best vst tape simulation?

[digitalboytn]

There are many good sounding tape emulation VSTs out there...

Many good tube emulators too...

I guess it just comes down to what flavour you want...

I have Tonebooster's Reelbuss and Barricade "hardwired" into the Master Buss on all of my recordings..

They work great in tandem...

I'm hoping that TB get arounding to coding a tube emulator soon...

That would be a very good one

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

The Ampex I believe is a bit higher quality than the Studer

I used to prefer the Ampex, as well, but I've really come to appreciate how all the Studer's channels can all be modified together. It's a less-is-more thing, driving lots of Studer channels lightly sounds better to me than slamming a single Ampex on the master buss. One thing I've been meaning to try is batch processing all my files through the Ampex at a light setting and then using the Studer real-time for additional saturation.

The UAD Studer sounds a lot like an effect to me. Is it an effect that can improve the sound of mixes? Yes. But does it sound like tape: not to my ears. The Ampex on the other hand immediately reminded me of tape. The downside is the insane instance count.

Slate's VTM feels very much on par with the Ampex, but has the added benefit of having a mastering mode (2-track) and a track mode (16-track) all the while allowing me to run as many instances as my card allows me. After buying VTM, I never even considered using the UAD Studer on a track again, and I had already begun using the Studer less and less prior to that.

Then again, I haven't been slamming any of these plugins. I'm not using tape for a distortion effect, but rather looking for the sound of a track recorded to tape. Every once in a while I might push the red in VTM on some drums (snare, maybe some room, to taste on toms), but everything else tends to remain at more reasonable operating levels. I guess that was kind of my beef with the Studer: to me it feels like more of a "distortion/waveshaper" type effect.

Anyway, to each their own. I saw the post a few back with the MP3 mixes run through the two different tape sims, and I'd never slam VTM as hard as the Reelbus mix was hit at. In those instances, I actually preferred the dry mix just because the tape mixes seemed too hyped.

So what it boils down to is: we all have different ideas about what the "tape sound" is. Some here distortion, some hear softening of the highs, others here pronounced transients (with headroom) while others hear softer transients (when pushed), others hear noise, etc. I guess it's just a matter of finding the right tape sim for each of us.

[AC222]

The Ampex I believe is a bit higher quality than the Studer

I used to prefer the Ampex, as well, but I've really come to appreciate how all the Studer's channels can all be modified together. It's a less-is-more thing, driving lots of Studer channels lightly sounds better to me than slamming a single Ampex on the master buss. One thing I've been meaning to try is batch processing all my files through the Ampex at a light setting and then using the Studer real-time for additional saturation.

The UAD Studer sounds a lot like an effect to me. Is it an effect that can improve the sound of mixes? Yes. But does it sound like tape: not to my ears. The Ampex on the other hand immediately reminded me of tape. The downside is the insane instance count.

Slate's VTM feels very much on par with the Ampex, but has the added benefit of having a mastering mode (2-track) and a track mode (16-track) all the while allowing me to run as many instances as my card allows me. After buying VTM, I never even considered using the UAD Studer on a track again, and I had already begun using the Studer less and less prior to that.

Then again, I haven't been slamming any of these plugins. I'm not using tape for a distortion effect, but rather looking for the sound of a track recorded to tape. Every once in a while I might push the red in VTM on some drums (snare, maybe some room, to taste on toms), but everything else tends to remain at more reasonable operating levels. I guess that was kind of my beef with the Studer: to me it feels like more of a "distortion/waveshaper" type effect.

Anyway, to each their own. I saw the post a few back with the MP3 mixes run through the two different tape sims, and I'd never slam VTM as hard as the Reelbus mix was hit at. In those instances, I actually preferred the dry mix just because the tape mixes seemed too hyped.

So what it boils down to is: we all have different ideas about what the "tape sound" is. Some here distortion, some hear softening of the highs, others here pronounced transients (with headroom) while others hear softer transients (when pushed), others hear noise, etc. I guess it's just a matter of finding the right tape sim for each of us.

Very well said. Right on point!

[hibidy]

@use: It either has an appealing sound to what you are doing, or it's not working properly. I'm not the mixing expert of experts, but if it's not noticeably improving the sonic quality, then you are using it wrong or maybe it's not for you.

