This sounds interesting, haven't tried it or anything but it's free for anyone who'd like to give it a spin ..
Yuri Semyonov releases My Happy Tape, a FREE vintage tape recorder emulation
https://bedroomproducersblog.com/2025/09/16/yuri-semyonov-my-happy-tape/
My Happy Tape is a free vintage tape machine plugin for macOS and Windows, created by Yuri Semyonov.
Yuri Semyonov is an indie developer with a stellar reputation among audio enthusiasts for recreating the core character of classic vintage hardware. ...
The “My Happy” project also includes My Happy Bus Compressor and My Happy Channel Strip. .. ..
My Happy Tape adds instant color and warmth in an obvious way, but not over the top. It’s not just a warm, punchy sound; it’s instantly recognizable as what you imagine, or stereotype, an old vintage tape machine to sound like, and that’s lovely. ..