Comparison

Mantis vs The Voltour Valve Enhancer

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

Head to head
About

Mantis

This audio plugin emulates a vintage 70s analog delay/echo unit, offering a warm, authentic sound. It features four echo taps, swell selectors, and a unique modulation section for chorus-like effects.

Highlights
  • Emulates rare 70s BBD delay/echo
  • Warm analog sound
  • Four echo taps
  • Four swell selectors
  • Rotafaze modulation section
  • Mimics tape echo wow/flutter
  • Chorus-delay effect
Features
Read full description

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. Available as AUv3 and Standalone. As the original unit, Mantis features an echo section with four taps and four swell selectors. It also features the rotafaze section, a modulation that can mimic the wow/flutter of a tape echo or turn the unit into a unique chorus-delay.

About

The Voltour Valve Enhancer

This audio plugin emulates a renowned hardware unit, offering three distinct valve modes for warming up sounds, adding aggression with odd harmonics, or creating unique tonal textures. It expands on the original hardware with features like parallel processing, continuous filtering, and phase blending.

Highlights
  • Three valve bias modes (Triode, Pentode 1, Pentode 2)
  • Mix parameter for parallel processing
  • Continuous filter control
  • Phase parameter for dry/wet blending
  • Auto wet output leveling
  • Stereo imaging link parameter
Features
Read full description

Nembrini Audio The Voltour 2 Channel All Valve Enhancer plugin is based on Thermionic Culture The Culture Vulture* unit. BIAS • T Triode valves and is good for just “warming up” a sound. • P1 Pentode mode to add odd harmonic which make the sound more aggressive, but retaining that valve character. • P2 Very unusual way of configuring a valve, even giving an extra octave at higher bias settings. Extended the possibilities of the original hardware: • Mix parameter used for parallel processing • Continuous Filter parameter • Phase parameter to blend the dry signal with the reversed phase wet signal • Auto wet output leveling • Link parameter allows for perfectly matched stereo imaging Works as a standalone app, AudioUnit v3 effect, or Inter-App Audio effect Legal Disclaimer: The Culture Vulture is a registered trademark of Thermionic Culture Ltd. Nembrini Audio The Voltour was developed by Nembrini Audio SRL based on its own modelling techniques. Thermionic Culture Ltd has not endorsed nor sponsored the Nembrini Audio The Voltour in any manner, nor licensed any intellectual property for use in this product.

Screenshots

Mantis1 screens
The Voltour Valve Enhancer1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: The Voltour Valve Enhancer at $8.99 against Mantis's $14.99. Mantis's advantage is update cadence (every 9 months vs every 37 months). On rating, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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

Mantis costs $14.99 and The Voltour Valve Enhancer $8.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Mantis against 5.0 for The Voltour Valve Enhancer. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 8 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Mantis ships an update every 9 months, The Voltour Valve Enhancer every 37 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Mantis versus The Voltour Valve Enhancer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMantisThe Voltour Valve Enhancer
Price$14.99$8.99 — better
Rating5.0 (8 ratings)5.0 (8 ratings)
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings88
Update frequencyEvery 9 months — betterEvery 37 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.0 — better15
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB23 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAudioThing Ltd.Nembrini Audio

Customer experience

Mantis

All ratings8 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

The Voltour Valve Enhancer

All ratings8 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Mantis

No in-app purchases

None

The Voltour Valve Enhancer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Mantis free?
Mantis costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is The Voltour Valve Enhancer free?
The Voltour Valve Enhancer costs $8.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Mantis or The Voltour Valve Enhancer?
Mantis and The Voltour Valve Enhancer are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 8 and 8 ratings respectively.
Do Mantis or The Voltour Valve Enhancer have ads?
Neither Mantis nor The Voltour Valve Enhancer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Mantis or The Voltour Valve Enhancer?
Mantis ships an update every 9 months, and The Voltour Valve Enhancer every 37 months. Most recently, Mantis was updated on November 3, 2026 and The Voltour Valve Enhancer on November 5, 2026.

Other comparisons