[digitalboytn]

Then again, I haven't been slamming any of these plugins. I'm not using tape for a distortion effect, but rather looking for the sound of a track recorded to tape. Every once in a while I might push the red in VTM on some drums (snare, maybe some room, to taste on toms), but everything else tends to remain at more reasonable operating levels. I guess that was kind of my beef with the Studer: to me it feels like more of a "distortion/waveshaper" type effect.

Anyway, to each their own. I saw the post a few back with the MP3 mixes run through the two different tape sims, and I'd never slam VTM as hard as the Reelbus mix was hit at. In those instances, I actually preferred the dry mix just because the tape mixes seemed too hyped.

So what it boils down to is: we all have different ideas about what the "tape sound" is. Some here distortion, some hear softening of the highs, others here pronounced transients (with headroom) while others hear softer transients (when pushed), others hear noise, etc. I guess it's just a matter of finding the right tape sim for each of us.

I absolutely agree with this 100%...

I don't remember good quality tape machines actually distorting the signal - especially if they were running at 30 ips...

But many of the people playing with these toys have never actually heard good tape machines before...

I like the "homoginisation" of the signal with tape and that is what I try to achieve when I use tape emulation...

I have heard many instances of people slamming the signal and all they end up with is distortion and it sounds like crap...

Crap in = crap out...

But people do the same with compressors and limiters...

They get the limiter and crank it so hard that the master mix gets a "haircut" and it sounds about as dynamic as a dead pigeon

And they wonder why the mix isn't "breathing"

[rifftrax]

I know that roundtone (v.3) is effing good. I can slather that shiz all over my tracks (along with stripbus) and honestly I just love to death how it can manage levels and make things a little more "potent" sounding while adding some lovely compression.

[lfm]

I think it's a tossup but I would say that Slate's VTM comes to the closest.

Hey man,

Thanks for your review. Would you mind running this test sample through VTM?

try_original.mp3

Here's some tries I did:

After TB ReelBus:
try_jeroen.mp3

After FerricTDS:
try_ferric.mp3

Hoping we can soon get an "After VTM" and "After Satin" too.

Waves KMT:
Kramer Master Tape

Maybe it's a little bit too obvious, drove it a bit harder than mastering.

Waves NLS:
NLS Spike
NLS Mike

Just adjusted outlevel to match original, otherwise presets.

[lacandon]

I tried once the Tb Reelbus on the master channel and i liked it much more then the Uad Ampex .Really nice tape plugin is the Reelbus and the price is just...

[U-o]

I tried once the Tb Reelbus on the master channel and i liked it much more then the Uad Ampex .Really nice tape plugin is the Reelbus and the price is just...

Does anyone else think, that the ReelBus is the best plugin in compare price/results?

[Tp3]

I tried once the Tb Reelbus on the master channel and i liked it much more then the Uad Ampex .Really nice tape plugin is the Reelbus and the price is just...

Does anyone else think, that the ReelBus is the best plugin in compare price/results?

Yes.

[U-o]

I also found this freeware plugin quite useful in some cases.

[kvaca]

I also found this freeware plugin quite useful in some cases.

looks promising...unfortunately completely useless in Wavelab6 /GUI is invisible/
does somebody else have the same problem??

in in other host /Cubase etc/ works fine...

[Tp3]

looks promising...

It IS...

[AC222]

I tried once the Tb Reelbus on the master channel and i liked it much more then the Uad Ampex .Really nice tape plugin is the Reelbus and the price is just...

Does anyone else think, that the ReelBus is the best plugin in compare price/results?

If you read the prior page, I posted this. "I also think that for bang for the buck, the Toneboosters Ferox and ReelBus are off the charts. They are both cheap and they are both different so get both for variety."

Also in a post right after Funkybot's Evil Twin mentioned it was the best price performance ratio so that should answer your question.

In fact, that seems to be a seem throughout this thread so you aren't alone in those thoughts.

[75ips]

Waves KMT:
Kramer Master Tape

Maybe it's a little bit too obvious, drove it a bit harder than mastering.

Waves NLS:
NLS Spike
NLS Mike

Just adjusted outlevel to match original, otherwise presets.

Sorry, I can't really hear the difference. I don't have my headphones on but still.