1. Home
  2. Tape effect
Tape, 70s

Tape effect online: the sound of a 70s tape machine

Upload a track and it takes on the character of tape: a thick low end, soft saturation and a speed that is slightly alive. Of the five eras this one is the gentlest: the band is wide and the hiss is quiet.

25 s preview free · full version 1 token · WAV or MP3 320

Try it on your track →
  • Band 30 Hz – 14 kHz
  • A bump around 90 Hz
  • The quietest hiss of the five eras

What changes in the sound

  • A 30 Hz – 14 kHz band. The widest of the five eras: only the extreme lows and highs are cut.
  • Tape saturation. About a third of the signal goes through tape-style saturation, so loud moments are rounded off softly and the sound gets denser.
  • A low-end bump around 90 Hz. This is the head bump of a tape machine: the bass gets fuller without boom.
  • Light speed drift. 0.2% about 0.6 times a second: barely noticeable, but it adds life.
  • Quiet hiss at about −70 dBFS. The stereo image is not changed.
An honest note on the presets. They imitate a medium artistically; they are not an exact copy of a record or tape. A preset does not even out the loudness; it only keeps peaks from going above 0 dBFS. To bring the version to streaming loudness, use mastering.

When the tape sound works

For rock, funk, soul and anything that used to be recorded on tape: drums and bass get thicker and the top calmer. It suits tracks that sound plasticky.

This is the gentlest era, so it often works at 100%. Before mastering it is a safe choice.

How to move a track to another era in 3 steps

  1. Upload the track: WAV, MP3, FLAC or M4A, a file up to 100 MB.
  2. 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.
  3. Make the full version after signing in and download it as WAV or MP3 320 kbps. Tracks up to 10 minutes.

What it costs

WhatPrice
PreviewFree, the first 25 s of the track. Free previews per day: 20, no sign-in needed.
Full version1 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

Track masteringBring the version to streaming loudness; the era's character stays. All five erasVinyl, tape, cassette, AM radio and lo-fi compared in one table.
About rights. Process your own tracks or tracks you have the rights to. Publishing such a version of someone else's song needs the rights holder's permission.

Questions and answers

How is tape different from cassette?

Tape has a wider band (30 Hz – 14 kHz against 60 Hz – 10 kHz), quieter hiss and weaker drift. Cassette sounds noticeably duller and noisier.

Will I hear the hiss?

Hardly: about −70 dBFS is the quietest hiss of the five eras. You may notice it only in pauses.

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

Move your track to another era

The first 25 s are free, no sign-in needed.

Open Sound era →