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Kramer Master Tape

Classic American analog tape saturation
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Kramer Master Tape main image

Add Texture with the Sound
of Early Analog Tape

features

Early analog tape was the sound of rock’n’roll. Recording engineers pushed analog tape ever-further into distortion, creating a type of tape compression that made the music powerful and compelling. The tube electronics of that era also added warmth and character.

To this day, early 1/4" analog tape recorders are coveted—and extremely rare. Whether used on individual tracks or masters, these machines exemplify the sound of classic tracks, from Hendrix and Led Zeppelin onward. Now, Kramer Master Tape brings this sound to digital recording.

  • Developed with studio legend Eddie Kramer (Zeppelin, Hendrix)
  • Customize the sound with speed, bias, and flux controls
  • Models the American tube recorder used in Olympic Studios
  • Tape delay (up to 500 ms) includes time, feedback, and filter controls
  • Add wow, flutter, and hiss for extra authenticity
  • Tube saturation helps warm up harsh-sounding instruments
Watch It in Action

The Essence of Classic Analog Tape

  • Tape and Tubes

    Kramer Master Tape is a dual-purpose plugin—it models the tube’s harmonic distortion and mic preamp saturation separately from the tape compression and distortion, so you can also use it solely for adding tube warmth.

    Features: Glue Mixes without “Squashing”
  • Vary Tape Textures with the Flux Control

    The Flux control simultaneously alters tape saturation, tape compression, and harmonic distortion. Turn it up for aggressive grit and punch, or pull back to clean up the sound for just a hint of tape and tube coloration.

    Features:
  • Saturation or Tape Emulation? Yes.

    Although designed primarily for modeling tape, Kramer Master Tape is ideal for adding saturation based on tape’s sound quality. Help bass stand out in the mix, clip drums for more power, and add overdrive to keyboards.

    Features: Fast and Efficient Operation
  • Add Ambience with Analog Tape Delay

    The built-in tape delay features delay times up to 500 ms, with feedback and lowpass filtering. It’s ideal for slapback echo on vocals or rhythm guitar, hardcore dub on drums, or adding ambience to keyboard and string pads.

    Features: From Vocals to “The Ringo Drum Sound”
  • All the Original Detail

    We flew in virgin 3M Scotch 207 tape from Australia for the modeling process, because studios liked the tape’s extended high frequency response for reproducing the sparkle of acoustic instruments and voice.

    Features: Multiple Modes Fit Different Material
  • Combine with HLS & PIE for That Hendrix/Zeppelin Signal Chain

    Combine Kramer Master Tape with Kramer HLS Channel and Kramer PIE Compressor, to model the complete Olympic Studios signal chain used for recording tracks by Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and the Rolling Stones.

    Features: Precision Modeled Transformers