Airwindows TapeDelay: Mac/Windows/Linux AU/VST

VST, AU, AAX, CLAP, etc. Plugin Virtual Effects Discussion
RELATED
PRODUCTS

Post

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5R8We5pieU

TL;DW: An old school tape echo with pitch swerve effects.

TapeDelay

Surprise! It's another plugin. In this case, kind of a toy.

Tape Delay is the reissue (in updated and VST-ified form) of one of my first plugins. This is a precursor to Iron Oxide: it uses a technique for tone shaping that's like a simplified Iron Oxide. Instead of being a direct EQ, it's a huge cluster of delay taps, and also a little bit like a convolution impulse combined with an averaging: you get an averaging of just prime-numbered sample delay times. This turns out to work quite well (a direct version of this tone shaper by itself is also coming out)

The delay part is what makes this a fun toy. It can do some outlandish things, and also has some gotchas. It chases the delay setting in such a way that you get wild pitch bends from manipulating the control, not just buffer-smashings and dropouts. But, you also get buffer smashings and dropouts, so I wouldn't dignify this with calling it 'emulation': it's just a way of fooling with the delay time control, live. If you're rough with the control, it'll get quite choppy. Also, if you intend to use this without glitches, you've got to enable the plugin and give it maybe a quarter or half second to chase to its desired setting, or you'll hear a pitch zoop as the plugin starts up. That's because this one starts at zero delay on reset, so if there's audio happening it'll get caught in the initial zip of the delay time.

If you can work with that, or don't mind the weirdness, then you can enjoy this blast from the past that used to be AU-only for years and years: there's a lot of interesting stuff like that, for instance Glitch Shifter. This one can give you mad dubby effects, either decaying into heavy Memory Man-like darkness or doing a tape slapback or decaying into bright airyness. Because of the prime-number based tone shaping, regeneration doesn't produce reinforced artifacts, just continues to emphasize the tone shift you dialed in. (the tone-only version of this that's coming, could be used in Blue Cat's Late Replies plugin to make that a Tape Delay-alike, but without the delay time weirdness.)

Again, be careful using this on audio regions that are tightly trimmed to the very beginning of the sound: this one needs a second to stabilize if you're using it to sound like a normal delay. Or, you can just do whatever you like :) all this is supported by my Patreon and the better that does, the more freedom I have to do more interesting things and expand my horizons. Right now, that means a couple of weekly livestreams on top of my plugin posting: Mondays at 11:00 AM EST I answer questions about my plugins and audio, a tech support stream that's been running a couple hours long (I will go longer if I need to). Tuesdays also at 11:00 AM EST I'll do a music-making stream for a couple hours, and then upload it to my Soundcloud at 24/96 FLAC. That way, if you liked what you heard, you can hear it in full-on serious mojo high resolution awesomeness. This stuff is probably going to replace my old audio examples for 2019 and beyond. Because I'm mixing analog and capturing through my Magneto-Dynamic Infundibulator, I don't need to do post-processing, so when you download you're getting my reference for audio quality: UNTOUCHED 24/96 capture. Kind of like if I was able to do direct DSD captures (which would be neat, but I think 24/96 is enough when done properly).

(whoa… on KVR, it embeds your soundcloud just if you mention it. I won't do that as a rule. Just so you know, it's there, and has a bunch of 24/96 FLACs of stuff)

I've got a couple more plugins for December (one of them being the EQ-only version of Dither Me Timbers that includes a brightener version) and then it's on to 2019. Thanks for accompanying me, it's been a momentous, challenging, and meaningful 2018 :D

Post

This thing is idiosyncratic as heck. Such weird, charming fun, warts and all.

Thank you!

Post

With all the controls centered, beyond the
expected delay, there's a nice reverberation,
and a very nice amount of sustain, perfect for
using it with the amp models of my Fender GT40 amp.
A lot of tonality brought out by just one plugin!
Bassman, SuperSonic, various Marshal remakes all
sounding fine.

You're right about the outlandish side of things,
and the interesting pitchbends, will be good fun
to dial some of them in.

Have you considered adding Ctrl key as a global moderator
on your plugins, for more precise numeric selection?
Would make it easier to chronicle sweet spots,
and tipping points.
Hope Santa brings you a hefty bag of gooodies this year :hyper:

Post

Can't do that, the interface is dictated by the host program. That might mean Audio Units, and selectable text entry for values. It might mean VSTs where only the slider does anything, or Audio Units under the ScreenFlow video editor where you can use 'em but the text place only shows integer values even though the slider still works (!) or even a GUI interface and working knob under Blue Cat Patchwork: the whole point is that the DAW (or host) will handle control-making. So, if a DAW uses a Ctrl key (like Logic/AU Lab use Option key) then it will automatically work on all my plugins.

