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Reelight PRO Black Friday pricing from Tone Empire is 70% off, which puts this tape emulation plugin at $29 until Nov 25, 2026.
It packs six tape machines into one plugin, each with a slow and a fast speed. Tape speed, bias, input saturation, crosstalk and tape compression are all separate controls.
Tone Empire says it combines DSP modelling with dynamic impulse response systems of its own design. Hysteresis processing and a resolver stage are part of the signal path too.
The selector runs A to F:
Each machine offers a slow and a fast speed. Depending on the machine you pick, the speeds range from 3 1/2 ips to 30 ips.
Input Gain runs from -24dB to +24dB with 0dB in the centre. As on a real tape recorder, pushing it hits the tape harder and brings more saturation and compression.
The Lock feature raises input gain while compensating the output automatically. Output Gain has the same -24dB to +24dB range.
Bias adds a saturation effect on top of the input gain saturation. Comp shapes the envelope the way a compressor would, to mimic tape compression. The maker calls the effect subtle but noticeable.
Crosstalk recreates the signal bleed between adjacent tracks on multitrack machines. That bleed gives a mono-spatial effect, and you set how much of it you want.
There are also 12 dB/oct high pass and low pass filters, from 20Hz to 20kHz, built on an analogue design scheme. They sit before the tape algorithms, so they shape the signal going into the tape stage.
Oversampling runs from 2x to 8x. The maker says it smooths the sound and gets closer to analogue bandwidth, at a cost in CPU and system resources.
Tone Empire says mixing a dry signal back into the processed one causes phasing. Tape is also the final medium that prints the sound, so the plugin is meant to be used as a full effect.
Instead of one wet/dry knob, you set the amount of each effect individually. That covers anything from a light touch to extreme settings.
Presets come per machine and in a few categories. Tone Empire still recommends shaping your own sound with the controls.
On Mac, you need macOS 10.13.6 or later, with Intel and native M1 supported, in VST3, AU or AAX. On Windows, you need Windows 10 or later in VST3 or AAX.
The plugin does not run on 32-bit systems. It ships only as VST3, so it will not load in VST2 hosts.
Yes. The Reelight PRO Black Friday deal takes 70% off Tone Empire's tape emulation plugin, putting it at $29. The deal ends Nov 25, 2026.
Six, labelled A to F: Ampex ATR 700, Studer A 812, Studer A 80, Teac A2300 SD, AEG Telefunken M20 and Revox B77 mk2. Each offers a slow and a fast speed, ranging from 3 1/2 ips to 30 ips.
It is a VST3 plugin. Mac builds also come as AU and AAX, Windows builds as AAX. It needs a 64-bit host and will not load in VST2 DAWs or on 32-bit systems.
No. Tone Empire says blending dry signal back in causes phasing, and that tape is the final printing medium, so the plugin works as a full effect. You set each effect's amount individually instead.
Prices and end dates are checked at publishing time and can change, so confirm them at the store before you buy.