Slate Digital Virtual Tape Machine: Released

[Compyfox]

I've found a problem with VTM in Ableton Live 8.3 the amount of tape on the reels doesn't shrink or grow in size.

Neither does it in Cubase - and IIRC, it souldn't.

Maybe it's a beta thing again?

Guys you are joking right

Actually not at all. At least not in my case.

There is an animation of the tape reels, but there was (and still is) no ammount of growth or shrinkage of the tape in the animation. It's a visual representation and not needed. Same as with switching the size of the tape (witdh) from 2" to 1/2".

This is just an unneded GUI gimmick - and I don't know why Kaboom75 brought that up. No tape plugin I know does this. And I don't see any reason why it should.

[bmanic]

crazy as it may sound, I really liked how UAD studer into the Slate VTM sounded.

super warm...

dw

This is not as crazy as you'd think. In the old days people would bounce tracks from one recorder to another. Was the cheapest way to get massive amounts of tracks. Hiss was constantly a problem though so you'd need to do some pre-emphasis EQing and take notes of the settings.. or then you purchased the dolby noise reduction thingy.

Cheers!
bManic

[Lenticular]

crazy as it may sound, I really liked how UAD studer into the Slate VTM sounded.

super warm...

dw

This is not as crazy as you'd think. In the old days people would bounce tracks from one recorder to another. Was the cheapest way to get massive amounts of tracks. Hiss was constantly a problem though so you'd need to do some pre-emphasis EQing and take notes of the settings.. or then you purchased the dolby noise reduction thingy.

Cheers!
bManic

@ bManic.,

Was wondering if you tried using any of the various Nebula tube or pre-amp programs along with VMT along with any thoughts or opinions.
I've been trying a few & seem to e getting a few nice results.

thanks

[Kaboom75]

I was joking about the tape reels growing in size this would require a billion more animation frames . The plugin has everything apart from that so I thaught I would joke about what it doesn't have and see how people react to it he he.

I really wanted the reels to spin though. I just liked how the UAD and Waves plugins were animated. I like to feel like I'm using a machine from 20+ years ago. It's a nice bonus when the plugins look vintage. Wish I had kept up my 3D rendering studies so I could work on Plugin GUIs.

[electro]

@ bManic.,

Was wondering if you tried using any of the various Nebula tube or pre-amp programs along with VMT along with any thoughts or opinions.
I've been trying a few & seem to e getting a few nice results.

thanks

Nebula tape sims can't be overdriven into high distorion like the algo based tape sims can, but they probably get the tone and characteristics more precise within that 6db Overdrive range.

[Lenticular]

@ bManic.,

Was wondering if you tried using any of the various Nebula tube or pre-amp programs along with VMT along with any thoughts or opinions.
I've been trying a few & seem to e getting a few nice results.

thanks

Nebula tape sims can't be overdriven into high distorion like the algo based tape sims can, but they probably get the tone and characteristics more precise within that 6db Overdrive range.

I know, I'm more specifically referring to AlexB's new tape programs which have a saturation feature.

"With the SAT control you can change the real saturation by driving the input stage +/- 6dB without changing the output level."

Also I don't have CDSoundMaster's Tube Booster or Vintage Tube Collection but thought that might worth trying pre VMT too.

Any thoughts, opinions???

-

[Mercado_Negro]

Some measurements I did (from Gearslutz):

I measured the frequency response of each configuration (machine/speed/tape) when being pushed. From -18dB to 0dB. Here you can see the animations:

2" 16-Track @30ips and FG456 tape: http://i.imgur.com/5T5rD.gif
2" 16-Track @15ips and FG456 tape: http://i.imgur.com/MElnW.gif
2" 16-Track @30ips and FG9 tape: http://i.imgur.com/zGPLt.gif
2" 16-Track @15ips and FG9 tape: http://i.imgur.com/pdDhg.gif
1/2" 2-Track @30ips and FG456 tape: http://i.imgur.com/wIy9f.gif
1/2" 2-Track @15ips and FG456 tape: http://i.imgur.com/sn7gz.gif
1/2" 2-Track @30ips and FG9 tape: http://i.imgur.com/eMymK.gif
1/2" 2-Track @15ips and FG9 tape: http://i.imgur.com/dIgNK.gif

Very interesting

EDIT: Since VSTAnalyzer uses white noise at -0.1dBFS, I dropped VTM input down to -18dB, linked it to its output and then increased it 0dB. The calibration on VTM was set to -18dB, zero Wow & Flutter, Noise at -40dB and Bass Alignment at +0.0dB. We're seeing here how the plug-in reacts above 0dBVU.

