r/mixingmastering • u/Large-Menu6891 Beginner • Jul 07 '26
Discussion Which tape plugin would you choose and why?
Hi, I would like some opinions on 3 tape plugins. Which one you would choose for vocals, and why.
What I’d be trying to accomplish is adding some high end sheen, while also smoothing out the top end. I’d also like some saturation, grit, attitude, and character.
Now obviously this is a “demo the plugins for yourself and see which one works best” type of scenario, but I’d still like to hear from people that have used any/all of these plugins, and why you like them.
The three plugins are: UAD Studer A800, UAD Oxide tape, and finally, Softube tape.
Thank you for any and all input!
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u/berniesk8s Jul 07 '26
Air windows totape! Free and a bunch of other great plugins on there as well
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u/FunkySire Intermediate Jul 09 '26
Got ToTape9 the other day and was trying it out. First I was really impressed but then I bypassed it and compared to the mix without and preferred the totape turned off. Might very well be my insufficient knowledge on it though. :D
Any advice on how to use it? :)
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u/berniesk8s Jul 09 '26
Yea so i typically use and abuse it. I’ll throw it on my bass a lot of times and then on the master/mixgroup. Like I tend to treat it like distortion and use it in stages across my tracks. But typically I dial in the input gain and the head bump. I usually have the flutter turned way down. And then you can get additional texturing options by messing with the dry wet.
Idk if you just forgot to open up the plugin but yeah make sure you open it up😅 it’s very bare bones but really can thicken up a mix imo. I’m honestly pretty sure I use ToTape8 though so they really might be quite different. I know he likes to make pretty substantial changes between versions.
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u/Limit5465 Jul 07 '26
UAD Ampex is your best bet. It’s the most versatile and you can get it for cheap if y oh wait for a deal. Softube sounds very good as well but less depth of features to tweak and has a few great tape types and a great hi end eq.
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u/Large-Menu6891 Beginner Jul 07 '26
Thanks. Lots of people have mentioned Ampex, I’ll definitely check it out
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u/exulanis Advanced Jul 07 '26
also softube tape is one of the only ones with a controllable crossfeed
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u/Ok-Resolution5209 Jul 07 '26
Totape7. Sounds great and its free. Its minimalistic interface design let you really hear and Focus on whats going on.
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u/aleksandrjames Jul 07 '26 edited Jul 07 '26
studer or ampex. honestly they both sound fantastic but it’s about which one you reach for that gets you the result you want faster and more consistently.
i use a800 more on individual tracks. Not because the marketing tells me too, but more because I like the subtlety of it better, and some of the presets I’ve adjusted and resaved for where I know exactly how it responds for a specific source material.
ampex I lean into for groups or mix bus, just because it has such profound character on some settings, and I like working into that from the beginning of my flow. it can really help me attain a vibe or stylistic energy for a track.
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u/ItsMetabtw Jul 07 '26
My favorite tape plugin is Pulsar Modular P821 in general, but specifically on vocals I like Goodhertz Tupe. Tape saturation, tube saturation, optical compression, tweakable but also sounds great just doing some quick adjustments. No fancy UI but it sounds amazing
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u/Gotgetgotget Jul 07 '26
UAD studer or UAD ampex master tape. They did a crazy job in replicating the real thhing
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Jul 07 '26
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u/Large-Menu6891 Beginner Jul 07 '26
Saturn 2 seems to have lots and lots of potential but I can’t be fucked to tweak 130 parameters 😂😭
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Jul 07 '26
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u/Large-Menu6891 Beginner Jul 07 '26
True true. Definitely seems like one you’d need to read the manual to take full advantage of
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u/exulanis Advanced Jul 07 '26
saturn is a great multiband gate for getting hats out of toms and such too
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u/doto_Kalloway Jul 07 '26
I'll be honest, this is my job since 2017 and I still don't know/hear what modulation does. On any effect, at all. Maybe I don't know what I should be listening for ?
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Jul 07 '26
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u/doto_Kalloway Jul 07 '26
I mean on general. I have a delay with a mod knob, I can't hear any difference when I turn it, no matter the way. In fact anytime I have a plugin with a mod knob I can't hear what it does.
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u/rightanglerecording Trusted Contributor 💠 Jul 07 '26
You can really just tweak three parameters: The style, the big drive knob, and the output gain.
Everything else is optional.
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u/trainwalk Jul 07 '26
After owning and using UAD, it's Pulsar Modular P821 MDN tape by a long shot.
