Top 6 Tape Stop Plugins 2023 You Can Get (Free & Paid)

By / Mixing & Processing, Plugins
Top 6 Tape Stop Plugins You Can Get (Free & Paid) | integraudio.com

This article will look at the best tape stop plugins you can get in 2023. First, we will look at some of the best-paid options and then some free alternatives. 

These plugins can give a realistic and analog sound to any track. They emulate the imperfections found in vintage tape recorders and can make any melody feel like it’s been ripped straight from vinyl. These plugins are becoming increasingly sought after in recent years due to the popularity of genres like Lo-fi.

Not only do you get the realistic sound, but you can also add the tape stop effect. This effect is where the audio gradually slows down, decreasing pitch and creating a fade-out effect. Similar to this, some plugins also have a tape start effect which is the opposite and causes a fade in sound. 

Vinyl by iZotope is one of the most popular plugins on this list.

This plugin is a vinyl emulation plugin, and it comes with a wide array of effects to help you get that vintage analog sound in your tracks. It’s perfect for Lo-fi tracks with its new updated tailored setting, and of course, it has a tape stop built in.

iZotope is widely regarded as one of the best plugin producers out there, so it’s understandable how this plugin ended up on this list. 

Bonus

Cableguys TimeShaper 2

More Info & Price (Trial Available)

A plugin with a lot to offer is TimeShaper 2 by Cable Guys.

This is a time and pitch manipulation plugin. In this plugin, you can create a lot of crazy effects for tracks, From Stutters to Half-time, Reverse to Scratch, there’s a lot it has to offer, and of course, it has tape stop effects.

This plugin has a sleek interface with a unique stylistic approach.

Cableguys TimeShaper 2 - Top 6 Tape Stop Plugins You Can Get (Free & Paid) | integraudio.com

Key Features:

  • Scratch like a DJ
    This plugin, unlike others on this list, has a scratch feature. Whether you want to use it to blend two sections or lay down some crazy scratches on an old-school hip-hop beat, this plugin has what you need. This plugin is synced to your project BPM, so there is no need to worry if your scratches will be on time. 
  • Rearrange feature  
    This plugin allows you to rearrange drum patterns. Using its time manipulation settings within this plugin, you can chop up the audio files and recreate your drum patterns. This isn’t necessarily the easiest way to chop up drums, but it’s one of the most fun ways, and you can get creative and unique sounds when using it.
  • Half-Time
    Within the plugin, there is a halftime effect option. This is one of many effects this plugin offers that can help you when sampling other tracks. The ability to quickly add Half-Time without making any permeant changes to the audio file is super useful for trying out the effect.
  • Add Vinyl ‘WOW’
    This plugin also has some vinyl emulation effects. The WOW Effect creates a realistic sound by fluctuating the pitch and recreating the recording/playback issues found on vintage tape recorders. 
  • Real-Time Reverse effects
    Within ShaperBox 2, you can add real-time reverse effects to your audio. The live performance capability of this effect is huge, and you can create exciting drops in real-time or some creative breakdown effects. This effect is also useful in a production setting, and you can add this effect before new verses, hooks, and drops for some super creative sounds.
  • Separate LFO’s for Lows,Mids and Highs
    This is a standout feature of this plugin. The ability to add different effects to the different frequency ranges within the same plugin instance is crazy. You can do unique things like add halftime to the lows, reverse the mids and glitch the tops simultaneously.

Compatibility:

This plugin is available for macOS 10.14, 10.15, or 11 (64-bit only) and Windows 10 or higher (64-bit only).It runs in VST, AAX, and AU plugin formats.

Summary:

Overall, this plugin is one of the most versatile on this list. The sheer amount of effects you can create within this plugin sets it apart from the others. You really can’t go wrong with this plugin. It’s creative, low in price, and fun to use. I highly recommend checking this one out. There are so many features we could write a whole new article on this plugin, and we still wouldn’t have enough space to discuss all the cool and useful effects you can create. This plugin is great for all your tape stop needs and more. 

Tape stop is the name given to the effect that causes a piece of audio to slowly stop and decrease pitch. This effect has become popular for its many creative uses.  The effect is useful for replicating the sounds of old cassette tape players, hence the name.

On old cassette tape players and recorders, when you stopped the playback, the tape would keep playing, only it would get slower and slower before coming to a halt. This is a tape stop.

There are many creative ways you can use tape stops within your tracks. The simplest way is to have the effect at the end of your track to replicate the old tape recordings. However, a new way to use tape stop has recently become popular: the use of tape stop censoring.

Applying a tape stop to a vocal track can cause the words to become incomprehensible. This effect is mainly used in genres like Trap, Hip-hop, Grime, and Drill when artists either just want a cool effect or want to censor certain words.

There’s no limit to what you can do with tape stop when you’re creative enough. You can add it to Drum Groves, Hi-Hat patterns, Chords, Pads, Melodies, Vocals, and many others. 

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