TapeDesk: 4-Track Tape Studio

TapeDesk: 4-Track Tape Studio

Synth, samplers and sequencer

13 ratings
8 reviews
#170 in paid Music
🎵 Music
$6.99 $4.99

Lowest price: $4.99 5 months ago (-0%)


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Details

Released
June 6, 2026
Updated
November 2, 2026
TapeDesk: 4-Track Tape Studio screenshot #1 for iPhone
TapeDesk: 4-Track Tape Studio screenshot #2 for iPhone
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TapeDesk: 4-Track Tape Studio screenshot #8 for iPhone
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About

This app is a 4-track tape recorder for iPhone and iPad, offering a simple interface for recording, overdubbing, and mixing. It features real varispeed, sound-on-sound looping, and built-in effects, with the ability to export finished mixes or individual stems. It also functions as an AUv3 plugin for use in other DAWs.

✓4-track tape recorder
✓Real varispeed and pitch control
✓Sound-on-sound looping
✓Non-destructive editing
✓Built-in mixer and effects
✓AUv3 plugin support
✓Export stems or master mix
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What's New in TapeDesk

2.3

November 2, 2026

feat: with clock in, when the master starts again during a take, the take ends there and a new one records from the master's start feat: a lamp next to a plugin shows what is wrong: no response, cpu overload or crashed, and overloading as a warning while it plays on feat: a tap on the lamp retries the plugin in place, or reloads it after a crash, in synth and on fx 1 and fx 2 feat: synth and mix show the lamp's led while you are somewhere else feat: an au instrument, or a plugin on fx 1 or fx 2, comes in with a 10 ms fade feat: copy diagnostics, in settings under about, puts the app version, the device, the audio setup and each plugin's state on the clipboard, with nothing from your tapes feat: support opens a mail with the same text under yours, to read or delete before sending fix: with clock in, the tape started about 20 ms behind the master fix: with clock in, a take from a mic or an interface sounded early and lost its first hit fix: undo disappeared after one undo, even with 16 steps saved, and did not come back after a redo fix: on ios 17 the app took more memory the longer it stayed open, and stopping the tape or changing the scale could then freeze the screen while the audio played on fix: on ios 17 a tap on a preset loaded nothing, and the [] key on a sample's waveform did nothing fix: the keys that appear when you hold one of your presets or sounds only answered a slow press fix: after more than 11 seconds without recording, the next take landed one audio buffer or more ahead of where you played it, in the app and in the tape plugin fix: a call, or plugging in headphones, during a take kept the transport waiting for 1.5 s fix: on stop, a take flashed as a solid block before its waveform appeared fix: while you dragged the tape, the loop markers and the outline of the selected take now and then jumped off their place on the ruler fix: after one failed audio buffer, or three slow ones within a second, an au in synth went into bypass and stayed there fix: picking the same au in synth again after it crashed loaded nothing fix: with the built-in engines, an au reverb in the fx tab cut its tail when the last note ended, and the old tail came back with the next note fix: changing the au instrument left held notes hanging in the old one, which played them when it came back, and notes you played while the new one loaded went to the old one fix: changing the plugin on fx 1 or fx 2 silenced its return for a moment fix: voiceover read each maker heading in the plugin list as a button with no name, and a folded maker's plugins were out of reach

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📊 170

Music

The app has maintained its position at 170 recently.

Last updated on November 12, 2026.

User reviews

Great start but missing something

Update: Thanks for the response! This app is awesome and I’m looking forward to it being further developed.

Initial impressions are quite good. I can already tell this is a unique app. I just got it and I’m learning the workflow compared to other apps I’ve used (which is a long list of other apps in this category). I would like to see the ability to run auv3 instruments in addition to the built-in synth. If you can incorporate polyphonic aftertouch (MPE) so that pressure response works properly on MIDI controllers and auv3 synths that support it (like the Novation Launchpad X with Trooper or OB-Xd) that would be even better! One thing I’m not liking is that you only get one undo level and then if you redo you don’t get to undo again. I’m hoping for either unlimited or some reasonable number of undo levels. But, the way it works now makes me not want to use the app for anything serious. It’s too easy to lose work if you can’t reliably undo.
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Response from developer

thanks a lot for the review :) you can already use Auv3 instruments. in synth tap the sound name at the top, go to au and tap pick au. the undo is a bug of mine. the app keeps more than one level, but the button hides after the first undo or after a redo. i'm fixing it. mpe and polyphonic aftertouch are not there yet, but they are on my list.