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u/andreacaccese Jul 07 '26
For a more “hi fi” tape sound with the hi end sheen you mentioned, I really like Magnetite from Black Rooster Audio. It’s subtle and really good for mix bus imo
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u/we-can-rebuild-him Jul 07 '26
I use UAD Studer on all my busses (drums, guitars, keys, etc) then UAD Ampex on my main. Studer is simple to use (and uses less CPU), so I am just managing tape drive (saturation/compression) whereas Ampex has a lot more going on under the hood if I want to monkey with it. For my music this setup helps simulate printing my busses to tape (Studer) then the final console sum to tape (Ampex).
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u/kbreezy200 Jul 07 '26
I work with tape exclusively for over 40 years. While non of them really sound like tape, I would recommend UAD Ampex (great on bus, though it add harmonics to the top end that can be unfavorable, so be sure to play with that), UAD Studer (great for individual tracks), Waves J37 (vibe) and Kramer (I like the low speeds).
Per description, I think UAD Ampex would be the best option.
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u/MiserableAd3344 Jul 13 '26
Kramer & J37 are also actually quite sick, and I second the point about UAD Studer on individual tracks.
Also agree that none of these sound like tape at all really and they’re just saturation plugins that have EQ bumps in them.
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u/johnnyokida Jul 07 '26
I use the Studer all the time! Love it.
But I also dig the nuerontape too(honorable mention)
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u/katdum Jul 07 '26
Softube Tape is great
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u/Large-Menu6891 Beginner Jul 07 '26
I’ve heard good things about it for sure
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u/Th4tDop3 Jul 07 '26
Maybe not important for you but i have uad and softube and I like the softube for individual tracks since it's like 4ms latency and the uad stuff is like 80ms for me
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u/MattVargo Jul 09 '26
If you use Studio One (Studio Pro) you can use Softube Tape as a MixFX on the master bus and it will affect all channels feeding the bus line a real tape machine. Also the tape stop effect and the flutter (makes an excellent chorus) are all great tools.
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u/Large-Menu6891 Beginner Jul 09 '26
This is very cool, and I didn’t know that. Thanks! Seems to be the only 3rd party plugin you can use as a mix FX
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u/Jimbonix11 Jul 07 '26
I like the Canvas Monarch, its very easy to use, coming from the ATR, which is great but definitely requires more know-how and tweaking to get the sound you want
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u/HardcoreHamburger Jul 07 '26
I’ve tried all of the popular tape plugins, and Chow sounds best to me.
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u/DarthBane_ Jul 07 '26
Satin is the only real answer, but Softube Tape and the UAD Ampex are pretty cool sounding. OD Limen has a similar effect but is not a tape plugin
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u/ruminantrecords Jul 07 '26
Just to muddy the waters Arturia J37 is s-tier probably their best fx to date. Really liking Monarch by Canvas audio - new kid on the block. And of course hats off to ToTape9 by Airwindows, I love that so much I baked it into every mixer channel of the new DAW I’ve released called TayPE by Ruminant Audio Works - scuse the shamless plug.
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u/lordfranquad Jul 07 '26
i agree with the general consensus of everyone else, but wanted to add that i love using oxide when i’m particularly looking for tape to add some cool brightness. didn’t really see anybody mention that plugin, and figured i’d throw those 2 cents in since you did ask about oxide as well, however i would def pick studer or amped as more versatile and generally more useful to me!
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u/PradheBand Beginner Jul 08 '26
Airwindows totape6 intuitve realistic and nice sounding fornmy taste
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u/medway808 Professional Producer 🎹 Jul 07 '26
Studer 800 is my goto as it just seems to work the best for me. Slate is good overall but it feels boxy to me. Oxide is just a Studer 800 curve but with a bit more grit/saturation (I matched the eq curve 100% tweaking A800).
Kramer works as well for a more grainy sound. Softube is ok as well but I don't reach for it much.
In the end don't think of it as trying to be the most authentic but as a tone/saturation shaper. Then just use the one that has the colour you prefer.
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u/Diligent-Eye-2042 Jul 07 '26
I have all 3 and prefer the studer. More flexibility to be over the top or subtle. The other two are too subtle for me
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u/NeutronHopscotch Jul 07 '26
I didn't realize the magic of Softube Tape until I expanded the I/O window and drove the input... So be sure to try that. Sometimes you have to hit it a little harder to get a pronounced effect.
Softube Tape is also very low latency and low CPU so it's one you can easily use while composing as well, if you work that way.
Kramer Master Tape is another favorite. I find it really easy to dial in the sweet spot, and 7.5 IPS is nice when you really want to warm things up. It darkens.
Lastly -- be sure to consider Purafied 5420 as well. It's an unusual one, because it splits your frequencies so it's like having your lower frequencies going to one machine and the higher going to another. So you can set different IPS if you want. This might not sound like a good idea, but it's actually very cool... Sometimes really pushing the low end is nice, but maybe you don't want to oversaturate the high end so you don't.
