Tape FX is a lo-fi multi-effect plugin by Thenatan Audio that emulates cassette players and adds tape hiss, noise textures, reverb, delay, glitch, bit crushing and saturation for music and post-production work.
Tape FX is built around the sound of vintage cassette gear. Thenatan Audio describes it as a simulator of well-known cassettes and cassette players, combining six cassette characters with a set of creative effects. The plugin supports VST3, VST2, AU and AAX formats on Windows and macOS. Its interface uses vector graphics and can be resized up to 200 percent, and it ships with 70 factory presets along with a browser for shareable patches.
The core of Tape FX is its six cassette types. Each one is described as having its own sonic character, from a warm, natural and noisy tone to a telephone cassette recorder, a Walkman-style player with a lift in the lows, and a radio recorded through a Walkman.
Real-life cassette hiss and low-fidelity hardware coloration are part of the emulation, so the plugin can add vintage texture to clean sources or push them further into degraded territory.
Beyond the cassette stage, Tape FX includes built-in effects: a noise player, reverb, delay, a glitch machine, a bit crusher, saturation, a stereo widener and dropouts. Mix, input and output controls sit alongside them, and VU meters with animated visuals show levels in and out.
The plugin can be used for music production and mixing as well as video and audio post-production, and the interface is designed to be easy to navigate.
Formats, systems and requirements as listed by Plugin Boutique. Missing details are left out, not guessed.
| Developer | Thenatan Audio |
|---|---|
| Type | Plugin |
| Category | Multi Effect |
| Formats | VST3, VST2, AU, AAX |
| Operating systems | Windows, macOS |
| Architecture | 64-bit |
Tape FX is available in VST3, VST2, AU and AAX formats. It is a 64-bit plugin.
Tape FX runs on Windows and macOS. The Windows build is listed for Windows 7, 8, 10 and later, and the Mac build for OS X 10.9.5 Mavericks and later, with Apple Silicon support.
No. The developer notes that it works in most major DAWs but excludes Pro Tools, since it does not include an AAX version for that host.
Yes. The developer says it can be used for video and audio post-production as well as music production and mixing.
