Reference Two

Precision by Default.
Beautifully Unreasonable on Request.

$29 Perpetual License
3 Windows, macOS + Linux
VST3 + AU on macOS
Reference Two VST3 - Dual-Channel Tape Machine Plugin

Reference Two

Pay once. Own it forever. Exercise remarkable restraint until the chorus arrives.

$29 Buy Now

Secure checkout · Instant license delivery

Try the free demo
Reference Two loaded on a mix bus

Three Monitor Paths. Two Speeds. One Beautifully Disciplined Machine.

Reference Two begins with a clean, calibrated tape path and gives you complete control over how far you take it. Each channel includes a three-way Input, Sync, and Reproduce monitor selector, recreating three distinct points in the signal path of a professional tape machine.

Input gives you the direct signal before the tape stages. Sync brings in the tighter, narrower, more textured response of monitoring through the record head. Reproduce opens the complete processed tape chain with its full frequency response, weight, and character. Each channel can use its own monitor path, opening up combinations that range from perfectly matched stereo operation to deliberately different textures on the left and right.

Record and Reproduce share one Uncalibrate switch per channel. Leave it off and both stages remain locked to their calibrated factory reference, giving you a dependable baseline every time the project opens. Switch it on and both controls become active together. Push Record into the tape stage, trim the returning level with Reproduce, and decide exactly how polished or driven the result should become.

The global Speed control switches the transport between 15 and 30 IPS. At 30 IPS, Reference Two delivers a tighter, cleaner, more extended response. At 15 IPS, the sound becomes warmer, rounder, and more textured. Auto-Level compensates for output changes while you increase the Record drive, keeping your listening level steady while the tone changes underneath it.

Link mirrors the channel controls when you want both sides moving as a matched pair. Dual illuminated VU meters keep every adjustment visible, while eleven factory presets take you from the pristine reference sound of The Expensive Machine to the hard-driven character of The Good Kind of Damage.

VU meter

Clean Has Never Been Afraid of a Little Drive.

Keep Uncalibrate off for the repeatable precision that gives Reference Two its name. Switch it on when the track asks for more weight, color, and movement. The clean reference is always waiting, and the good kind of damage is always one switch away.

Try Reference Two Free

No account required. We send the download link directly to your email. Demo mode briefly silences the output every 30 seconds.

Monitor Path

Input. Sync. Reproduce. Three Distinct Ways Through the Machine.

Every channel includes its own three-way monitor path selector. Each position represents a different point in the tape machine and carries its own response, texture, and purpose.

  • Input - a clean, direct passthrough before the tape stages.
  • Sync - the focused, narrower response of the record-head monitoring path, with added grain and texture.
  • Reproduce - the complete processed tape chain with its full response, weight, and character.

Use matching paths for consistent stereo processing or select them independently to create contrast between the two channels. Three positions, three genuine signal paths, and a surprising number of excellent decisions hiding inside one switch.

Reference Two Input, Sync, Reproduce monitor path selector
Reference Two Uncalibrate switch

Uncalibrate

Reference First. Full Control One Switch Away.

Record and Reproduce share one Uncalibrate switch on each channel. With Uncalibrate off, both stages remain fixed at their factory reference for immediate, repeatable operation.

Switch it on and both knobs become active together. Record controls how hard the signal enters the tape stage. Reproduce trims the level returning from it. The complete gain relationship is placed in your hands, exactly when you want it.

Speed & Auto-Level

Fifteen for Character. Thirty for Precision.

Reference Two runs at 15 or 30 IPS, with each speed carrying its own response and personality. Thirty delivers a tighter low end, greater extension, and a more precise presentation. Fifteen brings additional warmth, texture, and unmistakable tape character.

Auto-Level compensates as you push the Record stage harder, holding the output level steady while saturation and tone change. You hear the character you are adding instead of being distracted by a jump in volume.

Engage Link when you want both channels to move together. Every per-channel adjustment is mirrored across the machine, giving you fast, perfectly matched stereo control.

Reference Two Speed, Auto-Level, and Link controls
Reference Two factory presets

Meters & Presets

Two VUs. Eleven Ways to Find the Sweet Spot.

Dual illuminated VU meters display the behavior of both channels while you work, whether Reference Two is passing a clean master or being pushed well past polite conversation.

Eleven factory presets cover pristine transfer, subtle warmth, mastering control, driven tape, and full-character saturation. Start with The Expensive Machine for a clean, locked reference. Move into Print It Hot when the tape needs to work harder. Finish at The Good Kind of Damage when excellent judgment has led you somewhere considerably louder.

Every preset is ready to edit. Load one, listen, and take the machine wherever the track wants to go.

Perpetual License

One payment. No subscription. No annual renewal. It is yours.

3 Activations

Run Reference Two on up to three machines at once. Need to move an activation? Email us.

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Secure & Private

Activation is encrypted over HTTPS. There is no telemetry, and no personal data leaves your machine while the plugin is running.

Direct Support

You email us. We answer. No bot, no ticket maze, and no twelve-year-old forum post marked “solved.”

System Requirements

Format

VST3 (64-bit) - Windows, macOS, Linux
AU (64-bit) - macOS only

Platform

Windows 10 / 11
macOS 11 Big Sur or later (Apple Silicon + Intel)
Linux - Ubuntu 22.04+ or equivalent

DAW Compatibility

Any VST3-compatible host, including Reaper, Cubase, Studio One, Ableton Live, FL Studio, Bitwig Studio, Nuendo, and more.

AU on macOS: Logic Pro, GarageBand, and MainStage.

Technical Detail

Independent Input, Sync, and Reproduce monitor paths per channel, shared Uncalibrate control for Record and Reproduce, global 15/30 IPS operation, Auto-Level compensation, channel Link, and dual illuminated VU metering.

License

Perpetual, single-user license
Three simultaneous activations
Need to move a license? Email us.

SHA-256 (mmedia-reference-two-v1.0.0.zip): da964cc1a144372bd430f9d262624b6e59471012867557bb4b63cc984d2d285f

Linux System Requirements

Tested on Ubuntu 22.04/24.04, Debian 12, Fedora 40. Requires one system library for license verification:

sudo apt install libsodium23        # Ubuntu / Debian
sudo dnf install libsodium          # Fedora / RHEL
sudo pacman -S libsodium            # Arch

VST3 only. Confirmed working in REAPER and Bitwig.

Version History

v1.0.0 Sep 2026 Initial release.

Reference Two

Pay once. Own it forever. Exercise remarkable restraint until the chorus arrives.

$29 Buy Now

Secure checkout · Instant license delivery

Try the free demo
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