Cal Goheen Drops cStop – A Free Tape Stop/Start Plugin for macOS & Windows
Developer Cal Goheen has released cStop, a free audio plugin for macOS and Windows that nails the classic tape stop/start effect.
The tape stop is one of those effects every producer knows, but I still get excited when I find a plugin that does it well without extra clutter. I gave cStop a spin on my MacBook Pro, and the first thing I appreciated was how immediate it felt. Click once, and you’re right in that familiar slow-down or speed-up territory. No endless menus, no hidden parameters, just the sound you expect.
cStop keeps things simple with three modes: Start, Stop, and Bypass. Switching between them happens instantly, and I liked how easy it was to automate the mode in my DAW for tight timing. Both the Start and Stop effects can be customized too, with adjustable duration and pitch curves. You can set them anywhere from super snappy to a long five-second fade, or sync them to your host tempo for up to two bars. That flexibility makes it work whether you’re going for subtle transitions or dramatic DJ-style breaks.
A pleasant surprise was the inclusion of a multimode filter. You get low-pass, high-pass, and band-pass options, with 12 dB or 24 dB slopes plus resonance control. I found it useful for shaping the tonal character of the effect, though I did catch myself wishing it could be tied into the pitch modulation for extra movement.
In practice, cStop is great for electronic builds, breakdowns, and transitions, but I also enjoyed experimenting with it on guitars and vocals for more experimental textures.
cStop is available now as a free download via GitHub, with support for VST3, CLAP, and AU (macOS). The source code is open under the MIT license, so developers can tweak it to their liking.
Berk Öztuna, a musician from Istanbul, is skilled in handpan, percussion, and guitar, performing and recording his own compositions globally. With expertise in music production and audio technology, he integrates virtual instruments and sound design tools seamlessly into his work. He also writes insightful articles on music production and gear for platforms like Plugin Noise and shares his music on Spotify and Instagram.
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love this one, exactly what I need!