Here is a 2025 tape plugin blind test that includes the following plugins:

• Pulsar Modular P821 30 iPS, formula 456
• Pulsar Modular P821 30 iPS, formula 900
• Arturia Studer 15 iPS, color 4, modern
• Taupe Studer 30 iPS dual mono (C4)
• Taupe Revox 7 iPS dual mono (C8)
• IK Studer 30 iPS, formula 499
• IK Revox 15 iPS, formula 499
• IK MCI 30 iPS, formula 499

Each plugin using its initialized state with input and output levels adjusted accordingly since they all react to audio a bit differently. I tried to have the audio hitting the sweet spot on each one.

All options have been level matched.

Vote in the poll and post what options you prefer. I'll reveal the answers in one month.

F is the most well rounded.
H had the nicest transients and they were softened nicely, but at the expense of slight heavy handed compression.
B through D were just terrible. Abrasive highs galore.
A was lame in that it rolled off the highs. I'm guessing its that new plug that came out recently. More overhyped nonsense.
E was easily the worst. Just sounded like a bad plugin. Brittle upper midrange and grating treble.

I liked D despite it being brighter cuz the way the kick / low end was hitting

Truly appreciate der Aufwand, but mit a source like that, you need a Priest, not a Plug-in
Gott im Himmel!

For me E sounded the best and C the worst.

BTW How do you know Taupe C4 is Studer, C8 is Revox etc.? Is there a list anywhere? Thx.

On a quick listen I liked G best ( and B next )

If you load the Taupe plugin that isn't the strip, but just the tape by itself, the preset list is a list of the tape models. Also, someone made a cheat sheet in the original release post here: Acustica Audio releases TAUPE: "The king of sample-based analog tape plugins"

Would be sick to have someone who owns a real deck to run the dry source material through one of their units!!
Now that would be fun! I do appreciate you putting this together and will listen later when im back in the studio.

The pumping is so crazy intense it gives me headache and makes me want to throw up after 2 seconds, I can't listen to this. What the hell is that?

Also there's literally no top end in the sample.

It's impossible to judge it.

If you don't have a well balanced audio of your own, you can simply get a sniplet of some Billboard top 10 song and apply tape to it, that would be more helpful.

Or you can just make your own shootout.

Your shootout approach is fine. Just needs the types of sample that will allow to focus on areas where tape effects are most noticeable...

That +/-50 dB amplitude pumping makes it hard to judge the low end and lofi nature of the sample doesn't allow to judge tape "sheen".

A flat and mono-ish but full spectrum record from 80s-90s would probably work best.

Thanks for doing this! Ignore people trying to derail this thread. Especially the ones that are rude, overly entitled, and apparently too lazy to do it for themselves. I appreciate all your efforts. Again… thank you!