Tape simulations for that mastering mojo.

[Michey]

It's very audible. I came up with the idea of "ISP Density" which measures the number of ISP warnings in a set time period. The more density the more IMD and the more it will be audible. If there is just one true ISP you wont hear it likely. But if you get a high density of them, they will be audible.

Kinda makes sense, as harmonics are being generated, "enriching" the sound.

And it manifest itself particularly in...

In my experiments with fairly dynamic electronic music and well defined transients, you can only get to maybe 18 LUFS before peaks start clipping. Pushing loudness higher will definitely throw overs.

You know those really loud EDM and Rock recordings that have this kind of sound of "haze" through them, that's IMD due to ISPs.

Once I figured all this out I was able to significantly increase the sound quality of my ITB work.

....fairly dynamic electronic music and well defined transients (try it on pads or any other steady state audio. I wander what will be your verdict).

In my experiment I was able to "tame" EXTREMELY dynamic electronic music.

Back to the topic,
Everyone drools over tape, seeking endlessly (and quite pathetically, may I add) "an authentic realism" where 98% of them (ME INCLUDED) never (EVER) heard real tape. am I the only one who find it ridiculous ? I mean "I am seeking the most beautiful woman in the world, please help me ! (but I want YOU to explain to ME what IS "a beautiful woman").

Dunno man...

[Hermetech Mastering]

If you've heard any music recorded between 1940 and 1980, you've heard tape.

[lwj]

Lol yeah my thoughts too. I think the mistake people make is thinking you add tape on your master and magic happens, but what they're probably looking for is the effect of every single track getting recorded and re-recorded on tape and then blended together... eg. the whole 'analog' recording process and probably the way of thinking behind it too: "commit to tape"

[Michey]

If you've heard any music recorded between 1940 and 1980, you've heard tape.

I did - maybe not 40s-70s but 70s to 80s (and onward).

Interestingly, two of my favorite albums from that era - Supertramp's "Breakfast in America" & JMJ's "Oxygen" - well, I couldn't find evidence of them recorded unto tape or some tape usage at all (reading SOS about recording ST's "The logical song" - yielded only ONE mentioning of SOME tape usage - AS A DELAY .... with JMJ's I couldn't find evidence AT ALL. at least not from my search.

Back to our days, Foo Fighters' "Wasting Light" was promoted as "RECORDED UNTO TAPE ! AND MIXED ON A NEVE DESK THAT WAS USED BY METALLICA's BLACK ALBUM !!". well, "MEA" is an understatement with regards to my subjective listening experience (it is an AMAZING album, make no mistake. but it had NOTHING to do with tape. and nothing that made me feel like I was high on MDMA or ACID or Cock or whatever) .

We have REALLY good, SATISFYING tools nowadays (way too much, if you ask me), and yet we seek for "tools of yesteryear" (IMO, a lot of albums from that era sounded like $hit anyway. certainly the 60s to mid 70s. every veteran from that era will tell you that - as long as he doesn't have to "uphold some elusive standard" and will be honest to god about it).

Mix low, take it slow - and your good to go !

Everything else is rubbish

[plexuss]

Dunno man...

Here's my feeling about it. YMWV (will vary). To me it doesn't matter if it sounds exactly like tape. What matters is if it does something to what I am working on that I feel sounds better than without it. "Getting that tape sound" to me just means "imparting some kind of flavour that using tape might have had". I think there are a lot of analogue tools that are known to be helpful in making audio sound better. And so, in digital, its a matter of reacreating those specific effects in the digital domain. "something like what they sound like in analogue". For me, it doesn't matter if a particular 1176 plugin sounds exactly like the original. I just assume it wont. I fixate on what it does as a tool for me. YMWV.

[anttimaatteri]

i used the chowtapemodel plugin. sounds nice.

but the vst3 version crashed the ableton project pretty hard on reopening it. fixed it by using the vst2, so far.^^

but anyways, satin is in the pipeline.

[plexuss]

Satin is good. Nice for multi-track. IK is good for buss/master. Taupe has promise, I just need more time with it. For tracking mojo the J37, Kramer, BRA, Slate, Cassette, Cupwise Nebula cassette libraries, etc. they all do different things. There are a lot of other tape plugins options - they are all just different "flavours". The problem with this attitude is it becomes difficult to avoid GAS.

[ChamomileShark]

If you've heard any music recorded between 1940 and 1980, you've heard tape.

I did - maybe not 40s-70s but 70s to 80s (and onward).

Interestingly, two of my favorite albums from that era - Supertramp's "Breakfast in America" & JMJ's "Oxygen" - well, I couldn't find evidence of them recorded unto tape or some tape usage at all (reading SOS about recording ST's "The logical song" - yielded only ONE mentioning of SOME tape usage - AS A DELAY .... with JMJ's I couldn't find evidence AT ALL. at least not from my search.

Back to our days, Foo Fighters' "Wasting Light" was promoted as "RECORDED UNTO TAPE ! AND MIXED ON A NEVE DESK THAT WAS USED BY METALLICA's BLACK ALBUM !!". well, "MEA" is an understatement with regards to my subjective listening experience (it is an AMAZING album, make no mistake. but it had NOTHING to do with tape. and nothing that made me feel like I was high on MDMA or ACID or Cock or whatever) .

We have REALLY good, SATISFYING tools nowadays (way too much, if you ask me), and yet we seek for "tools of yesteryear" (IMO, a lot of albums from that era sounded like $hit anyway. certainly the 60s to mid 70s. every veteran from that era will tell you that - as long as he doesn't have to "uphold some elusive standard" and will be honest to god about it).

Mix low, take it slow - and your good to go !

Everything else is rubbish

I think it's fairly safe to assume they went to tape. According to wikipedia "The first U.S.-recorded digitally-recorded LP of popular music (with vocals), Bop 'Til You Drop by guitarist Ry Cooder, was released by Warner Bros. Records. The album was recorded in Los Angeles on a 32-track digital machine built by the 3M corporation."

And for JMJ's first few albums they weren't expensive productions.

Point is, having used tape alot, most of the features tape emulations now sport were exactly the things that we were trying to avoid. We wanted the flattest response, the least distorted, the quietest.

Now all you kids, get orrff my lawn!

[ChamomileShark]

If you've heard any music recorded between 1940 and 1980, you've heard tape.

Didn't people often record direct to vinyl in the 40s & 50s?

[vurt]

[ (it is an AMAZING album, make no mistake. but it had NOTHING to do with tape. and nothing that made me feel like I was high on MDMA or ACID or Cock or whatever) .

i think you are expecting far too much from a recording medium.

also, make sure you ask for the right thing.
a penis generally wont fit in a nostril.

[enCiphered]

Why not? Its all about skill and the right technique

[vurt]

how big are your nostrils?

[enCiphered]

Very big

[Calenberger]

Or his penis is extraordinary small...

[enCiphered]

Or his penis is extraordinary small...

No its not