BlankFor.ms — Tape Synths

Name: BlankFor.ms — Tape Synths
Price: 49 USD
Author: Spitfire Audio

by Spitfire Audio · Synth · Tape-processed synth library

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BlankFor.ms — Tape Synths by Spitfire Audio

Tape Synths is a synth library from Spitfire Audio, made with BlankFor.ms (Tyler Gilmore) and processed through degraded tape machines.

It has 28 core pads, keys and arps plus 112 artist presets. It costs $49.

Best for: Keys & Synths, Sound Design. Genres: Lo-Fi, Hip-Hop & Trap, Electronic & EDM, Ambient & Cinematic.

Keywords: lo-fi, arpeggiator, pads, 80s, textures, vintage, classic, hardware emulation, granular, analog-sounding, cinematic, creamy, digital-sounding, gritty, modular, retro, sample-based, simple, sound design, warm.

What it does

Tape Synths is a sample library from Spitfire Audio and Tyler Gilmore (BlankFor.ms), who ran synth sounds through worn tape machines and classic pedals. The sounds run from "lo-fi digital grit" to "80s neon-lit, retro pads."

Tape gear: a Walkman, a Library of Congress C1 cassette player, Tascam 414, 424 and PortaOne portastudios, a Marantz PMD, a modded GE portable, a modular system and vintage delay chips.
Processing: tape splicing, pitch shifting, generative techniques, analog saturation, filtering, distortion and granular synthesis.
Core presets: 28 in three groups: 10 pads, 12 keys and 6 arps.
Artist presets: 112 more presets made by BlankFor.ms, for 140 in all.
Dynamics layers: over 150 layers of tape and granular processing across the core presets; the Dynamics control moves between them.
Controls: Expression, Dynamics, an ADSR envelope, Start Point, and a reverb with seven impulse responses from rooms to churches and halls.
NKS: works with Native Instruments NKS keyboards and browsers.

It runs in Spitfire's own dedicated plugin (not Kontakt). It has an education discount; no trial is offered, and a PDF manual is available.

Source: Spitfire Audio product page

When to use it

Tape Synths is the quicker route to worn, nostalgic synth colour: you pick a preset and push Dynamics, rather than building a patch. Compared with Serum 2 or Pigments 7, it can't be programmed from the oscillators up, but its tape wobble, hiss and saturation are baked into the samples, so no extra effects chain is needed. Omnisphere 3 has a far larger and more flexible library, while Tape Synths does one sound world well. Users note that the presets can sound alike, so it works best as a texture source next to a main synth.

Best for: lo-fi pads and keys, warped arps, and warm textures under beats, indie songs and ambient pieces.
Genres: lo-fi, hip-hop, indie, electronic, ambient and cinematic.
Look elsewhere if: you want to program your own patches or need clean modern synth sounds; Serum 2 or Pigments 7 suit that.

What producers say

Buyers rate it very highly for its character and ease of use.

Trustpilot buyers rate it 4.9 out of 5 from 53 reviews, calling the sounds "creamy and full of body and harmonics".
Praised: an easy, intuitive interface, quick preset browsing and textures reviewers say they can't get elsewhere.
Criticisms: one buyer found the instruments "very similar to each other".

Trustpilot product reviews

Where to buy

Spitfire Audio: $49
PluginFox: $49

Tutorials and reviews

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