Best Tape Plug In's?

[AcousticDreams]

Coming from a 70's generation of recording mentality: I worked out my songs on a 4 track teac 3340, and then went into the studio to a 24 track...= I can not help but love the sound of tape. It just seemed so easy to get a good basic sound.

At the same time, I always wished for more openness. With today's digital recording I believe it is possible to have both openness and tape warmth.
Let me further explain that my particular interests would be in using them on Acoustic Guitar, Vocals ( and maybe some on my Symphony VI's. However they are pretty good as is) Not interested in adding noise, just that beautiful warmth and where each note becomes more solid? Glue? Definable? (as you know putting sound characteristics into words is not the easiest thing.)

My beginning research suggests: Soft Tube Tape, UAD, IKM Tape 80, UHE-Satin, Waves, Slate Digital VTM

UAD is out= as I do not own UAD hardware and the new Sparks is still a higher price entry( or is it...am I missing the big picture with this?). IKM 80 has some great reviews, but the cons are it does not have Auto gain and also uses up a tremendous CPU. But I do like a lot of the extra options on it such as the true stereo function & Transport modeling.

Soft tube gets good reviews ...seemingly Warmth, is the term used most often to describe. Easy to use is yet another phrase commonly used in its description. On sale right now for around $50.

What is your opinion? As always...I want everything.. ha ha...Easy to use, The Best tape sound that still allows all of the digital openness to be retained.

[DupleMeter]

My goto is McDSP Analogue Channel 202 (101 is console emulation, which is nice too)

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by Knives&Guitars

Coming from a 70's generation of recording mentality: I worked out my songs on a 4 track teac 3340, and then went into the studio to a 24 track...= I can not help but love the sound of tape. It just seemed so easy to get a good basic sound.

At the same time, I always wished for more openness. With today's digital recording I believe it is possible to have both openness and tape warmth.
Let me further explain that my particular interests would be in using them on Acoustic Guitar, Vocals ( and maybe some on my Symphony VI's. However they are pretty good as is) Not interested in adding noise, just that beautiful warmth and where each note becomes more solid? Glue? Definable? (as you know putting sound characteristics into words is not the easiest thing.)

My beginning research suggests: Soft Tube Tape, UAD, IKM Tape 80, UHE-Satin, Waves, Slate Digital VTM

UAD is out= as I do not own UAD hardware and the new Sparks is still a higher price entry( or is it...am I missing the big picture with this?). IKM 80 has some great reviews, but the cons are it does not have Auto gain and also uses up a tremendous CPU. But I do like a lot of the extra options on it such as the true stereo function & Transport modeling.

Soft tube gets good reviews ...seemingly Warmth, is the term used most often to describe. Easy to use is yet another phrase commonly used in its description. On sale right now for around $50.

What is your opinion? As always...I want everything.. ha ha...Easy to use, The Best tape sound that still allows all of the digital openness to be retained.

I'm not hugely into plug-ins, but I do have a few of the offerings from Terry West. I like his mastering plugs, so I'd be tempted to try out the tape stuff. It's all very low cost, too,

https://www.terrywest.nl/utils.html

[Doug Young]

i sent you a simple demo of half a dozen of the ones I have, Victor. I'll be interested in seeing if you hear a difference, and if so, which you like. Very subjective, and since all these have at least a few controls, and in some cases, lots of controls, there's quite a range of different sounds possible. I think these things are very dependent on the material you're recording, as well as what kind of sound you want.

[AcousticDreams]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

I'm not hugely into plug-ins, but I do have a few of the offerings from Terry West. I like his mastering plugs, so I'd be tempted to try out the tape stuff. It's all very low cost, too,

https://www.terrywest.nl/utils.html

I have not listened to any of these as of yet...but I love the fact that he has one plug in Called "MYSTICAL"

"Mystical, magical audio enhancer"

I am a sucker for just such a claim. Who would not be intrigued by something that claims to magically enhance?

[AcousticDreams]

Originally Posted by Doug Young

i sent you a simple demo of half a dozen of the ones I have, Victor. I'll be interested in seeing if you hear a difference, and if so, which you like. Very subjective, and since all these have at least a few controls, and in some cases, lots of controls, there's quite a range of different sounds possible. I think these things are very dependent on the material you're recording, as well as what kind of sound you want.

Thank you so, so much Doug. What a wonderful test! Can't wait to find out the results of what I picked! There was a clear winner.

