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Empirical Labs FATSO Tape Simulator Black Friday pricing is 46% off, $79, with the deal ending Nov 30, 2026, for Universal Audio's plugin version of the FATSO hardware unit.
The FATSO plugin puts tape saturation, compression and high-frequency smoothing under one set of knobs. Universal Audio says it was developed with the hardware's designer, Dave Derr, and that Derr endorses it.
The maker pitches it for slamming drums into thick saturation, warming a vocal and gluing a whole mix together.
Derr built the original FATSO to capture the musical character of several compressors, Class A electronics and magnetic tape in a single box. The plugin brings that box into your DAW.
Universal Audio says the hardware has been used on recordings by AC/DC, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, and that its fans include engineers with credits from Willie Nelson to AC/DC.
The pitch is one processor instead of three. It pairs compression with tape warmth and saturation, so dynamics get tamed while harsh highs soften and tracks thicken.
You get two plugins in the package:
The maker lists the last three as features that go beyond the original unit.
Buss is a gentle 2:1 with a soft knee, aimed at mix glue. G.P. is described as an invisible workhorse that holds a steady level.
Tracking is an 1176-style compressor for vocals and instruments. Spank is a radical limiter that recreates the squeeze of 1970s SSL talkback compressors.
That gives you four different compressor curves in one plugin, so you can glue a bus on one instance and squash a drum room on another.
The Input knob sets the drive. A little pushes peaks into soft clipping and adds musical harmonics.
Keep going past the Pinned LED and the sound moves into thick, crushed distortion.
The transformer and Warmth circuits then blend in the tape tone. That runs from a hint of colour on a vocal to a drum bus that is completely destroyed.
Universal Audio says it works for bass too, helping it pop on small speakers. The maker states the sound is the same with or without an Apollo.
Yes. The FATSO Tape Simulator from Universal Audio is 46% off, $79, and the deal ends Nov 30, 2026. The package covers two plugins, FATSO Jr and FATSO Sr, both made to bring the hardware's tape and compression tones into your DAW.
You get FATSO Jr for the iconic tones and FATSO Sr for deeper compression control. Both share four compression modes (Buss, G.P., Tracking, Spank), plus sidechain filtering, variable transformer saturation and extra compression parameters beyond the hardware.
Buss is a gentle 2:1 soft-knee mode for mix glue. G.P. holds a steady level. Tracking is an 1176-style compressor for vocals and instruments. Spank is a radical limiter that recreates the squeeze of 1970s SSL talkback compressors.
Yes. Universal Audio says you get the same subtle harmonic colour and extreme squeeze of the original FATSO hardware with or without an Apollo. The plugin was developed with the hardware's designer, Dave Derr, who endorses it.
Prices and end dates are checked at publishing time and can change, so confirm them at the store before you buy.