Arturia has announced the release of a new effects plugin. Tape J-37 is an emulation of the Studer J37, a classic '60s 4-track tape machine best known for being used to record The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band at Abbey Road.
Tape J-37 recreates the distinct sonic signature of the Swiss-designed J37, capturing the "iconic warmth, harmonic richness and natural compression" produced by the machine's 200+ vacuum tubes. In designing the plugin, Arturia modelled a J37 from Studio Barclay, a famous French recording studio that's played host to Serge Gainsbourg and Edith Piaf.
Tape J-37 offers four tape colour modes, Pristine, Driven, Warm and Dirty, along with a Modern mode that reigns in the plugin's frequency colouration, giving a clearer and more defined sound while preserving its warmth and harmonic saturation. The plugin also offers an emulation of the Studer's two tape playback speeds; the higher speed produces a brighter, clearer tone and the slower setting gives a darker and warmer sound.
You can dial in tape hiss for added vintage realism, introduce mechanical wear or play with tape speed variation to capture the wow and flutter that's characteristic of tape recording. There's also a stereo offset control to mimic the minute imbalance in sync between left and right channels typical of tape machines.
Tape J-37's interface is centred around a VU meter that displays both input level and total harmonic distortion. It also features play and stop controls that can be used to mimic a classic tape-stop effect, and Arturia has kitted the plugin out with a basic delay and an EQ to further shape J-37's sound.
"I own every single tape machine emulation ever released. This blew them out of the water," reads a testimonial from mix engineer and producer Craig Bauer on Arturia's website. "Seriously. I had tried all the usual suspects out there. It's just fantastic."
Compatible with macOS and Windows, Tape J-37 is available in VST/AAX/AU formats and is priced at €99.
Find out more on Arturia's website or watch a mini-doc on the plugin below.
