Slate's Virtual Tape Machines (VTM)

[Steve Steele]

I think I found a really good use for VCC and VTM last night. First, I think VCC is the real winner here. If I could only buy one, I'd get that first. The Neve and SSL channels sound really good.

(btw, I have Waves Kramer Tape, and I don't like saying this, but it was a waste of money. It's just harsh. VCC is not.)

Anyway, I was trying to bring Embertone's Trumpet to life. It's a great trumpet sample for $30. But it's upper velocity is a bit weak for anything other than straight orchestral work. But I had it playing a solo melody and needed some punch. I loaded VCC on the Neve setting, added gain, and then VTM and turned it up a bit and that thing came alive!

Now I'm going to try it on PianoTeq. I've been IR stacking with PianoTeq to give it more cabinet resonance, but I have a feeling that VCC and VTM is what's missing. If I think it does the trick for PianoTeq I'll post a sample.

But, my point is that VCC and VTM together work well. Some of you actually might really want VCC first instead of VTM. Just check it out first is all I'm saying.

[Armageddon]

(btw, I have Waves Kramer Tape, and I don't like saying this, but it was a waste of money. It's just harsh. VCC is not.)

I agree! I have Kramer MPX (still on Waves 8 ), and, in addition to being an insane CPU hog, have so far not really liked the sound. According to the manual, if you simply load up the plug in its default state:

The default set-up of the MPX, without any adjustments, will provide identical results to having made your recording on 3M Scotch 207 at 15ips using a NAB pre-emphasis curve with an over-bias of -3dB at 15KHz and at a recording flux level of 185 nWb/m. This will yield the sound of the basic industry set-up for this machine at the height of its era. The only item remaining for you to decide will be whether or not to have tape and valve amplifier noise, and if so, exactly to what degree.

I had been interested in using MPX for a little tape saturation sound (and not as a limiter, compressor or clipping stage) before my limiter in my output chain, especially with a little added tape hiss (the best feature on the plug, in my opinion), but even on the default setting, it sounded a bit too harsh. Using it after or instead of the limiter created an alarming waveform that looked nothing like tape-mastered tracks from the Seventies. Also, even bypassed (or by not using it until I got into a two-track waveform editor), the plug eats up so much CPU on my machine that I can't really monitor it for adjustments; I have to load up the plug and render blind, then pray the results are usable. On the other hand, I hear good things about the Ampex and Studer multi-track UAD plugs. I myself am currently using URS Saturation, where you have the luxury of 15/7ips, solid state and tube inputs or even a tape deck. Not ideal, but a lot less harsh than MPX.

[labman]

I myself am currently using URS Saturation, where you have the luxury of 15/7ips, solid state and tube inputs or even a tape deck. Not ideal, but a lot less harsh than MPX.

So what is to become of URS sat and the rest of their plugs. Does Bobby still actively sell or run the company or is it dead? 64 bits was promised many many moons ago.

[kgdrum]

URS seems somewhat dormant,theres a thread on GS ,many users saying no replies from them about 64bit or new development.

[Armageddon]

Until I wind up with a 64-bit system and DP 8, the plethora of discontinued/out-of-date plugs in my collection isn't really gonna be an issue for me (and I already went through this heartbreak once, when everything went UB only). Fortunately, I don't really use my URS stuff that often, though having Channel Strip Pro and Saturation is pretty nice. I'd have assumed they'd have been one of the first companies to jump on the 64-bit bandwagon ...

[Steve Steele]

I had to leave my little favorite, WatKat behind. So sad.

[Armageddon]

Sadly, I'm out of the loop on the UAD Ampex and Studer emulations (though I'm planning on upgrading to an Apollo interface one day soon partially for this reason!), and while I'd love to invest in some Slate plugs, particularly VTM, it's not in the budget at the moment. And I'm just not a fan of Kramer MPXl it seems to wipe out my bass and overly-harsh my midrange even on the default setting. However, what I did find, for about thirty bucks American, is this:

http://www.toneboosters.com/tb-reelbus/

Low CPU (at least with one instance on my mastering chain), great sound and a lot more versatile than MPX. You can even add tape hiss, wow and flutter and machine noise. They also do a Studer-type track plug called "Ferox", though that one seems to be more on the compress-y side. Not in the same league with UAD or Slate VTM, but surprisingly good, nonetheless.

[Steve Steele]

Sadly, I'm out of the loop on the UAD Ampex and Studer emulations (though I'm planning on upgrading to an Apollo interface one day soon partially for this reason!), and while I'd love to invest in some Slate plugs, particularly VTM, it's not in the budget at the moment. And I'm just not a fan of Kramer MPXl it seems to wipe out my bass and overly-harsh my midrange even on the default setting. However, what I did find, for about thirty bucks American, is this:

http://www.toneboosters.com/tb-reelbus/

Low CPU (at least with one instance on my mastering chain), great sound and a lot more versatile than MPX. You can even add tape hiss, wow and flutter and machine noise. They also do a Studer-type track plug called "Ferox", though that one seems to be more on the compress-y side. Not in the same league with UAD or Slate VTM, but surprisingly good, nonetheless.

