Air-G Tape

The reels are the visual representation of the tape spools. They animate when the tape engine is active, spinning in sync with the processing.

Interaction: clicking on either reel stops the animation and pauses the visual movement of the reels. A second click resumes them. This function does not affect audio processing —it is a visual preference.

Collapsing the panel: a click on the logo (on the head, between the reels) hides the top strip with the reels to save screen space; a second click shows it again. The logo lights up on hover to show it is clickable, and the transition is animated. (This is purely visual: it does not affect the audio.)

Head Bump (control ④)

Head Bump models the "punch" of the head on the tape: the way the magnetic head gives the low end more impact and body, rather than leaving it flat or transparent.

• More Head Bump: greater perceived low-end energy, more "glue". The tape feels more cohesive; bass and kick drum are glued into the mix.
• Less Head Bump: the audio becomes flatter, with more controlled low end.
• Interaction with drive: pushing this area enters non-linear behavior faster.

Head Freq (control ⑤)

Determines where in the low end the bump is felt; shifts the impact point toward sub-bass or toward the low-mids.

• Low Head Freq: the bump sits lower (sub-bass / foundation).
• High Head Freq: the bump moves upward (more presence in the low-mids).

Workflow: first set Head Bump to define the amount; then use Head Freq to place that energy exactly where you want it.

Flutter (control ⑥)

Flutter introduces the wow/flutter modulation of the transport: small speed variations that make the tape processing less than 100% stable over time. This happens because in a real machine the motor and mechanical system cause the tape to advance slightly irregularly, generating micro-variations of pitch and timing. The flutter combines a slow wow with a faster flutter plus a gentle drift, mirroring how a real tape machine fluctuates at several rates at once.

• It brings life and movement to the audio, removing it from digital rigidity.
• The more Flutter, the more pronounced the variation. Taken to the extreme, it creates creative degradation: the exaggerated instability deliberately sought to add character or effect.
• Works best once you have Input/Clip Level set to the desired point.

Flt Speed — Flutter Speed (control ⑦)

Adjusts the pace of the wow/flutter: controls how quickly the modulation moves the transport. Low values = slow, expressive wow; high values = fast, vibrant flutter.

Based on Airwindows' SmoothEQ3, this section is a three-band equalizer designed to be extremely efficient and high quality. It is applied to the signal after tape processing.

• Steeper filtering: unlike a standard Butterworth filter, SmoothEQ3 combines a simple IIR with an additional layer for a steeper slope, allowing focus on lows or highs without unnecessarily affecting the mids.
• Transient optimization: the design seeks a balance so the sound remains natural and transients stay clear.
• Extreme efficiency: uses only 59 operations per sample per channel, making it suitable for very dense mix configurations even on limited hardware.

9 Dobly

Dobly works as a tonal tilt control: it tilts the tape's response toward a brighter or darker sound, similar to the calibration adjustments made on real analog tape machines.

Typical use: once the desired saturation has been set with Input/Clip Level, Dobly defines the final tonal character: upward, the tape sounds brighter and more present; downward, more compact, dark, and dense.

10 Tape Bias

Tape Bias adjusts the operating point of the tape: it affects the frequency response and harmonic distortion, and defines the hardness of the transition into the non-linear range when the signal approaches the limit.

• Toward 0: more punch/character, greater tonal coloration, more pronounced transition.
• Toward 100: more smoothness and control, more neutral response, more gradual transition.

11 Tape Shape

Global tape character control: defines whether the sound is more classic and defined, or more relaxed and deep —the kind of tone associated with large recording studios.

• Toward 0: more direct and defined, with saturation more "punch-oriented". The character is felt from the input stage.
• Toward 100: more relaxed, rounded, and deep. The transformation occurs in the final stage, with a more consistent and blended behavior.

The ST/CT button toggles between two stereo image modes with each click. The button LED indicates which is active:

13 Input Gain

Input Gain defines how much "drive" you give the tape. By pushing the signal harder, the algorithm saturates more, adding natural compression and harmonic coloration. It is the main control for managing the amount of effect.

14 Volume

Volume controls the overall output level of the plugin. Its main use is as a comparison make-up: adjust it so the result stays at the same perceived level as the unprocessed signal while you change the character. It does not affect tape processing.

The small red LED above the Volume knob is the real clip indicator (with persistence). When it lights up, it indicates that the signal is clipping at the output.

15 Clip Level

Clip Level controls how much signal is sent to the final clipper, and its behavior is dual:

• Higher: you hit the clipping stage harder, which acts as a volume maximizer and adds aggressive presence.
• Lower: you reduce that output distortion and focus on the pure character of the tape algorithm, without the clipper's effect.

The recommended starting point is 50%, which offers a balance between the two behaviors.

Airwindows' classic strategy applies dither/noise around the final stage and in the clipping area to prevent artifacts from sounding like "hard aliasing". The result integrates as texture within the character.

17 VU Meter

The VU Meter is not a literal reading of the audio output but a "visual" reading mapped to tape-like behavior. It helps you locate energy and find the balance between character and control.

How to read the scale:

• For less saturation: keep the VU away from the red zone and reduce Input/Clip Level.
• For more character: push the level into the red zone. The VU meter's red zone does not imply signal clipping but rather the presence of more harmonic character. The real clip indicator is always the small red LED above the Volume control.

This intentional behavior allows using the VU as an expressive guide —not a peak meter— to work the tape drive musically.