In the Tape algorithm, for example, these are labelled Wow and Flutter, while in Pitch mode they become Shift and Detune controls. In all modes, an additional Diffusion section allows you to soften the repeats and even generate full-on reverb at extreme settings, while there are two dials that adjust parameters specific to a given mode. Finally, there's Ghost, an intriguing algorithm that employs frequency-shifting rather than pitch-shifting to achieve interesting and sometimes clangorous effects. Two further algorithms called Pitch and RevPitch introduce lo-fi pitch-shifting into the delay path, with the latter adding a granular reverse algorithm for 'backwards' delay. BBD, naturally, replicates the dirty sound of a bucket-brigade chip in action, while Digital seeks to capture the slightly crunchy flavour of old-school digital delay lines. Tape produces the kind of effects you'd associate with units like the Roland Space Echo or Maestro Echoplex HiFi is also a tape-style delay, but with the full-bandwidth sound you'd get from using a studio quarter-inch machine in this role.

The first four delay styles on offer are loosely inspired by vintage hardware, though they certainly aren't attempting to recreate particular devices. Like all Sean's plug-ins, it's available in all the common native formats on Mac OS and Windows, and is authorised using a simple key file. Valhalla Delay doesn't just mimic one particular type of classic delay unit: it has no fewer than seven different modes, including some that have no counterpart in the vintage world. The latest addition to his stable is also, probably, the most ambitious to date. Oh, and did I mention that they are seriously affordable? Valhalla DSP plug-ins thus boast refreshingly clean and friendly interfaces that are free from ersatz VU meters and brushed metal and they sound like the real deal if used within the original parameters, but will cheerfully go beyond them if you like.

In products such as Valhalla Plate, Room and VintageVerb, he's managed to capture what people love about the sound of different vintage reverbs, without slavishly emulating the look or functionality of any specific hardware unit. Over the last few years, Sean Costello has quietly built up an enviable reputation for his Valhalla DSP range of plug-ins. With seven different flavours of echo on tap, this is one seriously versatile delay plug-in.

Valhalla room