About VTM, I'm started to become less interested in tape simulators in general. VTM is certainly better than Waves Kramer, IMO, but I don't find myself going for tape plugins much anymore. VCC on the other hand, is pretty good. I've had more success with that than VTM. You might consider giving that a try first, before VTM. They have a good sale right now, and if you buy RC, they give you an iLok2. (RC is pretty useless though, IMO)

I checked out tone boosters. I downloaded the demos. There's a couple of cool looking things here. Thanks for the mention and link.

[kgdrum]

I had to leave my little favorite, WatKat behind. So sad.

Why?
I haven't used it but I have it in my rig via jbridge.
I guess I should try it,lol
As I have both the UA Studer & Ampex and now VTM ,I've never tried Watkat,and I never use the tape emu's from Nomad & Waves(can't remember the names)
But when I was setting up JBridge WatKat was one plug that showed up as a VST so I have it ,I'll try it and confirm its working in a bit.

Edit*
WatKat is working,funky tape echo emu,will have to delve into it more nice unique plug,thanks for the reminder

[kgdrum]

*Duplicate post*

[Armageddon]

About VTM, I'm started to become less interested in tape simulators in general. VTM is certainly better than Waves Kramer, IMO, but I don't find myself going for tape plugins much anymore. VCC on the other hand, is pretty good. I've had more success with that than VTM. You might consider giving that a try first, before VTM. They have a good sale right now, and if you buy RC, they give you an iLok2. (RC is pretty useless though, IMO)

I've been intrigued by their audio demos for a while now, especially the transparency. I already have a mastering compressor I really like (PSP MasterComp, which I can alternate with a more CPU-friendly MicroComp until I bounce down a mix), but everything I've tried to get a bit of an authentic tape bump before my limiter either sounds too harsh, eats up too much CPU, swallows up all the bass or, in the case of MPX, does all three. URS Saturation came close, although I had it on a "Tape Deck" setting, which is actually supposed to be the preamp section of a 60's-era mono tape deck and not a tape head or tape itself; their 15 and 30ips tape settings are awful, and you don't have the option of manipulating parameters like wow and flutter, noise or overbias. Like I said before, in a kind and just world, I'd just get a UAD system or VTM, but after I downloaded the demo for ReelBus, I was blown away, especially for the money they're asking. Once I bought it, it took me about five minutes to get a decent setting on it. Probably not perfect, and definitely not in the same league with the big boys, but light years ahead of MPX.

I checked out tone boosters. I downloaded the demos. There's a couple of cool looking things here. Thanks for the mention and link.

I've been overlooking them for a while, between the irrational "cheap plug" snobbery and that they were VST-only for a long time, so I was surprised when I downloaded the demos and test-drove a few of their plugs.

A few of those demos are actually just free plugs, and the rest just require them sending you a registration key. Supposedly, their Barricade limiter is one of the best around, haven't really messed around with it.

[Tobor]

I'm quite sure it's probably not the best tape plug out there, but I've actually had some good results inserting Kramer right before the limiter on the mix bus.

Try out the 'Mastering Soft Clean Compression' preset under the Mastering preset menu, it's pretty nice and not harsh to my ears at all in my contexts. The record level is at minimum, playback level at maximum on this preset.

I haven't tried Kramer out much on individual instruments, but it can be a useful tool depending on how you use it.

Tobor

[rainmaker]

What I've found with the Kramer Tape is that I never liked it much just throwing it on an already mixed two-track. But when you insert it on your master two buss right before your limiter and mix into it while monitoring its output, that's when it really shines.

[Tobor]

What I've found with the Kramer Tape is that I never liked it much just throwing it on an already mixed two-track. But when you insert it on your master two buss right before your limiter and mix into it while monitoring its output, that's when it really shines.

+1.

Tobor

[Steve Steele]

I had to leave my little favorite, WatKat behind. So sad.

Why?
I haven't used it but I have it in my rig via jbridge.
I guess I should try it,lol
As I have both the UA Studer & Ampex and now VTM ,I've never tried Watkat,and I never use the tape emu's from Nomad & Waves(can't remember the names)
But when I was setting up JBridge WatKat was one plug that showed up as a VST so I have it ,I'll try it and confirm its working in a bit.

Edit*
WatKat is working,funky tape echo emu,will have to delve into it more nice unique plug,thanks for the reminder

Because I haven't installed jbridge yet. I don't know if I'm being lazy or if I don't want to use a bridge. I'll check it out. If jbridge is transparent and free or cheap, maybe I'll do it. I just haven't bothered to look for it. I missed the jbridge memo.