[KevWind]

Not much help as the only Tape plugins I use are Bundled with Pro Tools.
Other than to say I have used the Tape Echo PT plugin with I think good results.
It can can go from basically just tape warmth with no delay, to a long echo type delay

[min7b5]

I have SoftTube's Tape and Fabfilter's Saturn 2. Both are, or least can be, very subtle. Saturn has no shortage of options. Tape is pretty simple.

[AcousticDreams]

A very special thanks to Doug Young for sending me a lengthy Blind test, comparing several tape plug in's. I spent a reasonable amount of time comparing against the raw track, or against my most favored processed tract in the blind test.

UAD ATR-102, FabFilter Saturn, SoftTube’s Tape were the three Tape plug in's used.

However he also included Saturation plug ins as well.
Kush Bliss, SoundToys Radiator plugin, Baby Audio Parallel Aggressor, Kazrog True Iron.
Doug did not tell me that some were tape plug in's, and some were saturation plug ins. He only sent the files.

I was easily able to tell the difference between each processed tract.
Here is what I told Doug.
"#2 immediately sounded better to me than raw untreated tract 1 =Rounder...each note was more Solid. Standing out. A very pleasing effect because of this. I was actually shocked at the difference!
As it turns out #2 was UAD ATR-102 Tape plug in.

However a clear winner for me was track #5 Again, at the time, I did not know there were any saturation or emulator plug ins.
Here is what I told Doug
".Oh my...it has the openness of 1(the Raw Tract)...with the solidness of 2( The UAD 102 TAPE)...Pleasing...but Somehow sounded even more OPEN than the raw files....Seemed like I could hear the harmonics better??? I know that should not be...but it did? Maybe the tapes compression characteristics brought levels up on quieter notes?"
As it turns out, it was Kazrog True Iron.

I am definitely buying Kazrog True Iron . And are also considering their True Dynamics compressor plug in. Both are so reasonably priced that it makes it nearly irresistible. Those familiar with the "Snake Oil" you tube videos...he likes both of those plug ins.
To purchase a UAD plug in you must own one of their hardware's units, or buy the Sparks prescription at $149 a year. I do not want to invest hundreds in a hardware piece that I will not be using, and prescriptions add up quickly. The next thing you know a few years have passed and you have spent a lot of money.

I do not want to diss on the other companies on the test. After all...there are so many variables that can be adjusted. Sometimes it is a matter of just a notch or two in adjustment(that has certainly be true with my hardware compressor. A world of difference if I go to far one way or another. Often it is a narrow margin between what works and what doesn't work).

For me, UAD ATR-102 offered that beautiful tape smoothness. And the True Iron...was so good that I am not even sure that I need a tape plug in now. True Iron seemingly gave me that seemingly Tape goodness, with more openness..more even level(almost compressor like), more harmonics.........ha ha..Well who knows what it is really doing...I will say it gave me...More & I liked it.

[jim1960]

Originally Posted by Knives&Guitars

I am definitely buying Kazrog True Iron . And are also considering their True Dynamics compressor plug in. Both are so reasonably priced that it makes it nearly irresistible. Those familiar with the "Snake Oil" you tube videos...he likes both of those plug ins.
To purchase a UAD plug in you must own one of their hardware's units, or buy the Sparks prescription at $149 a year. I do not want to invest hundreds in a hardware piece that I will not be using, and prescriptions add up quickly. The next thing you know a few years have passed and you have spent a lot of money.

As I've said previously, for anyone not already invested in the UAD ecosphere, it's just a bad idea to get in now. As for Kazrog True Iron, yeah, I've been loving that thing and singing its praises here for nearly a year now.

[AcousticDreams]

Originally Posted by jim1960

As for Kazrog True Iron, yeah, I've been loving that thing and singing its praises here for nearly a year now.

Have you tried the "True Dynamics" compressor? Interested in your thoughts if you have. I know you have a few hardware compressors, so probably not much need for plug in compressors.

[jim1960]

Originally Posted by Knives&Guitars

Have you tried the "True Dynamics" compressor? Interested in your thoughts if you have. I know you have a few hardware compressors, so probably not much need for plug in compressors.

I haven't. I've no shortage of compressors both hardware or plugin.
Have you grabbed True Iron yet?

[AcousticDreams]

Originally Posted by jim1960

Have you grabbed True Iron yet?

Just bought it. Downloaded it. Opened it. Now I am just trying to figure out how to install. ha ha...I seem to never get this straight.

[AcousticDreams]

Just tried it out on my BBC Symphony Cellos...
With the boost and gain added...it really fattened it up. Gave me my old cherished Chamberlain - Mellotron thick sound.

Can't wait to try it on acoustic guitar! That I will have to wait a few days for...but really looking forward to it.