Why Tape Machines Still Matter in Modern Music Production

As producers and engineers in today’s VERY digital world, we have access to tools and technology that allow us to achieve a level of precision and cleanliness in recordings that was unimaginable just a few decades ago. But as a young producer with a profound love of oldies (some personal favorites: The Ronettes, Otis Redding, Dinah Washington), I found myself chasing the richness, warmth, and feel of those timeless tracks—yet struggling to replicate it in my own work (struggling aka it was a plugin dumpster fire).

After thinking about what makes these classic records feel so magical, I realized there’s a common denominator beyond the top-tier arrangements and musicianship: tape machines. This Oprah-level “aha” moment inspired me to concoct this blog, dive into why tape machines are still relevant in today’s world of music production, and explore how Safari Pedals’ Rabbit Tape can help you achieve that warmth and vibe—without blowing your bank account to smithereens or having to start a ‘hardware workflow’.

The Vibe-ullar Magic of Tape Machines

Before we dive into the technical benefits of tape machines and their emulations, let’s start with the purely vibe-ular (yes, I made that phrase up and will continue to use it) side of things.

Don’t get me wrong, y’all- I love achieving pristine recordings just as much as the next producer. But there’s something undeniably magical about the subtle tape hiss, crackles, and the unpredictability of analog imperfections. It adds life, movement, and soul to otherwise sterile digital recordings, and has a subtle way of making the song feel more cohesive, like it’s in its own world. The audio world loves the buzzword “glue,” so I’ll use it too ;) It glues the mix together in a special way, giving your track a more nostalgic feel, reminiscent of the older tracks we love. 

Why Tape Compression Still Rules

Tape compresses audio gently, providing a soft yet effective way to tame dynamic peaks. Unlike digital compression, which can sometimes feel abrupt or unnatural, tape compression smooths out the audio in a way that feels organic and pleasing to the ear. As the signal is driven into the tape, the subtle distortion adds character, shaping the transients without squashing the sound to oblivion (slay to that!!). Compression that’s gentle, musical, and still controls dynamics effectively? Sign me up!!!!

Saturation That Adds Life

I won’t lie, I spend most of my day daydreaming about tape saturation hehe :P

It adds this beautiful, natural warmth, making everything from drums and guitars to synths and vocals feel way more alive. Lately, I’ve been throwing it on my FX sends- it’s like a magical vibe machine y’all!!!

The Power of Wow & Flutter

These subtle fluctuations in pitch and gain, known as "wow and flutter," create a sense of movement and imperfection that adds character to the sound. Instead of the cold, sterile precision of digital recordings (literal dentist office vibes), these natural imperfections make the music feel more human and real- like you're hearing a performance, not just a perfectly concocted and engineered file. Going wild with wow and flutter on vocals is definitely one of my favorite pastimes.

Rabbit Tape: Bringing Tape Magic to Modern Production

Noam, the founder of Safari Pedals, is a huge tape enthusiast, and as a seasoned tape wizard, he’s packed all the magic I’ve talked about into the Rabbit Tape: Rich warmth, natural compression, and those vibey, subtle imperfections that breathe life into your tracks. With added controls like the blend knob, the Rabbit Tape gives you more flexibility, bridging the gap between the warm analog world and the precision of the digital realm. There is a14-day free trial here on the Safari Pedals website so you can try out the Rabbit Tape out and feel the tape magic if you haven't yet! ;)

Tape Slays—Let’s Talk About It

In conclusion, I think we can all agree that tape slays, right? Whether it’s adding warmth, character, or just that magical “glue,” it’s a tool that still has a special place in modern production. 

We’d love to hear how you use tape in your own production—hit us up on Safari Pedals’ social media and share your thoughts! Until next time, keep those tracks warm and vibey.

Catch y’all next blog!