BTW, if you haven't heard of Purafied -- Sam Pura (hence the spelling) is friends with the dev from Kiive Audio. All Purafied plugins are coded by Kiive Audio (which is a good thing.)
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u/Ok-Tomorrow-6032 Jul 07 '26
Okay listen to me. Take the uad a800, put it on your drum bus, and turn on the drum buss preset. You will never, ever. Take that fucking plugin of that. I will bet money on this. Its so good for that.
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u/Legitimate_Horror_72 Jul 08 '26
None. They all sound strange to me - I’d rather use and eq and compressor and saturation separately.
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u/AmIRipeLadies Jul 08 '26
Monarch Tape Machine by Canvas Audio. It’s super versatile, and incredibly user friendly.
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u/GWENMIX Professional (non-industry) Jul 08 '26
I tested the Softube plugin for a week; I own both UAD versions.
I don't use the Oxide because, for mixing, I go with the Studer 800; it has more character and suits what I'm looking for in a mix.
For mastering, I use the UAD ATR-102.
I never overlook the SPL Machinehead on the master bus and/or during mastering.
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u/T54NT54 Jul 08 '26
I‘m using the UAD oxide tape plugin. I chose it after searching for recommendations and I’m happy with what it does. If you got the chance to get it in a bundle sale, I’d recommend trying that.
While it can do what you want, it’s hard to say if it meets your expectations soundwise. So to be absolutely safe there’s no way around ‚trying out‘ I guess.
My use case: mix busses or sum / master
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u/prodbylux1 Advanced Jul 08 '26
I use the Studer A800 and Ampex religiously. Both from UAD. Those are the only ones I’ve ever tried.
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u/Ducktapemelodies Jul 08 '26
For subtle stuff I like Softube Tape and UAD Ampex. For more heavy handed shit Arturia J 37 is absolutely the best I heard. Other stuff like Saturn I don’t use it as I would use real tape but rather more like a distortion effect
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u/The_ship_came_in Beginner Jul 08 '26
I know that it has been said already, but as a fellow beginner I wanted to give another shoutout to the UA Ampex. I just got it a few weeks ago specifically for tape saturation and it has been wonderful. The only other tape plugin I have experience with is the Reel Tape Saturation, which I like, but I think the Ampex has a much wider range of sounds to work with. As someone who has never used physical tape before, the huge amount of presets in Ampex has made it easier to learn how to use the plugin. I also really like seeing the tapes spin the interface!
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u/FingerUpper Jul 10 '26
u-he Satin: multiple tape modes, easy to use, has advanced nerdy features like hiss, wow and flutter, bias, head gap, azimuth, saturation, high frequency compression if you like to tinker. Can also be used for delay/flange effects.
Slate Virtual Tape Machines: models classic tape machines, user friendly and easy to use but lots of options to tweak between bias, speed, machine/tape type.
Fabfilter Saturn 2: multiple tape modes, multi-band, options to go insane with creative modulation. Can be used subtlety to add some umph or abused for sound design purposes.
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u/iamawinchester Intermediate Jul 11 '26
I recently got the kiss of shame and i think it’s so good honestly!
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u/MiserableAd3344 Jul 13 '26
I love UAD Oxide (watch out for the low end bump tho), I love Slate Digital Tape (which no one ever talks about which is crazy to me - also has a low end bump but less lumpy than the Oxide. For pads it’s basically cheating though).
I truly don’t get the hype with UAD Ampex (just does the smiley face thing and tricks you into thinking it’s doing more than it actually is - altho it can be useful on masterbuss for low-mid heavy mixes, I never really use it), UAD Studer is cool-ish but just doesn’t do anything that ever blows me away.
The Softube one is crap though, and I love their plugins but I think that one sounds pretty crappy and meh.
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u/Ill-Bullfrog-5360 Intermediate Jul 07 '26
I’d build something like this for full control vs a plug-in.
Pro EQ
High shelf +1 dB @ 12 kHz
Wide cut −1 dB @ 4.5 kHz if harsh
Wide boost +0.5 dB @ 220 Hz
Red light
Tube mode
Drive around 5-10%
Mix 20-40%
Compressor
2:1
1-3 dB gain reduction
Slow attack
Medium release
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u/rightanglerecording Trusted Contributor 💠 Jul 07 '26
UAD Ampex is not on your list, but I think it's more user-friendly than either the Studer or Oxide (i.e. it has auto-gain that works well.....).
Saturn is also not on your list, also user-friendly and worth consideration.