Well in my opinion, and EQ, a saturator, heavy IR reverb, then a granulator delay, some spectral processing, additional hiss, then gating, then a normal delay and reverb, mixed at -40dB or so is decent.

 

GSat+ does exactly that and it's free

 

My understanding: tube saturation mostly produces even order harmonics (in varying degrees and with variations as to how many overtones are being created, depending on which kind of valve is used), whereas the type of saturation that happens during the tape magnetization process is produces mostly odd order harmonics.

Odd order harmonics can sound a bit crunchier in my experience, but usually I prefer a mix of even and odd order harmonics (GSat+ makes it easy to dial it in) with slightly more odd order harmonics.

If we are talking full on tape / reel-to-reel emulation, as others have said, we have to add a lot of additional variables / parameters: preamp stage, wow and flutter (= very slow and moderately slow pitch variations), noise, the different type of tape material, different recording speeds and some even model different pre- and post-emphasis EQ curves

Most of these characteristics can be recreated with stock plugins and generic Eq, compression etc. if you know what you are doing.

For free sophisticated tape emulations, try ChowTape Model or Sender Spike's SN03

 

Why not both?

 

Get STL Control Hub... you can have endless color palettes

 

Any odd-only harmonic saturator can be transformed into even and odd harmonic saturator

 

Not bad for free also these
View attachment 44975
Mystique Tape machine & X Tube

 

Well, I'm not a tape machine connoisseur, but Chow Tape Model is fun to play around with. You can add a little or a lot, insane amounts of variety.

But in general, tape emulation is more than just the saturation and the EQ that it imparts, you also get wow and flutter, tape hiss etc. etc. I like adding some tape-like hiss to percussive parts and then gating them (not to have the hiss shitting over the entire mix), just to add some liveliness to the signal if it's too clean otherwaie. But not too much, a little goes a long way. Works for me.

 

Today I went doctor and they measured my heart saturation and I asked, is it tape or tube saturation, because of this thread.. and she laughed. Was it one of you?

 

Why not neither of that? Why not squeaky clean digital? Tape or tube saturation ... dudes, we are 2024. Who the f needs that BS?

 

Tchad Blake and Jaycen Joshua

 

I like tubes as concept more but i dont have any hardware and havent found yet plugin saturators that i would like to use unless im trying to really wreck the sound hard. At the moment i unironically like the NANI plugin

 

I lean that way. But I'm finding when added subtly here and there it adds something. Like I said, for me it's about adding a tiny color. No one on earth would probably hear the difference with or without unless I pointed it out to them. But I seriously like the sound of clean.

I like real music though, not beats n shit. (Runs for cover)

 

If that's the case, try this free one. it's equally ridiculous: https://codalabs.io/szechuan/

 

There is nothing inherently wrong with using Botox too; however, it is artificial and may be disconcerting to individuals who appreciate a natural appearance and have a sense of taste and respect for authenticity.

 

i rarely use tape.. i tried many tape plugins.. UAD got something good.. i usually use tape for bass track

 

Nipples are known saturators, that's Audio Engineering 101.