Ape Tape.

Tape warmth, from gentle to heavy.

Drive a signal into Classic or Modern tape at 15 or 30 ips. Delta plays you exactly what the tape adds. Thicker, rounder and more glued.

$14.99Introductory priceRegular price $29.99 from 2 December.

Pay once. Yours to keep. Windows VST3 · macOS VST3 and AU.

No iLok. Activate online or offline on up to 3 computers.

Price-drop promise: if our price drops before 1 December, we refund the difference.

Buy once · Up to 3 computers · 14 days to change your mind, even after download

Free trial: 30 days · No card · Up to 2 computers. Trial terms

Hear it first ↓

Version 1.0.0 · Windows and Mac

Hear it before you buy

Choose an example, then press Play. Switch between the original and processed recordings while it plays.

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Modern 15 ips on the same source phrase. Before and after at the same output gain.

What it is: A tape saturation plug-in based on the physics of real magnetic tape.
What it sounds like: Thicker, rounder and more glued. Gentle warmth at low drive, heavier saturation and softer transients as you push it.

Compare the same phrase across mode and tape speed, trimming the output before deciding.

How it is built

The tape path models magnetic hysteresis and record and playback filtering, not one fixed saturation curve. Choose Classic or Modern tape at 15 or 30 ips. Input sets the level into the machine, and Drive sets how hard the tape works, with its own compensation. LF Adjust and HF Adjust trim the alignment, and at 30 ips an optional Low-End Dip makes room under the bass. Mix blends with the dry signal.

Delta plays what the tape adds

Switch on Delta and you hear only the difference between the tape and the dry signal. It shows which notes the tape is changing most. A good tape sound can have a loud delta, so do not chase silence. Switch it off and decide on the normal output.

Specs and compatibility

Windows VST3 · macOS VST3 and AU. Windows 10 or later, 64-bit (x86-64) · macOS 12.0 or later

Formats, systems and licence

At a glance

Formats: Windows VST3, macOS VST3 / Audio Unit
macOS: macOS 12.0 or later
Windows: Windows 10 or later, 64-bit (x86-64)
Windows architecture: x64
Mac architecture: universal
Activation: Browser, serial or offline activation on up to 3 machines
Licence: Perpetual single-user licence

What it does

Classic and Modern tape modes
15 or 30 ips
Input, Drive and Output controls
LF Adjust and HF Adjust alignment trims

Show all 6

Mix and a diagnostic Delta output
Optional Low-End Dip active at 30 ips

DAW setup help

Installation help for 15 DAWs, including Ableton Live, Apple Logic Pro, Image-Line FL Studio, Steinberg Cubase, PreSonus Studio One and Cockos REAPER.

See all 15 DAWs and versions

Already own it? Download your installer More tape plug-ins

Guides for this plug-in

Thirty days in your own session

The full plug-in, no card. If you buy later, it unlocks without reinstalling.

Download the installer for your computer.Your account keeps the licence and the installers together.
Rescan plug-ins in your DAW.Windows VST3 · macOS VST3 and AU
Put it on a track with a part you know.Use an insert for a direct change, or a send for space and echo. Switch it in and out while the part plays, then compare at the same level.

Ape Tape is also in Print the Break, 3 plug-ins for $31.99. Separately they cost $49.97.

See Print the Break →

Before you buy

Need help choosing or installing? Email support@fatberrydsp.com

What is it for?

Adding tape warmth to drums, bass, guitars or keys, from gentle glue to heavy saturation and softer transients.

Where does it go in the chain?

On a drum or bass stem, an instrument group or the mix bus. Use Mix when a strong setting softens the source too much at full strength.

Does it run in my DAW?

Windows VST3, and VST3 or Audio Unit on Mac, in any host that loads those formats. Minimum system versions are listed above. There is no AAX.

Ape Tape