Santa is bringing coal: because I'm putting out a batch of weird and challenging plugins, I'm doing worse than I did last month. No matter. I'm putting out weird plugins including some (Dither Me Timbers) that are trying entirely new things, so I'm satisfied with how it's going. I don't do plugins to make money, I make money to do plugins :D

Post

Looks like I'll bump my list to ask Santa for a better mouse. :)
Not that my sorry arcade skills couldn't use some serious polish.

Remember what coal turns into, when the pressure is on :wink:

Have you ever looked at the Rakarrack code? It's an open-source
gui to host 8 plugins on a panel, load, save, modify which 8 are
on the panel, preset handling for indvidual plugins etc

https://sourceforge.net/projects/rakarrack/

It's included plugins are not vst or lv2, some were from zynaddsubfx,
but most have been ported to lv2, discussed at

https://linuxmusicians.com/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=13419

but I'm thinking the framework for presenting plugin collections itself
could be valuable, since you have so many plugins, and possibly some
are interrelated.
If you can get your linux vst's functioning in the panel,
it would be a handy standalone accessory. There was a windows port started,
but never passed scary alpha, as far as I recall.
Cheers

Post

It would be a nice addition to your collection if you can add GUI. You could charge a small price for those it would help you I think. I was thinking something simple that you could copy paste like Plug and Mix. I did a little GUI for ADT in Reaper's script LBX Stripper.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
MXLinux21, 16 Gig RAM, Intel i7 Quad 3.9, Reaper 6.42, Behringer 204HD or Win7 Steinberg MR816x

Post

Nobody has yet shown me a framework that builds on REALLY OLD computers and will do both Audio Unit and VST. I wouldn't be charging a thing, I use Patreon, but if I had such a framework I would begin doing GUI plugins (much more slowly!)

I need a way to do the Audio Unit Cocoa UI with matching controls to an old school VST2 GUI, and comparable frameworks for each one, and I need to be able to open source it all. Back in the day when I had a REALbasic program called Mastering Tools, it used a GUI and I made custom controls and metering (it wasn't realtime, though). I've never had that for plugins. JUCE is not an answer for me, it's impossibly complex and fussy. I'm only targeting two plugin formats over three platforms and it has to work on OSX 10.6.8 for PPC and Intel, and Windows 7 VST (as old as possible, not necessarily just back to Windows 7).

So I might not be able to do the GUI thing. It depends on whether it's possible. I won't throw my legacy support under the bus for anybody or anything. My plugins WILL NOT stop working on whatever they were successfully working on. Planned obsolescence is crap and will not be tolerated at Airwindows, so this might limit my options a bit :D

Post

i wouldn't worry about adding a gui at this point. the plugins have so few individual settings that making a gui for them would probably make the settings LESS clear.

Post

I sooo wish double clicking on a parameter , would reset the slider to a neutral or default value.
(or alt -click or something similar)

Is that doable !?

It's the only thing i get frustrated about . Other than that , phenomenal plugins and always come with an interesting extra twist 💚

Post

oh, huh. does it not do that for you? it does it for me--i assumed it was just a given, but it must be built into how my DAW handles GUIless plugins

Post

It's totally up to the DAW. On Audio Units, you can type in values and hold option to do fine adjustment with a mouse. Any DAW could do these things if they choose to, but I can't do it for the DAW: my plugins don't draw the controls.

Post

Boone777 wrote: Wed Dec 19, 2018 5:12 am It would be a nice addition to your collection if you can add GUI. You could charge a small price for those it would help you I think. I was thinking something simple that you could copy paste like Plug and Mix. I did a little GUI for ADT in Reaper's script LBX Stripper.
That's a nice little GUI, I dig it. Nice job!

Post

Thank you!
If anyone is interested you can get it here:https://drive.google.com/open?id=143ZTv ... lHF-UbcUSa

You need to install LBX Stripper script for Reaper wich is a bit of a rabbit hole.
https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=182233
MXLinux21, 16 Gig RAM, Intel i7 Quad 3.9, Reaper 6.42, Behringer 204HD or Win7 Steinberg MR816x

Post

Boone777 wrote: Thu Dec 20, 2018 5:28 am Thank you!
If anyone is interested you can get it here:https://drive.google.com/open?id=143ZTv ... lHF-UbcUSa

You need to install LBX Stripper script for Reaper wich is a bit of a rabbit hole.
https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=182233
:hail:

Post

Hi Chris ! Hope you are feeling better I have an idea for a plugin.
A Micro Pitch Shift. There is not much around to my knowledge. I don't think there is one already in Air Windows arsenal.

There is Stillwell wich is my favorite in terms of functionnality. It's very well laid out and the few parameters can bring great results.
https://www.stillwellaudio.com/plugins/cmx/

My favortie soudwise would be the one included in Eventide channel strip. I don't know what makes a micro pitch shift sound good but I suspect you could do one !
MXLinux21, 16 Gig RAM, Intel i7 Quad 3.9, Reaper 6.42, Behringer 204HD or Win7 Steinberg MR816x

Post Reply

Return to “Effects”