TAIP

Name: TAIP
Price: 99 USD
Author: Baby Audio

by Baby Audio · Saturation · Tape (neural model)

vst3s Score 8.2/10 · rated #10 of 10 saturation

A tape saturation plugin built with a neural-network model of tape behavior, rather than a traditional circuit model.

It is quick to dial in and works from gentle bus warmth to crunchy drums.

Best for: Drums, Vocals, Mix Bus, Keys & Synths. Genres: Lo-Fi, Hip-Hop & Trap, Pop.

Keywords: tape, bus processing, warm, AI/machine learning, drums, lo-fi, glue, mix bus, vocals, destructive, flanger, gentle, heavy, synths, 70s, auto-gain, bass, crunchy, dirty, flutter, full mix, hardware emulation, kick, built-in mix knob, mixing, preset-driven, samples & loops, single-band, smooth, snare, subtle, wobble.

What it does

TAIP is Baby Audio's tape saturation plugin, emulating 1970s-era reel-to-reel machines. Instead of modeling individual analog components, it uses neural networks trained on test signals (sine sweeps and white noise) to learn how a tape machine sounds and behaves.

Drive: input drive with Normal and Hot modes, and Auto Gain.
Glue: tape-style compression.
Lo-fi controls: Noise adds tape hiss; Wear adds the wow, flutter and top-end loss of aged gear.
Tone shaping: Presence for tape's high-end roll-off, plus Hi-Shape and Lo-Shape to aim the saturation at the highs or the lows.
Model: Single or Dual, which chains two tape passes for more character.
Output and Mix: an output with a brickwall limiter, and a dry/wet mix. Blending below 100% with Wear on gives tape flanging.

It comes with 135 presets from producers and engineers including Mark Needham and Rob Kleiner.

Source: Baby Audio product page

When to use it

TAIP captures the qualities of tape in general rather than a specific machine and tape stock. Tape Op contrasted it with plugins that model GP9 or 456 tape, saying TAIP lets you use tape's qualities quickly and intuitively. It spans gentle bus warmth to full-on destruction.

Best for: drums and loops (presence, dirt, and pop and thump on kick and snare), bass, vocals, synths, and warmth on the mix bus.
Standout feature: the Glue control, which reviewers single out as an excellent tape-compression effect.
Genres: reviews don't tie it to a genre. Wear and Noise suit lo-fi and retro work, and the cleaner settings suit modern bus warmth.
Look elsewhere if: you want a reference-accurate model of a specific machine, like UA's ATR-102.

What producers say

Plugin Boutique buyers rate it 4.7 out of 5 from about 1,270 ratings, calling it warm, smooth and quick to learn, from subtle tape glue to heavy lo-fi destruction.

MusicTech gave it 8/10 for "utterly believable tape saturation".
Tape Op said it "nailed the explosive qualities of hitting tape hard" and was well worth the price.
Common tricks: Hot mode for heavy drive, Dual for more character, Mix below 100% with Wear for flanging, and Hi/Lo-Shape to aim the saturation.
Criticisms: higher CPU and graphics load than simpler emulations, and no oversampling. One KVR user warns that extreme Shape settings can damage clean sources.

Where to buy

Tutorials and reviews

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