Free Audio Effects For Real-time Performance & Sound Design, Tape Fiasco
Developer Jonas Eriksson has introduced Tape Fiasco – one of the most creative audio effect plugin.
Tape Fiasco combines together three time-based effects in a single plugin: a granular time-stretcher, a glitchy, rhythmic stutter effect and a tape-style varispeed function. Each of these modules can be used independently or chained up with the others via configurable signal routing. It is designed for real-time performance and sound design, offering tempo-synced operation, envelope follower modulation, and extensive parameter control for each effect section.
It’s Stretch effect records incoming audio into a buffer and plays it back using overlapping grains, offering control over playback speed, grain size, pitch, tempo and stereo spread, with options for randomization and reversing, so there’s a whole lot of flexibility here for creating granular soundscapes.
Tape Fiasco’s tempo-synced Stutter module captures slices of audio and repeats them rhythmically – it’s a classic effect that you’ll have heard before in glitch and IDM, but there’s a huge amount of control available over timing, pitch and dynamics, along with rhythmic and probability-based variation. There’s also a multimode filter built into the Stutter module with with formant and comb modes alongside the conventional resonant low- and high-pass.
Lastly we have the Varispeed effect, which simulates the sound of a tape machine varying in playback speed. Once again, there’s a lot more versatility on offer here than you might expect: tape-modelled wow/flutter, a DJ-style scratch effect, two flavours of distortion and a compressor thrown in for good measure.
All of that adds up to a powerful effects processor that can be utilized across multiple contexts, whether you’re adventuring into experimental sound design or just looking for a way to add a little sonic flavour to a vocal line or guitar riff.
Tape Fiasco is available in VST3/AU formats for macOS and VST3 for Windows, but it’s only been tested on Ableton Live 12.2 with macOS Sequoia 15.1.
Head over to Jonas Eriksson website to download Tape Fiasco.
