Beauty
in imperfection
Take any beat, sound, or project, and instantly inject beautiful nostalgic flavor and endless vibes.
Pitchy flutters, subtle distortion, warm saturation, velvety smooth filtered sounds; Tape MELLO-FI captures the uniquely imperfect behavior of tape in perfect detail, distilled into a single plugin that you’ll always come back to.
One-stop lo-fi toolkit
With a simple interface that’s straight out of a classic studio, Tape MELLO-FI provides all your lo-fi needs within seconds, from subtle analog fatness to dizzy pitch flutters. Lush, fat, and crunchy, all-in-one.
Vibes for any instrument
Whether you want to make your keys & pads shine, give your vocals depth, or saturate your whole mix vintage-style, Tape MELLO-FI delivers. Use it on any track or project and let the chill commence.
Retro tape warmth
Tape MELLO-FI isn’t just a one-trick lo-fi pony. Use its vintage preamp, built-in low-pass & high-pass filters, and subtle tape noise to breathe old-school life and magic studio mojo into your projects.
Real enhancements
This vintage-flavor plugin has been tailored to modern producers’ needs. From gritty distortion, to instant-response tape behavior, to the super-satisfying stereo widener, this tape machine is right up to speed.
More than
an authentic tape plugin
Tape used to be the default way to record audio, degrading with every playback in a way that’s become synonymous with its sound.
Now producers, beat-makers, and sound designers actively search for that crunchy, noisy, imperfect sound to give their production character and attitude. With Tape MELLO-FI, that search is over.
Inspired by iconic tape-based instruments that truly pioneered ‘that’ sound, this plugin is expertly-engineered to not just sound like tape; it behaves like tape too. From the uncanny wows and flutters, to a tape wheel that you can actually click on and interact with, Tape MELLO-FI gives you the bold, unmistakably aged character of a worn out magnetic tape right in your DAW.
Try it out
Tape MELLO-FI:
a closer look
This feature-packed tape emulator has plenty of sonic tricks up its sleeve. Here’s a more in-depth look at its interface and the features that make it stand out from the crowd.
Tape MELLO-FI strips away any limitations and swaps them for enhancements that are essential to a modern production workflow. From its crispy built-in distortion to the larger-than-life stereo widener, your lo-fi prayers have been answered.
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Apply distortion with the Drive control, boost the signal going into the preamp section with the dedicated switch for subtle crunchy clipping, alter the shape and color of your tape’s sound with Tone, and of course introduce that much-loved grain texture with the essential Noise control.
Replicate the gradual slow-down behavior of stopping tape playback, but with tempo-sync options ranging from 8 bars to a 1/4 bar. You can even click on the spinning reel for glitchy real-time tape effects.
Customize the character of your tape reel to taste. Flutter and Wow introduce fast and slow pitch fluctuations respectively, while Wear simulates the sound of degraded tape. The Mechanics control even brings in some actual mechanical noise for that retro machine vibe.
Tilt this control left to introduce a rich 12dB low-pass filter, or tilt it to the right for a crisp 12dB high-pass, giving you just the right amount of sound-shaping flexibility. Ideal for a quick mix fix or a sweeping creative effect.
The sound
of the Mellotron
The Mellotron, introduced in 1963, was a keyboard that had a tape playback mechanism under every key. Tape MELLO-FI’s sound and behavior is inspired by Mellotron V, our software recreation of this legendary instrument.
The original Mellotron’s tape-based functionality put orchestral sounds into the hands of keyboardists in a way that was previously unthinkable. This functionality revolutionized music as we know it, and its influence is still felt to this day.
The combination of tape reels, analog circuitry, and aging over time gave the Mellotron a distinct sound. Fluttering, grainy, compressed; these qualities have become an endearing part of the ‘Tron sound. Now they’re yours to use on whatever sound you want.
Artistscorner
Nosaj Thing
meets Tape MELLO-FI
Whether he’s producing some of the most renowned pioneers in hip hop and electronic music, crafting deeply emotive instrumental albums, Nosaj Thing only finds the inspiration he’s looking for by getting lost in it.
Read the StoryLo-fi
& tape presets
When we say ‘in a few clicks’, we mean it.
When you’re in your flow, you need instant results - that’s why Tape MELLO-FI has every flavor of lo-fi and retro lusciousness inside.
