Denise has taken the worst elements of tape and put them in a plugin

We’re used to hearing developers big up the sound quality of their plugins, but with Bad Tape, Denise is taking a rather different approach.

Promising to emulate “extreme tape artifacts,” the plugin enables you to create a range of ‘undesirable’ effects.

You can randomly detune pitch to make it sound like the tape is playing at an inconsistent speed; add sequel and noise; emulate the sound of ‘failing’ tape thanks to subtle bitcrushing; and create a tape stop effect that’s similar to what you’d hear if you placed your finger on a tape reel while it was playing.

You can use Bad Tape on all kinds of material, and it’s available now for PC and Mac in VST/AU/AAX formats. The regular price is €48.90, but it’s currently on sale for €14.99. Get down and dirty on the Denise website.