Abbey Road J37 Tape: Analog Tape Emulation Plugin by Waves

The core of J37 Tape is the saturation of an analog tape path. Waves offers three exclusive 60s EMI tape formulas, giving you a choice of tape character rather than a single fixed sound.

Controls for Bias, Tape Speed, and Hiss let you adjust the original qualities of tape, from the amount of drive to the noise floor. Adding the plugin to digital recordings can make them sound warmer and more cohesive, with extra depth and width.

Because the effect is adjustable, it works on a single vocal or drum track as well as on a full mix bus.

J37 Tape includes a wow and flutter control that introduces the pitch instability of a real tape transport. Small amounts can add movement to static digital parts, while more extreme settings produce a more obviously vintage effect.

The plugin also recreates tape delay with three different delay types. These give you a tape-style echo that interacts with the saturation and speed settings, which suits dub, vocal throws, and sound design.

Since the wow, flutter, and delay sections share the same tape model, you can use them to build a consistent vintage sound across a project.