Could you imagine cutting analog tape, with scissors, and reconnecting the pieces to edit or dub your track? Right, me neither. But that was the only way to edit before digital recording came along. Some engineers still record using reel-to-reel tape and it’s even making a comeback with analog purists. But not everyone has thousands of dollars to spend on a reel-to-reel tape machine or other cool pieces of musical gear.
Besides, digital recording is by far more efficient than analog tape. Not to mention, tape gets distorted, it’s susceptible to humidity, and can get damaged by harsh light. So why would anyone want to go back to analog tape? It’s the sound, man.
Enter tape emulation plugins.
These audio signal processing tools make it possible to add that warm fuzzy saturation into digital recordings that are, let’s face it, a little too perfect. Plugins give you control over how much saturation you want to add, track-by-track or on the master buss. That extremely popular age-old lofi sound, that’s full of flutter, noise, wow, and hiss, can be added as subtly or overtly as you want.
Okay, you were probably sold before you started reading, so let’s get to the best of the best tape emulation plugins and a couple of bonus free plugins that are out there.
Top Tape Emulation Plugins Under $100
1. SketchCassette by Aberrant DSP $30
A big swing in the other direction, this plugin is named after the sound it’s modeled after: cassette tapes. You’ll be able to choose from three tape machines and four types of tape to explore sounds like what Daniel Johnston, the Mountain Goats, and various lofi hip hop artists produce. The SketchCassette plugin is popular with lofi producers for a reason. It really lets you play with wow and flutter to sync your synths and instruments with the beat for a tight rhythm..
Pros: Best plugin for creativity and perfect for emulating that lofi richness and a more garage rock band sound. You’ll get more than 60 presets to play with, offering plenty of range right out of the gate, for a very affordable price.
Cons: SketchCassette isn’t a great go-to if you’re looking for high-quality sound.
2. Waves J37 Tape $35
This plugin is hands down the best for old school reel-to-reel tape emulation and it’s probably because it’s modeled after the original J37 tape machine. Yes, that J37 tape machine that was used in the Abbey Road Studios by the Beatles, Pink Floyd, and so many others. Experiment with the saturation, delay, and bias to add depth.
Pros: The J37 offers lots of creative freedom for mixing, sound design, and mastering. You’ll get a more balanced input and output with refining the tone of your signal.
Cons: Interface is sort of complicated, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll appreciate the creative freedom.
3. Wavesfactory Cassette $60
Wavesfactory is a deceivingly sophisticated plugin with an interface that’s almost too simple. To start off, you have the option between three deck types, four tape materials, and a whole host of parameters. Adjust the tape head, stack multiple instances of the processor, and even dull the frequency response with the Erasures option.
Pros: Wavesfactory Cassette has a very user-friendly interface so you can jump right in and play around with its features. Wavesfactory clearly did their homework and it paid off, because this plugin allows you to manipulate and finesse every little nuance there is in tape recording.
Cons: None.
Top Tape Emulation Plugins $100 and Over
4. Softube Tape $100
With this plugin you get three distinct tape machine emulations that each bring their own flavor. They don’t name the specific machines that they’re modeled after, but describe Type A, B, and C as Swiss, transformer-based, and British. The presets are designed by sound engineering pros, Joe Chiccarelli and Howard Willing. Really get into it by adjusting the tape speed, machine stability, and crosstalk.
Pros: Softube Tape is perfect for adding just a touch of saturation or effects on vocals or individual instruments due to the slow speeds and flanging. Each of the Types bring pretty different results, but they all succeed equally at adding warmth to the mix and gluing tracks together. Softube Tape loads quickly and won’t uge too much of your CPU, so the performance is stellar.
Cons: The GUI is on the small side and not scalable, which might not be a dealbreaker but can cause some frustration.
5. u-he Satin Tape Machine $130
The key features are the three modes this plugin offers: studio; delay; and flanger. It’s a comprehensive tool that includes almost two dozen parameters. This is a high-quality plugin, so expect all the bells and whistles; with full control over wow and flutter, hiss, and other artifacts you know and love.
Pros: Satin is impressively close to the real deal. Those two dozen parameters we mentioned lends to high adaptability. The interface is clean and intuitive.
Cons: Again: two dozen parameters. It’s likely not a problem if you’re a pro, but if you’re new to the game, it can be overwhelming. Also, the controls are fairly sensitive and require some tricks to get the setting just right.
6. Fabfilter Saturn 2 $155
A common issue most people had with the original version, the overly complicated interface, has been resolved in Fabfilter Saturn 2. That’s not to say that it’s a walk in the park, but you don’t really want this powerhouse of a plugin to be, either. Luckily, it does come with a whopping 77 presets that were created by some pretty stellar sound designers, like Stephan Musch and bManic.
Pros: The Fabfilter Saturn 2 is the most versatile plugin out there, which is what makes it an industry standard. This multiband saturation and distortion plugin amps, tubes, and tape types that are richer and more interesting than anything else out there, possibly even the real thing.
Cons: The price is on the higher side, so it’s not a practical choice if you’re just starting out experimenting with tape emulation plugins. It’s CPU intensive, and can cause the plugin to be slow to respond to commands.
FREE Tape Emulation Plugins
Chow Tape Model by ChowDSP
The free tape machine plugin, Chow Tape Model, doesn’t get the attention it deserves. It was originally designed to emulate the Sony TC-260 but has evolved and expanded since to emulate more reel-to-reel machines.
It has all of the features you’d want in a tape plugin, like adjusting the depth and rate of wow and flutter, refining the bias, and pushing the harmonic distortion. You can use the Chow Tape Model as a standalone effect, but also as a plugin for a compatible host.
Pros: The Chow Tape Model offers a lot of parameters to work with that can achieve a surprisingly authentic sound…for free.
Cons: Requires heavy CPU usage.
Tape Cassette 2 by Caelum Audio
Tape Cassette 2 is another great free tape emulation plugin to experiment with and create colorful and warm sounds. This second generation plugin has an updated interface, and improved algorithm, and two VU meters to monitor frequency signals and power levels.
Add texture and warmth to entire tracks or on individual channels.
Pros: Tape Cassette 2 delivers both authentic vintage sounds but it’s also great for experimenting with sound design in other ways. The developers listened to their audience and made the necessary updates in the second generation.
Cons: On smartphones and tablets, the plugin has been known to crash or not load at all.
Our Top Choice for a Tape Emulation Plugin
And the winner is…Waves J37 Tape. With its refined output, affordable price, and impressive homage to a classic, the Waves J37 Tape plugin is everything you’d want in tape emulation, and probably a lot more. Spending the time to get your bearings with its complex interface will be more than worth the effort.
How to Choose a Tape Emulation Plugin
Obviously this list could just keep going and going. There are so many great plugins out there, with some bringing really interesting features to the table and others keeping it authentic and true to form. So how on earth are you supposed to pick the best one (and other gear) for you?
The good news is that many of these and other tape emulation plugins have free trials, so you can get in there and see if it’s a good fit or if you should move onto the next one. You could also download free tape emulation plugins, find the ones you really like, and look for those features in the more advanced software that comes with more bells and whistles.