That's because everyone has been conditioned to expect tape plugins to be a massive night/day difference when you put them on a track. Imo the Softube is one of the closest representations of what recording with a sensible level to tape actually sounds like (the UAD machines too). Something like Slate VTM for example kinda sounds more like what you'd get if you printed a track to tape half a dozen times, while hitting it with a pretty hot level.

Again, the people who built tape machines weren't designing them as an effect, they were trying to make tape as accurate a recording medium as possible.

Obviously if you're deliberately pushing the levels to get some transient softening, or saturation for effect, that's different, but in terms of capturing a simple "tracked to tape" vibe, you shouldn't be expecting much audible difference from track to track.

What you will probably find though is if you use it across a whole bunch of tracks, that your mix will 'feel' different.

 

Last edited: Sep 7, 2021

Just be careful you're not 'listening with your eyes' - it's very easy to be convinced by a graph that you're hearing something you're not.

I'd suggest you put both Satin and Slate on your track, then bounce the track out, one version dry, one with Satin, the other with Slate.

Then import all three tracks into your DAW, level match them (very important!), and then switch between them with your eyes closed.

 

IK Multimedia - Tape Machines Collection
Each tape machine has a number of presets that differ depending on the device. The tape speed of these presets is different, TRUE STEREO and TRANSPORT MODELING are always switched on. Of course, the sound differences are very small and can best be judged with good speakers or headphones! These expensive machines should affect the sound as little as possible. The best way to hear the differences is to focus on a single instrument, e.g. bass or hi-hat.

A Beginner's Guide To Cassette and Tape Machines For Music Production

 

this is such an annoying argument , it takes years of ear training to be able to catch the subtle differences between them and judge correctly what is "better" , you cant judge which is best if you dont know where to look , trusting your ears comes after experience not before , and the only way to gain experience is to ask experienced engineers what is the best and why its the best

 

Exactly. Pure analog tape.

There is areason why tape is not in fashion anymore.

 

Oh for sure, no harm in asking people's opinion, but asking a group of internet strangers which tape plugin is objectively "the best" is an exercise in futility, because there isn't an objective "best".

Can you quantify "best" in any kind of meaningful, universal way? If we're talking tape sims, what are the criteria for "best"?

If you record mainly classical stuff, then you're likely looking for something that's as flat as possible, with the lowest distortion/noise/etc.

If you're doing rock drums, then you may be looking for the bass boost from the head bump that 15ips 456 gives you, and you might want to be able to push some of the room mics hard to get some saturation and transient shaving happening, and you're happy to deal with the increasingly non-linear response that will come from driving the tape.

If you're doing a pop vocal, maybe you want something that will still sound very hifi, but will just massage the transients a little, so they don't thump your compressors as hard.

Do you think that one tape machine, set up the same way, would be the "best" for all of those use cases? Personally I'd try the following first:

IK Revox or UAD Ampex for the classical, the UAD Studer at 15ips with 456 tape set to +6 or +9 (or the J37 for a different vibe) for the drums, and either the same Studer at 30ips with 456 or gp9, or the Softube type A or C for the pop vocal.


_________________________________

Most people can decide if they like something or not pretty quickly and instinctively - it doesn't really matter if they can explain the technical reasons behind why they like it - at the end of the day, we're talking about music here - we're dealing largely with emotional responses, whether we're the creator or the listener. So figuring out your taste is kinda a lot more important than knowing all the ins and outs of exactly why you may or may not like a particular sound. That's the thing that, in the long run, will actually get you places.

Obviously, having experience does help in achieving the sound in your head quicker, but at the end of the day, I personally couldn't give a shit how you achieve the final mix, so long as it connects with me emotionally.
(Having said that, I like reading/hearing about how an artist/producer/mixer achieved something that has really vibed with me - it's one way we all improve out skillsets, but if I'm just listening to a piece of music to enjoy it, I wanna kinda leave my techy brain at the door).

And while peoples' opinions can be useful to an extent, I disagree with you in saying that "the only way to gain experience is to ask experienced engineers what is the best and why its the best" - that's a good way to gain information. Personally I've always found the best way to gain experience at something is by doing it (a lot) and then forming my own opinions.

For example, the OP is probably now aware of a whole bunch more tape emulation plugins than they were before. they also have a sorta broad impression of which ones certain people like.

But until the OP actually goes and tries those plugs out, on their own material, listens to the results, and decides for themselves whether or not they like those results, there's little useful, actionable experience being had.

 

Last edited: Sep 7, 2021

I don't know .. I love analog devices, only I have everything digital. I mix rock, metal, hard rock, and I think it would be nice to add "life" to the mix

 

Worthy of note: Softube Tape is one of the few plugins that will work in Studio One as a Mix FX or whatever they call it, you only load one instance but you can still access it from and for every track, I've heard people swear by it, sounds interesting.

 

I am asking because I am not an expert in tape emulators, today I can use slate and they will tell me that this is the worst tape emulator. And I need the most accurate, best, tape emulator on the market, so as not to rush back and forth and choose between tape plugins, I just need 1 plugin that will destroy everyone in terms of the best tape emulation on the market or even in the history of plugins, understand I do not have to choose between them, I need one plug-in that will not fail in the veracity of the sound of the tape.

 

2.9.0 update coming soon. September 12 or bit later, according to github info.

 

Keep the "U-He Satin" and delete the other one. if you are no longer spoiled for choice, go ahead.

The Best Tape Simulation ?!? || U-HE Satin

 

No one has mentioned it yet but....

 

My Akaï DS4000MK2... No I'm joking to me one it sound well is come from Toneboosters Reelbus 3

 

Yes very good indeed to emulate oldskool tones, own it like it

 

I have UAD's Studer A800, Ampex ATR-102, Oxide Tape Recorder but still can't tell which one is best (for me at least). Studer seems to work better on single instruments and Ampex or Oxide on the whole mix. Mostly end up with Oxide because it's easier to tweak. That said, it also depends on the mix if it's really necessary to add one. A/B'ing will tell obviously.

 

After all, this is a cassette emulator, we are talking about tape, reel.

 

But then again you've already told us you have no idea what reel to reel actually sounds like, so who knows, maybe the sound of a really nice cassette deck could be exactly what you're after? I've bounced stuff to an old 4-track plenty of times for the sound, and plugins like that one make it super convenient to try.


Why not try it and see --- again, the experience will be much more useful than endless opinion on here.

 

Thank you brother, yes, I am spoiled by the fact that if this is the best plugin, then I should use it, this is my problem, I need to solve it. You gave me the right path, I listened to your opinion. In fact, I like Satin more, it is more effective.