I agree with everything Chris says below. In fact, once I went digital, I
felt like I had to learn to mix all over again. I was so dependent on the
natural compression and warmth that comes from various levels of tape
saturation. In the digital world, everything is exposed and requires
attention. It's rare for a multi-track digital mix to simply blend
together on its own.
Bob.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Chris Smart" <chris_s@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <ddots-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, March 06, 2011 2:39 PM
Subject: [ddots-l] Re: UAD accessibility
At 02:12 PM 3/6/2011, you wrote:
Just wondering, why would someone want to use tape simulation on a mix?
How
would something like that enhance a mix?
Well, tape recorders were analog devices, with their own particular
sound. Or rather, the sound being recorded would be coloured by both the
analog circuitry and the process of being put onto tape. Tape also
sounds different when louder material is recorded on it.
In the digital world, if we hit 0dB when recording, we get harsh
distortion right away. With analog gear and tape, you can push things a
bit before they get really distorted. Some people really prefer that
saturated tape sound, where things are loud and just on the verge of
distorting.
Many people think we lost something by going to digital recording.
Basically, a tape simulator would try to add in the color or signature
sound of one of those old tape recorders back to your audio. Except, in
the digital world, we can just add it to all our tracks! No need to hook
up several tape machines and run everything through them. It's kind of
making things less perfect, on purpose, because you like the sound of
those little imperfections.
Of course, it all depends how well the plug-in manufacturer recreates the
magic.
If you play guitar, you are aware of Line 6 and other companies who try
to simulate every classic guitar amp or pedal, all in one convenient box.
Initially, those simulations weren't so great, and it was easy to pick a
real amp in a comparison test. But, the more powerful our processors get,
the more accurately companies are able to simulate these devices, and the
narrower the sonic gap gets between the real thing and the digital
simulation.
Chris
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