Tape MELLO-FI by Arturia tape emulation effect plugin interface

Tape MELLO-FI: Tape Emulation and Lo-Fi Effect by Arturia

Rated 4.6/5 on Plugin Boutique (2,636 ratings)

Tape MELLO-FI is an effect plugin from Arturia that emulates tape and lo-fi character, modeled on the sound and behavior of Mellotron V. It adds wow, flutter, noise, distortion and warmth to drums, vocals and mix buses.

VST2AUAAXWindowsmacOS64-bit

AVAILABLE ATPlugin Boutique

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01Overview

Tape MELLO-FI is built around the imperfections of tape. Its sound and behavior are inspired by Mellotron V, Arturia's software recreation of the Mellotron, whose tape reels, analog circuitry and aging gave it a grainy, fluttering, compressed character. The plugin applies that character to loops, vocals, individual tracks or a full mix. Its controls cover the classic tape parameters along with distortion, boost, filtering and a tempo-synced tape stop.

Best for

Lo-fi drum loops
Vocal lo-fi processing
Mix bus tape warmth
Tape stop transitions
Retro tape effects
Stereo widening effects

Developer: Arturia
Category: Tape Emulation
Store: Plugin Boutique

02Key features

What you get

Tape emulator and lo-fi effect based on Mellotron V's sound and behavior
Noise, Flutter, Wow, Wear and Mechanics tape controls
Distortion and Boost for saturation and level
Tempo-synchronized Tape Stop with optional Instant Tape Catch-up
12dB low-pass and high-pass filter section
Stereo Width offsets Wow and Flutter left to right
Curated 25-preset library for retro and lo-fi effects
Apple M1 compatible

03In depth

Tape Character and Core Controls

The core of Tape MELLO-FI is a set of classic tape controls: Noise, Flutter, Wow, Wear and Mechanics. Together they add pitch wobble, grit and age to the signal. Distortion and Boost add saturation and level for a warmer, more driven tone.

A 12dB low-pass and high-pass filter section lets you shape the top and bottom of the sound, which helps with the muffled, velvety quality typical of lo-fi processing.

Enhanced Stereo Width offsets the Wow and Flutter from left to right, widening the image for a more spread-out result.

Interactive Tape Wheel and Tape Stop

The interactive tape wheel is the main way to perform the effect. Its Tape Stop feature is tempo-synchronized, so the slowdown lands on the beat. An optional Instant Tape Catch-up returns the sound to normal speed immediately.

The plugin also includes a resizable interface, so you can enlarge the GUI for detailed editing or shrink it to save screen space.

A curated library of 25 presets gives you starting points for retro and lo-fi effects, and the browser can be searched by keyword or musical style. You can save favorites for quick recall.

04Specs

Will it run?

Formats, systems and requirements as listed by Plugin Boutique. Missing details are left out, not guessed.

Developer	Arturia
Type	Plugin
Category	Tape Emulation
Formats	VST2, AU, AAX
Operating systems	Windows, macOS
Architecture	64-bit

05FAQ

Questions, answered

What formats does Tape MELLO-FI support?

Tape MELLO-FI is available in VST2, AU and AAX formats. It runs on Windows and macOS and is 64-bit.

What do I need to run Tape MELLO-FI?

It requires a 64-bit host that supports VST, AAX, Audio Unit or NKS. On Mac, it needs macOS 10.13 or later, 4 GB RAM, a 4-core CPU, 1 GB of free disk space and an OpenGL 2.0 compatible GPU. On Windows, it needs Windows 10 or later (64-bit), 4 GB RAM, a 4-core CPU, 1 GB of free disk space and an OpenGL 2.0 compatible GPU. ARM processors are not supported on Windows.