Great start but missing something

Initial impressions are quite good. I can already tell this is a unique app. I just got it and I’m learning the workflow compared to other apps I’ve used (which is a long list of other apps in this category). I would like to see the ability to run auv3 instruments in addition to the built-in synth. If you can incorporate polyphonic aftertouch (MPE) so that pressure response works properly on MIDI controllers and auv3 synths that support it (like the Novation Launchpad X with Trooper or OB-Xd) that would be even better! One thing I’m not liking is that you only get one undo level and then if you redo you don’t get to undo again. I’m hoping for either unlimited or some reasonable number of undo levels. But, the way it works now makes me not want to use the app for anything serious. It’s too easy to lose work if you can’t reliably undo.
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Response from developer

thanks a lot for the review :) you can already use Auv3 instruments. in synth tap the sound name at the top, go to au and tap pick au. the undo is a bug of mine. the app keeps more than one level, but the button hides after the first undo or after a redo. i'm fixing it. mpe and polyphonic aftertouch are not there yet, but they are on my list.

Absolutely Amazing!

Amazing app! A classic 4-track cassette portastudio workflow with realistic tape saturation modeling, 8 synthesizers including a DX-style synth with the ability to import DX7 SYX files, an MPC-style sampler, and many other features…

The best thing that has happened to iOS since the release of Koala Sampler!
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Incredibly fun!

Just had a blast in my first hour with it and can tell it is a very powerful tool. Definitely worth the price.

Tape magic

I don’t know why or how, but the app just has some kind of a magic workflow. It’s inspired by OP-1, but much more capable and fluid.

You can use it straight as a tape recorder, or make it your favorite groovebox. Sequencers are nice, synth engines sounds great.

But it’s not that important as a magic workflow. Despite of the whole plethora of music apps these days, there are only two of them, where I make finished tracks. Koala sampler and this beautiful thing.
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Developer apps

FAQ

What is TapeDesk?

TapeDesk is a 4-track tape recorder app for iPhone and iPad designed to emulate the workflow and sound of analog tape machines. It allows for recording, overdubbing, and mixing with features like varispeed and built-in effects.

Does TapeDesk have ads?

No, TapeDesk is ad-free. The developer explicitly states there are no ads, tracking, or subscriptions, ensuring a private recording experience.

What devices is TapeDesk compatible with?

TapeDesk is available for iPhone and iPad. It is designed to run natively on these devices, offering a solid and low-latency audio experience.

How does TapeDesk handle varispeed?

TapeDesk features real varispeed from 0.25x to 2x, affecting both speed and pitch as on old cassette decks. This means recording at a bent speed is printed into the take, offering a unique creative tool.

Can I use TapeDesk with other music apps?

Yes, TapeDesk runs as an AUv3 plugin, allowing it to be used within hosts like AUM, Logic, and other compatible DAWs. Your projects can seamlessly move between the standalone app and the plugin.

What effects are included in TapeDesk?

TapeDesk includes seven built-in effects: TapeSat (saturation), Delay (wavering tape delay), Reverb (room simulation), CRUSH, HAZE, WOBBLE, and SHIMMER. These effects are printed into the take and can be augmented with third-party AUv3 effects.

How often is TapeDesk updated?

TapeDesk was last updated on June 25, 2026, with version 1.1. The app is developed in native Swift with a C++ audio engine, ensuring reliability and performance.

What is the price of TapeDesk?

TapeDesk is a paid app, available for $4.99. It is a one-time purchase with no subscriptions or in-app purchases required.