RE averages 4.7 from 132 ratings.
Do Tap Delay or RE have ads?
Neither Tap Delay nor RE shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Tap Delay or RE?
Tap Delay ships an update every 29 months, and RE every 3 months. Most recently, Tap Delay was updated on October 24, 2026 and RE on October 21, 2026.

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