The Ultimate Guide to Tape Piano 1.0: A Lo-Fi Piano Plugin with over 58 Presets and a Pianist Expansion
Thenatan Tape Piano 1.0 VSTi x64 Expansion: A Review
If you are looking for a plugin that can add some warmth, nostalgia, and character to your piano sounds, you might want to check out Thenatan's Tape Piano 1.0. This is a lo-fi piano plugin that simulates the sound of old cassette tapes, vinyl records, and other analog devices. It comes with over 58 dirty, atmospheric, and sometimes beautiful piano presets, as well as a Pianist expansion pack that adds more high-quality piano sounds to your arsenal. In this article, we will review Tape Piano 1.0 and its expansion pack, and show you how to use it in your music production.
Thenatan – Tape Piano 1.0 VSTi x64 Expansion
What is Tape Piano 1.0?
A lo-fi piano plugin by Thenatan
Tape Piano 1.0 is a plugin by Thenatan, a company that specializes in creating unique and innovative plugins for music producers. Tape Piano 1.0 is one of their best-selling products, and it is designed to create lo-fi piano sounds that are reminiscent of old school hip hop, chill hop, ambient, soundtrack, and electronica genres.
Lo-fi stands for low fidelity, which means the sound quality is intentionally degraded or distorted to create a vintage or nostalgic effect. Lo-fi music often uses samples from old records, tapes, radios, or other analog sources, and adds effects like noise, hiss, crackle, hum, or wobble to create a warm and organic sound.
Tape Piano 1.0 simulates the lo-fi sound by using various analog outboard effects to process and mangle the piano samples. It also has built-in cassette effects, reverb, LFO, filter, and stereo outputs for each layer. You can adjust the parameters of each effect to create your own custom lo-fi piano sound.
Features and specifications
Tape Piano 1.0 has the following features and specifications:
+58 dirty, atmospheric and sometimes beautiful piano presets
All presets processed, EQ'd, compressed and transient shaped perfectly
5 HD layers: Strings, Pads, Choir, Organ And Atmosphere
4 textures: Hiss, Vinyl, 8-Bit And Hum
Built-in cassette effects: Play And Stop
Built-in classic sounding reverb
Built-in flexible LFO controls
Built-in Hi & Lo pass filter
Stereo outputs for each layer
Ultra low CPU usage
Ultra fast patch loading
Plug-in formats: Windows VST / VST3 (64 bit only), Mac AU / VST / VST3 (64 bit only)
Size on disk: 10 MB for each format, 4 GB for sample library
No iLok / dongle needed for activation
System requirements:
Windows 7, 8, 10 or above
Mac OS X 10.9.5 Mavericks or above (macOS Catalina / Big Sur ready)
4 GB RAM / 2 GB free space on the system drive
Works in most major DAWs excluding Pro Tools (no AAX)
Why use Tape Piano 1.0?
The benefits of lo-fi sound
Lo-fi sound has a certain charm and appeal that can make your music stand out from the crowd. Lo-fi sound can evoke emotions, memories, and moods that are hard to achieve with pristine and polished sounds. Lo-fi sound can also add some grit, texture, and character to your music, making it more interesting and dynamic.
Some of the benefits of using lo-fi sound in your music are:
It can create a sense of nostalgia and nostalgia is a powerful emotion that can connect with your listeners on a deeper level. Lo-fi sound can remind them of their childhood, their favorite movies, their old mixtapes, or their first love.
It can create a sense of intimacy and intimacy is another powerful emotion that can make your listeners feel closer to you and your music. Lo-fi sound can make your music sound more personal, authentic, and vulnerable, as if you are sharing a secret or a confession with them.
It can create a sense of uniqueness and uniqueness is a valuable quality that can make your music more memorable and distinctive. Lo-fi sound can make your music sound more original, creative, and artistic, as if you are breaking the rules and experimenting with new sounds.
The versatility of Tape Piano 1.0
Tape Piano 1.0 is a versatile plugin that can be used for various genres and styles of music. Whether you want to create some lo-fi hip hop beats, some chill hop vibes, some ambient soundscapes, some soundtrack scores, or some electronica tunes, Tape Piano 1.0 can help you achieve the sound you want.
Tape Piano 1.0 has over 58 presets that cover a wide range of sounds, from dark and dirty to bright and beautiful. You can use the presets as they are or tweak them to your liking with the built-in effects and controls. You can also layer up to five different sounds to create rich and complex textures.
Tape Piano 1.0 is also compatible with most major DAWs (except Pro Tools), so you can easily integrate it into your workflow and use it with other plugins and instruments. You can also use it with MIDI controllers and keyboards to play it live or record it in your DAW.
