TapeEmu - Not Just Yet....

[Arys Chien]

One of my project needs some special effects. I tried all the tape-emu plug-ins and was not satisfied.

One day I just logged into Yahoo Bid page and bought a second-hand TEAC A-2000 + 2 new Ampex tapes. I brought it home, turned it on, sent the signal in and press the \"rec\" button.

It's there. The sound I've wanted.

I know the A-2000 is a cheap one, but I need a cheap sound effect anyway.

I know some of you might think, if you need a cheap sound, then why not just use the plug-ins?

That was what I think. Until I really listened to the sound coming out of a tape machine. It \"softens\" the sound like no other plug-ins do.

It's lo-fi, not low end.

And it's not the rolling-off-high-freq or hiss. You can roll of the highs with any eq plug-ins, and Nuendo's Grunger plug-in give you hiss and hums as much as you wish. It's just not about these things.

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For the cheap sound effects, I'm pretty happy with my TEAC A-2000; yet for serious final-mix-softening, maybe we still need an expensive tape machine......

 

[Spacey]

I get the same thing with so called analog vsti's, even at 96khz (44.1khz is a joke) the raw oscilators sound nothing like real analog.

 

[electro77]

I get the same thing with so called analog vsti's, even at 96khz (44.1khz is a joke) the raw oscilators sound nothing like real analog.

even Gmedias?

 

[r3nø]

I have some \"analog VSTi\" that are supposed to be among the best (GForce, Creamware...) and none of them come close to my old cheap Roland MKS-50 (150€) plugged in a good DI. A small analog synth like this one can't do everything, but it is awesome when playing its role.

To me the difference is even more obvious about real tape vs tape simulation.

Anyway, doesn't this topic belong to the \"Anything but UAD1\" section?

 

[Spacey]

For me it's the difference between a 128k mp3 and a 24 bit 44.1khz .wav

 

[andy a]

I get the same thing with so called analog vsti's, even at 96khz (44.1khz is a joke) the raw oscilators sound nothing like real analog.

Have you tried Timewarp 2600? It is a processor hog beyond belief, but it sounds incredible - much more "analog" than other emus to me.

 

[wojtek grzymala]

I've heard some Timewarp 2600 Oscillator-Sweep Demos against a real ARP 2600 - the difference is huge.

You get any sort of digital noise and distortion with Timewarp!
but a genuine smooth analog tone from the real ARP.

If it is true that the Timewarp is the best sounding out there then we still have to wait some years before Digital is going to replace Analog.

And i beg that the Softwaredevelopers get busy because the analog circuits are slowly going to die -particulary the circuits in old Synths.

 

[Spacey]

Well I've just ordered a moduler system from synthersizers.com. vsti's are just nowhere near close enough yet. I'm doing a kompakt based sample cd at mo, and I need some more synths to finish my project. So this will do nicely : )

 

[Eric Dahlberg]

If it is true that the Timewarp is the best sounding out there then we still have to wait some years before Digital is going to replace Analog.

The Creamware Minimax's oscillators are nearly indistinguishable from a real Minimoog's. However, Creamware goosed the resonance too much & the old trick of patching the Moog's extra output into the external input sounds more natural & open on the real thing.

 

[Spacey]

Eric I'm going to have to disagree with you on this one. In the lower registers the real moog oscilators have a certain richness that the creamware and all the othe vsti version's just don't have.

I can make a bass line with the real Moog that uses just 1 osc and sits in the mix at a much quiter level than using any of the vsti versions at the same setting, the vsti's allways have to be either compress more or brought up in volume to get the same effect. At 96khz it really is get close, but at 44khz it's still a joke. Less so on the Minimax. But there is still something missing, it's like... you can here the bass, you can hear the sound... but it's not rich.... like the difference between 128kps and 320kps mp3... there is just something missing.

I wish it wasn't, as it would save me a lot of hassle....yes I'm still finishing that bloody sample cd....got like 400 presets so far...but none of the basses could be done with any vsti from any company. They just don't have the balls of real analog. Even the Yamaha CS-5 kicks all the vsti's for raw oscilator sound.

 

[Eric Dahlberg]

Gotcha. When I did the tests (did you listen to them when they were up?), I didn't go through all the octaves, so I guess I missed that.

btw, who's going to distribute your VSTi?

 

[Hemmick Reef]

Check this one out, my favourite vsti synth of them all and it's free. Great presets and warm/full sounding.

http://home.no/gunnare/index.htm

I'd like to hear some opinions!

 

[taylor]

back on the Tape EMU topic..

i'm thinking of picking up one of the new Neve Portico 5042s.....

i'm looking for a 2-bus solution... i want to test it on my music (quiet, experimental electronic music).. see if it gives me a little bit more out-of-the-box mix sound....

and also try printing it on individual tracks in Digital Performer...

Neve gives a 7-day trial period, within which you can return it for a full refund (minus shipping)... so, i think i'm going to take advantage of that..

 

[Eric Dahlberg]

The 7.5 ips setting is my favorite. Warms the bottom & smooths out the mids without sounding at all unnatural on the top-end.

 

[taylor]

have you tried it on a whole mix, eric?

i heard 15ips would prob be the best.. 7.5 being a bit too much for a whole mix... 15 being a little more subtle...

what are your opinions on the unit?