23Tape
Key Features
- Hysteresis-based tape behavior reacts to drive and bias for nonlinear saturation instead of a static distortion curve.
- Selectable 7.5, 15, and 30 IPS tape speeds help shift the plugin from thicker lo-fi tone to cleaner high-speed sheen.
- Ferric, Chrome, and Ferrichrome tape types provide different saturation and tonal responses for source-specific color.
- Noise, hiss-frequency, crinkle, wow, and flutter controls add worn mechanical movement when pristine recordings feel too clean.
- Head bump, azimuth, rolloff, and output controls make the tape tone shapeable enough for both buses and individual tracks.
- Age and randomization controls push the model from newer reel behavior toward unstable cassette-style degradation.
- Tape-style soft-knee compression can add glue and transient smoothing without inserting a separate compressor.
Description
23Tape is a tape-emulation effect from 23DSP for adding magnetic-tape saturation, compression, noise, pitch instability, and lo-fi damage inside a DAW. The official Gumroad page positions it as a detailed analog-tape model rather than a simple drive knob, with controls for tape speed, bias, drive, material, noise, crinkle, head bump, azimuth, rolloff, age, and random behavior.
The sound can stay relatively polished for subtle sheen and drum-bus glue, but the control set also encourages harsher cassette-style movement and signal breakdown. That makes it useful when clean digital tracks need body, softened edges, unstable highs, hiss, or more obvious nostalgic degradation.
23Tape is still labeled as open beta, so it should be treated as a creative processor to test before relying on it in a critical session. Early coverage reported a 30 IPS volume-spike issue in Reaper, and a follow-up developer note says that bug was fixed while exposing wow and flutter controls and improving stability.
The current official listing is live, in stock, not sales-limited, and priced at 0 EUR. Downloads are handled through Gumroad's name-your-price flow, which means users can enter zero but still need to provide an email before receiving the plugin.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 23Tape a clean tape machine model or a lo-fi effect?
It can work in both directions. Moderate speed, bias, and drive settings are better for sheen and glue, while the noise, crinkle, age, randomization, wow, and flutter controls push it toward unstable cassette-style character.
What was the early 30 IPS issue?
Initial coverage reported extreme volume spikes in Reaper when switching tape speeds. A follow-up developer post says the bug was fixed, with additional wow and flutter controls and stability improvements added in the same update.
Why does the download stay external?
23DSP distributes 23Tape through Gumroad as a 0 EUR name-your-price product. Because Gumroad requires an email before delivery, the product should link to the official Gumroad page rather than a mirrored file.
What should Mac users watch for?
The official page says the beta can run into Apple Gatekeeper restrictions and may not be compatible with all OSX versions and Logic Pro. It also provides a terminal xattr command for clearing quarantine on the AU component.