Wide Wow
Melancholy Pigments keys become enhanced with the "Wide Wow" preset using Stereo Width, mechanical noise and flutter to add a lo-fi grain and dramatic effect.
Gritty Synth Disto
Funky bass loop with a clean character gets amped up with the "Gritty Synth Disto" preset.
Lo-fi Quiver
Smooth piano sample gets transformed by flutter, noise and mechanical noise - stemming from the first preset "Lo-Fi Quiver".
Included in
FX collection
Effects you'll actually use
This effect is part of FX Collection, a suite of essential audio effect plugins empowering musicians, producers, and artists to get creative with their production. From iconic recording gear modeled with breathtaking accuracy, to cutting-edge contemporary effects, the collection includes the most sought-after studio tools, rare guitar pedals, modern mix enhancers, and beyond. Elevate your production and add color to your mix like never before.
Learn More
The features
you need
However you use these plugins; for the amazing tone of their reverb, for the gritty preamps, or for their incredible sound design abilities, you'll be safe in the knowledge that they are fully compatible with your setup. These plugins work with all major DAWs, and on both Windows and MacOS.
Arturia Software Center lets you download, organize, and update all of your Arturia software titles in one place, as well as manage all of your licenses across multiple devices. Keep it simple.
Whether you want the full visual immersion of our classic effects emulations, or to save precious screen real estate, the interfaces for all of your Arturia plugins can be resized to a scale that suits you.
Every parameter in every FX Collection plugin can be mapped to your favorite MIDI controller for instant, hands-on control of your mix. Sweep a filter, crank a preamp, or warp your modulation on the fly.
Every plugin in FX Collection comes with built-in tutorials, guiding you step-by-step through the crucial parameters, adjustments, and mixing hacks to get the most out of your sound. The tutorial panel also explains the controls you’re using in real-time - so you’ll never miss a tweak.
FX Collection’s streamlined preset browser lets you filter, organize, and save your favorite presets for instant recall. Search by instrument type, genre, production technique, and much more - so you can quickly find the tweak you need and save valuable creative time!
True Analog Emulation
TAE® "True Analog Emulation" is Arturia's exclusive technology that accurately reproduces the defining sonic qualities of analog synthesizers. It recreates the characteristics of analog oscillators in amazing detail, transparency and clarity, as well as the exact properties of the analog filters that give each classic instrument its unique sound. Soft clipping adds even more punch and presence.
Physical Modeling
Not all keyboard legends use circuits and analog components. To reproduce the incredible acoustic and electro-acoustic instruments found within V Collection, Arturia used state-of-the-art physical modeling technology. By analyzing how each instrument creates its own unique sound, our engineers use advanced mathematical algorithms that recreate every aspect of the original.
Main Features
- Authentic tape emulator & lo-fi effect based on Mellotron V’s vintage sound & behavior
- Includes classic tape controls like Noise, Flutter, Wow, Wear, and Mechanics
- Introduces useful features like Distortion and Boost
- Interactive tape wheel with tempo-synchronized Tape Stop feature and optional Instant Tape Catch-up
- 12dB low-pass and high-pass filter section
- Enhanced Stereo Width feature introduces offsets to Wow & Flutter from left to right for an extra-wide sound
- Curated 25-preset library for instant-access to retro & lo-fi effects
- Apple M1 compatible
Platforms specifications
Windows
- Win 10+ (64bit)
- 4 GB RAM
- 4 cores CPU, 3.4 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo-boost)
- 1GB free hard disk space
- OpenGL 2.0 compatible GPU
- ARM processors not supported on Windows
Required configuration
- VST, AAX, Audio Unit, NKS (64-bit DAWs only).
Apple
- Mac OS 11+
- 4 GB RAM
- 4 cores CPU, 3.4 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo-boost) or M1 CPU
- 1GB free hard disk space
- OpenGL 2.0 compatible GPU
Work with ASC
- An elegant and simple solution to help you install, activate, and update your Arturia software.
* All manufacturer and product names mentioned on this page are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Arturia. The trademarks of other manufacturers are used solely to identify the products of those manufacturers whose features and sound were studied during the development. All names of equipment, inventors, and manufacturers have been included for illustrative and educational purposes only, and do not suggest any affiliation or endorsement by any equipment inventor or manufacturer.
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