How to use Tape Piano 1.0?
Installation and activation
To use Tape Piano 1.0, you need to download it from the Thenatan website or from your preferred online store. You will receive an email with a download link and an activation code. You need to unzip the downloaded file and copy the plugin file to your VST folder on your computer.
To activate Tape Piano 1.0, you need to open it in your DAW and enter the activation code that you received in the email. You only need to do this once and you don't need an iLok or dongle for activation.
Interface and controls
Tape Piano 1.0 has a simple and intuitive interface that lets you access all the features and controls easily. The interface consists of four main sections: Presets, Layers, Effects, and Output.
The Presets section lets you browse through the available presets and select the one you want to use. You can also save your own presets by clicking on the Save button.
The Layers section lets you adjust the volume, pan, mute, solo, reverb send, filter cutoff, filter resonance, LFO rate, LFO depth, LFO shape, LFO destination, LFO phase, LFO stereo mode, LFO sync mode, LFO sync rate for each of the five layers: Strings, Pads, Choir, Organ And Atmosphere. You can also turn on or off each layer by clicking on the power button.
The Effects section lets you adjust the parameters of the cassette effects: Play And Stop. You can also turn on or off each effect by clicking on the power button.
The Output section lets you adjust the master volume, master pan, master reverb level, master reverb size, master reverb dampening for the whole plugin.
Tips and tricks
Here are some tips and tricks to help you get the most out of Tape Piano 1.0:
Experiment with different presets and layers to find the sound that suits your mood and style.
Use the cassette effects to add some movement and variation to your sound.
Use the LFO controls to modulate different parameters of each layer for more dynamic and expressive sounds.
Use the filter controls to shape the tone and timbre of each layer for more contrast and balance.
Use the re verb controls to add some space and depth to your sound.
Use the stereo outputs to create a wider and fuller sound.
Use the master controls to fine-tune the overall sound and level of the plugin.
What is the Pianist expansion pack?
A collection of high-quality piano sounds
The Pianist expansion pack is a bonus feature that comes with Tape Piano 1.0. It is a collection of 40 high-quality piano sounds that are sampled from various acoustic and electric pianos, such as grand pianos, upright pianos, Rhodes, Wurlitzer, and more. The piano sounds are clean and crisp, and they can be used for different genres and styles of music.
The Pianist expansion pack is not lo-fi by default, but you can use the Tape Piano 1.0 effects and controls to make them lo-fi if you want. You can also mix and match the Pianist sounds with the Tape Piano 1.0 sounds to create hybrid and unique sounds.
How to access and use the expansion pack
To access and use the Pianist expansion pack, you need to download it from the Thenatan website or from your preferred online store. You will receive an email with a download link and an activation code. You need to unzip the downloaded file and copy the sample library folder to your preferred location on your computer.
To use the Pianist expansion pack, you need to open Tape Piano 1.0 in your DAW and click on the Load button in the Presets section. You will see a folder called Pianist that contains all the Pianist presets. You can select any preset you want and use it as you would use any Tape Piano 1.0 preset.
To activate the Pianist expansion pack, you need to enter the activation code that you received in the email. You only need to do this once and you don't need an iLok or dongle for activation.
Conclusion
Tape Piano 1.0 is a plugin that can help you create lo-fi piano sounds that are warm, nostalgic, and characterful. It comes with over 58 presets that are processed and shaped perfectly for lo-fi music production. It also has a Pianist expansion pack that adds more high-quality piano sounds to your collection. Tape Piano 1.0 is easy to use, versatile, and compatible with most major DAWs. If you are looking for a plugin that can add some lo-fi flavor to your piano sounds, you should give Tape Piano 1.0 a try.
FAQs
Q: How much does Tape Piano 1.0 cost?
A: Tape Piano 1.0 costs $29 USD on the Thenatan website or on other online stores. The price includes the Pianist expansion pack as well.
Q: Can I use Tape Piano 1.0 with other instruments?
A: Yes, you can use Tape Piano 1.0 with other instruments by routing them through the plugin's input or output channels. You can also use Tape Piano 1.0 as an effect plugin by inserting it on an audio track or a bus.
Q: Can I use Tape Piano 1.0 in Pro Tools?
A: No, Tape Piano 1.0 does not support AAX format, so it cannot be used in Pro Tools.
Q: How many licenses do I get with Tape Piano 1.0?
A: You get one license per purchase of Tape Piano 1.0, which allows you to install and activate the plugin on up to two computers.
Q: How can I contact Thenatan for support or feedback?
A: You can contact Thenatan by sending an email to support@thenatan.com or by visiting their website at https://www.thenatan.com/. dcd2dc6462