Time to get reel.
“Tape just sounds incredible–as close to the real deal as we've ever heard.”
– Computer Music/MusicRadar
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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
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"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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
In short
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