What changes in the sound
- A 60 Hz – 10 kHz band. Narrower lows and highs than tape and vinyl, which gives the familiar dull cassette sound.
- Warm saturation. Almost half of the signal goes through saturation, more than with vinyl or tape.
- A bump around 100 Hz and a softened top. The bass is fuller, and everything above 3 kHz is softer than in the wider-band eras.
- Speed drift. 0.4% about 0.8 times a second, twice as strong as tape. You hear it on long notes.
- Hiss at about −58 dBFS: you can hear it in quiet passages.
When the cassette sound works
For synth-pop, synthwave, retro rap and any track with an 80s feel. The speed drift is easiest to hear on synths and long notes.
If the hiss gets in the way of the vocal, set the amount to 50–70%: the dullness and warmth stay, and there is less noise.
How to move a track to another era in 3 steps
- Upload the track: WAV, MP3, FLAC or M4A, a file up to 100 MB.
- Choose the medium and the amount, from a light touch to the full sound of the era (0–100%). Listen to the start of the track for free and compare it with the original.
- Make the full version after signing in and download it as WAV or MP3 320 kbps. Tracks up to 10 minutes.
What it costs
| What | Price |
|---|---|
| Preview | Free, the first 25 s of the track. Free previews per day: 20, no sign-in needed. |
| Full version | 1 token per file, after signing in. If the version fails on our side, the token comes back. |
The preview limit resets at midnight UTC.
What to do next
Questions and answers
Why did the vocal get duller?
A cassette cuts everything above 10 kHz and softens the top; that is how cassettes sounded. If the vocal gets lost, lower the amount or choose tape, which has a wider band.
Can I make it sound like a chewed-up tape?
No. The preset gives an even, predictable drift, not dropouts. For a rougher sound try lo-fi, whose drift is twice as strong.
Is it free?
Previewing the first 25 s is free and needs no sign-in; free previews per day: 20. The full version costs 1 token per file and needs a sign-in.
Can I make the effect lighter?
Yes. The Amount slider blends the processing with the original from 0 to 100% in 5% steps. At 30–50% you keep a light touch of the medium; at 100% you get the full preset.
Should I master it afterwards?
If the version goes to streaming platforms, yes. The preset does not even out loudness; it only keeps peaks under 0 dBFS. Mastering brings the loudness to the platform's target and keeps the era's character.
More: all sound eras · sped up and slowed versions · track clip · track mastering