[dusted william]

Some measurements I did (from Gearslutz):

I measured the frequency response of each configuration (machine/speed/tape) when being pushed. From -18dB to 0dB. Here you can see the animations:

2" 16-Track @30ips and FG456 tape: http://i.imgur.com/5T5rD.gif
2" 16-Track @15ips and FG456 tape: http://i.imgur.com/MElnW.gif
2" 16-Track @30ips and FG9 tape: http://i.imgur.com/zGPLt.gif
2" 16-Track @15ips and FG9 tape: http://i.imgur.com/pdDhg.gif
1/2" 2-Track @30ips and FG456 tape: http://i.imgur.com/wIy9f.gif
1/2" 2-Track @15ips and FG456 tape: http://i.imgur.com/sn7gz.gif
1/2" 2-Track @30ips and FG9 tape: http://i.imgur.com/eMymK.gif
1/2" 2-Track @15ips and FG9 tape: http://i.imgur.com/dIgNK.gif

Very interesting

EDIT: Since VSTAnalyzer uses white noise at -0.1dBFS, I dropped VTM input down to -18dB, linked it to its output and then increased it 0dB. The calibration on VTM was set to -18dB, zero Wow & Flutter, Noise at -40dB and Bass Alignment at +0.0dB. We're seeing here how the plug-in reacts above 0dBVU.

If I read that correctly, as it is being pushed higher, the highs tend to diminish.

dw

[Mercado_Negro]

If I read that correctly, as it is being pushed higher, the highs tend to diminish.

dw

Yes, that's correct. Most of time this is corrected with pre-emphasis or bias (at least to a large degree).

[Gamma-UT]

This is just an unneded GUI gimmick - and I don't know why Kaboom75 brought that up. No tape plugin I know does this. And I don't see any reason why it should.

Apart from Waves Kramer, the UAD Studer, one of the really old Nomad (or is that Normad) Factory ones... Yep, definitely no others that do that.

It is unnecessary though.

[meloco_go]

If I read that correctly, as it is being pushed higher, the highs tend to diminish.

dw

Yes, that's correct. Most of time this is corrected with pre-emphasis or bias (at least to a large degree).

Why would you want to correct it? This is a large part of tape sound.

Interestingly, often 15ips has the flatter response than 30.

[morelia]

Can someone run me through the process of how to demo this thing. I downloaded the demo but have not received any demo key for iLok and naturally it failed the load into Reaper so now I'm not sure how to get Reaper to see the dll again.

[Compyfox]

I really wanted the reels to spin though. I just liked how the UAD and Waves plugins were animated.

It does spin - I can't mess with the capstan however. But for this I have Watkat.

Apart from Waves Kramer, the UAD Studer, one of the really old Nomad (or is that Normad) Factory ones... Yep, definitely no others that do that.

By Nomad Factory, you mean the old E-Tube Tape warmer. And yes, Waves Kramer (MPX) and the UAD Studer change the looks of the reel to indicate what kind of tape is used. IIRC, CDSoundMaster goes as far as actually changing the GUI if you switch tape machines with his R2R Audio (tape booster?) plugin.

This is indeed a nice gimmick, but in the end the sound is important, not the necessarily the visual representation.

[trimph1]

I like how it does sound.

Mind, sometimes I think the GUI might influence some of the way it sounds as well. Which is why I could do without the whole tape spin thing and such. Too distracting..

[Slate]

Hi Triumph, click the reels and they will stop! Glad you are liking the sound.

Cheers,
Steven