Reckless Tape

Using it

Set Input by the meters, as you would set a machine’s record level: 0 VU is a sine at -12 dBFS, so peaks around 0 to +3 are a well-recorded tape and pushing into the red saturates it. Turning Input up makes the output only about half as much louder, so Input is mostly how hard the tape is driven; set the final level with Output. The VU meters show how hard the tape is hit; the IN and OUT bars beside the deck show the peaks coming into the plugin, before Input, and going out, 0 on the bars being -6 dBFS. The treble saturates before the bass, as on a real machine, and sooner at the slower speeds. Formula picks the tape, Cal how hot 0 VU records on it, Speed the machine’s speed - down to 1.875 ips, a cassette - and EQ its equalisation; each change glides rather than clicks. The reels turn while your host plays, or while sound comes in.

Controls

Close-up	Control	Range	Default	What it does
	Input	-12 to +24 dB	0 dB	The record level: how hard the tape is driven.
	Bias	-100 to +100 %	0 %	Under-biased distorts sooner and keeps more treble; over-biased is cleaner and duller.
	Noise	0 to 100 %	0 %	The tape’s hiss and grain; 50 % is a real machine’s floor.
	Wow	0 to 100 %	10 %	The reels’ slow speed wander, a gentle pitch drift.
	Flutter	0 to 100 %	10 %	The capstan’s fast speed wander, a fine roughness on held notes.
	Output	-24 to +24 dB	0 dB	The playback level. Half of Input’s rise in loudness is already taken back here, so pushing the tape harder makes it only a little louder.
	Cal	185 / 250 / 320 / 370 nWb/m	250 nWb/m	The operating level: higher puts 0 VU nearer the tape’s ceiling.
	Formula	Vintage / Modern	Vintage	Vintage compresses early and gently; Modern has more headroom and stays clean until pushed. On cassette it is also the tape type: Vintage a Type I (normal) tape, Modern a Type II (chrome), each with its own EQ.
	EQ	IEC / NAB	NAB	The equalisation standard; NAB also drives deep bass into the tape. Dimmed on cassette and at 3.75 and 30 ips, which have one curve each.
	Speed	1.875 / 3.75 / 7.5 / 15 / 30 ips	15 ips	Slower moves the low-end bump down and loses treble sooner; faster is cleaner and brighter. 1.875 ips is a cassette: its finer head keeps more treble than the reel would at that speed, and it hisses more.
	Oversampling	4x / 8x	8x	8x keeps hard-driven treble clean; 4x uses about a third less CPU and sounds the same until bright material is pushed hard.

Tips

• Glue on a mix bus: Modern at 30 ips, peaks touching 0 VU, Wow and Flutter low.
• Warm and soft: Vintage at 15 ips with Cal at 320 or 370 and the meters into the red.
• Lo-fi: 7.5 ips, Bias a little under, Noise near 50 % and Wow up; 3.75 ips for darker still.
• Cassette: 1.875 ips with Vintage for a normal tape or Modern for chrome; Noise around 50 % brings its hiss.
• Drums like a hot tape: the attack rounds off and the body comes forward.
• Many instances: Oversampling at 4x saves CPU on tracks you drive gently; keep 8x where cymbals or bright synths push into the red. Switch while it plays and listen: the change crossfades.

It adds a few samples of latency (15 at 44.1 and 48 kHz), which your host compensates for.