If you buy a tape vst today.

[cowby]

Hi, is Softube's tape still on your very top list ? I am very new to Tape-kind of vst and I know that some other similar plugins have been released this year (Overloud for instance).

Let's forget about the price tag of ST's Tape, will you choose it over other new comers?

Cowby

[sqigls]

Tape is the ONLY one I'd use.
AudioThing Reels is good for lo-fi stuff, but i don't like any of the others.
Slate VTM for example, is shite. The waves stuff, all of them just can't really nail tape.
Their behaviour regarding transients for example, is just a bit goofy.

Softube Tape is TIGHT for ultra surgical computer sculpted sounds.
The others aren't. In my opinion and experience. The bass and top-end can be adjusted for a bit of TASTE, not just 'choose the best of whatever some code monkey could manage to bang out before he sold it to you'.
I'm not talking 'EDM' here, i mean the fine arts. Tight low end. Crispy highs that don't slice your ears off.

ruffle those feathers

[cowby]

Tape is the ONLY one I'd use.
AudioThing Reels is good for lo-fi stuff, but i don't like any of the others.
Slate VTM for example, is shite. The waves stuff, all of them just can't really nail tape.
Their behaviour regarding transients for example, is just a bit goofy.

Softube Tape is TIGHT for ultra surgical computer sculpted sounds.
The others aren't. In my opinion and experience. The bass and top-end can be adjusted for a bit of TASTE, not just 'choose the best of whatever some code monkey could manage to bang out before he sold it to you'.
I'm not talking 'EDM' here, i mean the fine arts. Tight low end. Crispy highs that don't slice your ears off.

ruffle those feathers

Thanks for your prompt reply, Sqigls. Mind to share when to use Softube's Tape plugin ? Like drum, bass or even vocal to make them more warmer or ?

[jens]

If it wasn't for Studio One's Mix FX engine, I would rather prefer Toneboosters' Reelbus 4.

[The Noodlist]

If it wasn't for Studio One's Mix FX engine, I would rather prefer Toneboosters' Reelbus 4.

Same here, VTM might have go to make space for Softube Tape.

[sqigls]

i should preface by saying, I exclude UAD in this discussion, because their tape plugins are in a different league, but Softube Tape is the first I've used personally, that has the option to not shit the bass right up, i guess. I mean in the tape days, bass was often the enemy, but Softube Tape has the ability to actually tighten the low-end like no other tape plugin I've used.

also, there is no magic formula. If it fits, then I use it.

they're all just tubes of colour.

i might use Tape in place of an EQ.
or a dynamics plugin.
i might use it to 'warm' on a rare occasion, but it's more a subtle glue.
I say subtle, but to me it not as subtle as some people would consider.

i've used Tape to add sparkle, to glue, to tame transients, as an overdrive effect...
it's all subjective though i guess. but 'tight' to some people is just not solid enough to me.
slap most filter plugins on a nice big reggae bassline, they just lose their shit. even a lot of synth filters kill the bass when you start ramping up the resonance.
put Cytomic The Drop on a reggae bassline though, for example, with the MS20 rev 2 algorithm in the driver seat, BAM, you've got a firm bass that will rock a wall of speakers just like a good hardware box.

ALSO, like compression being multiplicative, not additive...
it's a cumulative effect. A little bit here, a little bit there.
smear it on everything, you soon end up with a hard mix.
I use plugins like Tape, The Drop, Contemporary Color, HG-2, AudioThing Type-A (not really saturation, more like a dynamic EQ), Fuse Audio VPRE-376... The Scream... all in small amounts generally, maybe 2 or 3 of them in series, to get a sound that defies digital really. Drums, bass, vocals, keys... i don't generally see "drums, bass, keys" etc. I see tones. Colours. Sometimes something soft needs a hard effect. or vice versa.

Tape is dope.
but i doubt it's gonna satisfy the Sausage Fattener crowd

[do_androids_dream]

The only tape plugin I've ever heard that sounds pleasing is going to break the bank hugely.. Bootsie's free Ferric TDS I've used Reelbus (sold it because it just sounds artificial and I always ended up bypassing it in the end), VTM which is pretty horrible imo, all the Waves tape plugins which are just plain bad. Never been impressed by anything I've heard from Satin. Ferric TDS is still king by a country mile.

[sqigls]

unfortunately FerricTDS is Windows only

[The Noodlist]

Huge latency involved, might be worth trying in a combination with other plug-ins.
APEX 440B Program for Free
http://cdsoundmaster.com/site/cds-softw ... lugin.html
Maybe with pm analoger to be cost effective.

[4damind]

It depends a bit of the usage. If you looking more for some kind of tape effect, U-He Satin could be a better option, because it allows tweaking of many parameters. I don't use a lot of tape, only on summing groups and on the master and VTM makes the job very well (with not too aggressiv settings... signal not too hot, hiss auto, noise reduction -80dB, Bias normal,..)

I personally would buy VTM again but not Waves Kramer or U-He Satin.

[The Noodlist]

Just tried Console Shaper on a submix bus, then this, feeding the 2 bus with Softube Tape (demo) mix effect with passthrough enabled.
Different.
If this makes sense, like having two 2 busses using mix fx.

[donkey tugger]

Tried a few, including this Softube one. Sticking with Reelbus.

[The Noodlist]

Tried a few, including this Softube one. Sticking with Reelbus.

V4?

[cfanyc]

Hi, is Softube's tape still on your very top list ? I am very new to Tape-kind of vst and I know that some other similar plugins have been released this year (Overloud for instance).

Let's forget about the price tag of ST's Tape, will you choose it over other new comers?

Cowby

check out acustica audio taupe which is a standout sonically.

uad tapes are great but do not have the stereo image/depth of taupe.

fatso is good but not top tier imo.

reels4 i use as warmer or exciter ocasionally. it has 2 great presets
with those names.

magnetic is a nice tape strip in sale for 29 bucks, i use this as part of
tone shaping chains.

satin ithink is stronger as tone shaper and exciter than subtle tape.

softube completely underwhelmed me.

i have no comment on the waves and slate ones.

all of the above just my highly subjective opinion of course.

[donkey tugger]

Tried a few, including this Softube one. Sticking with Reelbus.

V4?

I tried V4, all very nice, but a bit overkill for what I need, so stuck with v3. On individual channels I also like TB Ferox - the compressor on it is superb for acoustic guitars and also nice for the jangle.