Time to get reel.
“Tape just sounds incredible–as close to the real deal as we've ever heard.”
– Computer Music/MusicRadar
Read the full review
“Tape just sounds incredible–as close to the real deal as we've ever heard.”
- Realistic analog sound, adds cohesion and warmth to your mix
- Three tape machine types included
- Presets by Grammy winners Joe Chicarelli and Howard Willing​
Also included in Flow® Mastering Suite
Pro mastering for the busy music producer. Learn more
Also included in Volume 6 Plug-in Collection
Outstanding sound, supreme value. Learn more
Tape Emulation / Effects / Console 1 Ready / Amp Room Ready
Tape
USD 35
USD 99
Analog tape has a smoothing effect and adds weight and glue to a mix – it turns the recording from a collection of individual tracks into a song, where everything is connected and works together.
Tape, with its component-level and physical modeling of three different tape machines, gives you all the warm vintage cohesion you could want in one plug-in. Add a few premium level features, like the mastering grade high shelf filter, stability control, and wet/dry mix knob, and you've got a new secret sauce. Mmm... tasty!
"Tape sounds FANTASTIC. I like Type A and C the best. Overall, the sound of it is outstanding!!!"
American music producer, composer, technologist, audio technician, multi-instrumentalist
Have a listen
"Softube Tape is my new favorite saturation plug-in. Parallel it with your kick or bass and drive it hard—thick and fat. Tape also lives on my mix buss alongside a couple of other Softube modeled plug-ins, glues my tracks, and gives me a lot of sonic options; from transparent to unwieldy and everywhere in between."
Producer, engineer and mixer for Smashing Pumpkins, Sheryl Crow and Kris Kristofferson
Sweet and Simple
Select your favorite tape machine (A, B, or C) and adjust the Amount knob. Instant mojo. Easier still, load up one of the included presets to soak your tracks in analog tape sweetness.
Feel Like Tweaking?
Experiment with different tape speed settings, or open the Remote Control panel where you can adjust the machine's stability, crosstalk amount, and several other features.
Rich Sound Across the Mix
Like most Softube plug-ins, Tape is CPU-efficient. Use Tape on your master bus, or do it the retro way by adding Tape to every track. Tons of detail and texture, no CPU overload.
Professional presets by Grammy winners
There are many ways to use and abuse a tape machine, and many modern engineers have never had the pleasure of working with a real (reel to reel) analog unit. That's why, to get you started, Tape includes presets made by Grammy-winning engineers such as Joe Chiccarelli (Beck, U2, Strokes) and Howard Willing (Smashing Pumpkins, Sheryl Crow, Kris Kristofferson).
But there's no wrong answer. Crank Tape to its extremes and you'll get sounds that wouldn't even be possible in most analog machines, at extra-slow speeds for example, or with insane wow and flutter.
Three different tape machines
Type A is based on a classic Swiss high end reel-to-reel machine, known and loved for its precision and linearity. Type B is much more colorful — it's a transformer based machine which adds extra weight and cream to the low end. Lastly, Type C is based on a British tape machine with a distinct vintage vibe.
Each has its own story to tell, and its own special something to impart to your music. So experiment, listen closely, and choose wisely.
Extras for Studio One users
If you run Presonus Studio One, you can not only use Tape as a standard plug-in. Adding Tape to your MixFX slot gives you Tape Multitrack. Tape Multitrack includes all the goodies of Tape, but in addition, you get selectable crosstalk between each individual track — and you can easily control the Tape Multitrack settings from a single interface. The Tape and Tape Multitrack license is one and the same. This means that if you're not a Studio One user but at some future point decide to switch to that DAW, you will already have Tape Multitrack installed, licensed and ready to go.
5 Things to Watch Out for When Choosing a Tape Plug-in
Tape emulations breathe life into a production by adding warmth, glue, and creative energy to a mix. With so many options in tape plug-ins, it can be hard to choose, so we've picked the five most important things to remember when selecting yours.
"I love the Softube Tape plug-in. It's great for just adding a touch of analog tape simulation to a final mix, but more impressively it's great for adding character to vocals and guitars. It provides instant glue for harsh or overly transient sounds in a mix."
Mixer/Engineer/Producer for Beck, U2, The Strokes, Elton John, etc.
Awards & reviews
"A dazzlingly authentic tape emulation plugin that you’ll want to build into your template DAW project for use on just about everything."
5/5
Computer Music / MusicRadar
READ FULL REVIEW
5/5
Computer Music / MusicRadar
READ FULL REVIEW
"...may very well be the last tape emulation plugin you’ll ever need to buy."
Logic Pro Expert
READ FULL REVIEW
Logic Pro Expert
READ FULL REVIEW
Video reviews
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Mixing With Mike
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Production Expert
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Eli Krantzberg
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Studio One Expert – Mix FX
This product supports
Extended Features
We love VU meters, Bakelite knobs, and analog quirks. But we want modern precision and workflow. The answer? Softube Extended Features. Easy-access panels with the innovations you need close at hand.
"Tape is now on all buses in my mix template. Combining it with British Class A gives me a great start for any sound shaping I need."
Grammy awarded engineer for Taylor Swift, Pink, and Katy Perry
Amp Room Ready
This plug-in can be used within Amp Room, Softube's pro audio guitar & bass platform. Click to learn more.
In short
- True analog tape sound
- Three tape machine types included
- Easy to use
- Low CPU usage
- Mastering grade high frequency control
- Stability control to introduce wow and flutter, or tape flanging when combined with dry/wet mix knob
- Includes Tape Multitrack which can be used in the MixFX slot of Presonus Studio One — adding individual channel crosstalk and single interface control of all tracks
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Product features
- Left and right VU meters for level or Total Harmonic Distortion
- Amount knob increases saturation
- Three machine models (A, B, and C), each based on a different high-quality real world tape machine
- Five tape speed values, measured in inches per second (1 7/8, 3 3/4, 7 1/2, 15, and 30) each increasing in fidelity on the last
- Dry/wet mix knob
- Stability control to introduce speed wobble
- High frequency shelf offers mastering grade cutting or boosting
- Crosstalk emulates bleed between channels characteristic of analog tape machines. Increases glue and fatness.
- Tape noise can be switched on or off as required
- Run and Stop buttons create the effect of the machine slowing to a stop, or rolling up to speed again
- Input and output level faders give total control over gain staging
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System requirements
- Monterey 12, Ventura 13, Sonoma 14
- Windows 10 (64-bit), Windows 11
- Softube account
- iLok account
- Computer with AU, VST, VST3 and/or AAX compatible DAW host software
- Internet access (for downloading installers and managing licenses)
Read full System Requirements and our Terms and Conditions