VariSpeed is a tape delay plugin. VariSpeed emulates the old Watkins (WEM) Copicat IC400 tape delay machine. Previously, this device was very popular with sound engineers and, in general, was quite in demand. It is known for its variable speed belt drive, which allows for variable dwell times.
The original Copicat IC400 was incredibly flexible for a vintage audio device. He could handle the short slapback delays and groovy rhythms with ease. However, the apparatus’s secret sauce is endless, insanely swirling echo waves.
In this case, it would be easier to describe this tape delay as an instrument rather than an effect. Seriously, it’s tunable and sounds like a basic subtractive synthesizer. And this is when using one sound source.
VariSpeed’s interface design is heavily inspired by the original Copicat IC400. The panel even features an animated tape drive moving at a speed that you can customize.
There are input controls for the left and right audio channels. The user can adjust the engine RPM (dwell time), repeat rate (delay length), wave (Delay level) and tone. The green, white and red buttons switch the three cartridges. The on / off switch can be used as a bypass.
The developers have provided a handy tooltip that describes the functionality of each control. We got a little confused and translated it into Russian for you. The graphical interface is freely scalable from 100% to 130%, relative to the original size.
This software is classified as “free, but …”
- Pop-up ads
- Gathering statistics “Technical information about your computer system is collected only when the promo page is displayed.”
According to the developer, they collect the following information: - OS name and platform (x86 or x64)
- Processor manufacturer and model, number of cores, speed
- Memory size
- Language and region
- Screen resolution.
VariSpeed tests connectivity to the following sites:
google.com/
bing.com/
amazon.com/
bing.com/
When the GSi website validation fails and the other website is OK, VariSpeed thinks the user is blocking the connection to their website. VariSpeed shows error and stops working. The R2R release blocks such connections to avoid connecting to the home page.
The problem with this protection is that legitimate users can also have problems when the developer’s site is down. This version from R2R does not perform connectivity checks and always works.