Tape Saturation - Plug-in Or Outboard?

[jtrainer]

Hi all,

I am currently embarking on the quest for the best tape saturation solution outside of an actual classic multi-track tape machine. (for use with ProTools on a new iMac OSX)

So far I have my options as the following:

1.) Plug-ins (RTAS) - Voxengo VariSaturator, VirSyn VTAPE, DaD Tape, Colortone Pro or URS Saturation plug-in?


2.) Outboard Tape Emulators - Empirical Labs Fatso Jr, Neve 5042 or ATS-1 Analog Tape Simulator?

Have I missed any options?

Any and all help/opinions/experience is VERY much appreciated!


Thanks,
jt

[gainreduction]

Originally Posted by jtrainer

ave I missed any options?

Crane Song Phoenix. thumbsup

[Chaellus]

i know i rant and rave about the tritone plugs but coulor tone is a great candidate

[Fleaman]

Best?

Anamod w/351 card by far.

Luckily they have a money back guarantee....10 day trail fwir. (but you'll have to ask for the 351 card in addition as it isn't a 'stock' card).

Try to get it at the same time as your other contenders.....even though I know what the outcome will be

[Holy Grail]

Actually, if you are using PT. Demo the "Reel Tape Suite"
Digidesign | Products | Pro Tools Plug-ins | Reel Tape Suite

I think it's very good !! I prefere it over the Phoenix actually (using more cpu though...)

Jon

[Fletcher]

You can kill two birds with one stone by picking up a Crane Song LTD. "HEDD-192" or "Spider"... not only do you get "tape emulation" but you'll also get converters that will require you add less of that "tape emulation" because they sound really [REALLY] good.

Best of luck with your search.

Peace.

[Knox]

I agree about the HEDD. If you have to try to "emulate" tape it will not give you all the benefits, but it sounds good on it's own merits.

[Fleaman]

I have the HEDD-192 and the Anamod.

Get the Hedd for the converters, Anamod for the Tape emulation.

[Dirty Halo]

I own the Phoenix CraneSong Pro Tools plug and Anamod ATS-1, love them both and use them both.

OVERALL, go for the Anamod.

And while the the 351 card may be all the rage right now, their other formulations are equally solid. IMO (Guess I personally start to shy away from the "thing" that becomes the rage... if everyone else has it, then why would I want to be the same? ... eh, just me )

Go for the Anamod... I mean don't. It's good.

-andrews

[bcgood]

Some of you guys that track through the anamod, (I mean every track from hi-hat to kick drum to vocals) it would be cool to hear a finished mix. I would love to hear an album done this way. If they don't smash the sh#t out of it in mastering it would be interesting to hear and compare with real multi-track tape albums. I would buy an album from a new artist that was recorded this way just for evaluation purposes.

[Fleaman]

Originally Posted by Dirty Halo

And while the the 351 card may be all the rage right now, their other formulations are equally solid. IMO (Guess I personally start to shy away from the "thing" that becomes the rage... if everyone else has it, then why would I want to be the same? ... eh, just me )

I think there's only about 6(?) of us with the 351 card talking on gearslutz? Not quite a rage in general, but certainly a rage amongst gearslutz anamod users

I haven't bothered with the Studer/3M tape forms' since I got the 351 card.

[A LaMere]

For plugins you haven't mentioned McDsp's analog channel and the Massey Tape Head....
If I only get to pick one... Massey. and it's significantly cheaper than AC from McDSP.

That being said..if you're simply looking for a softer, more tape like and 3d sound... I'd use outboard gear on the way in every single time over any plug..

good luck w/it!

[Dirty Halo]

Originally Posted by Fleaman

I think there's only about 6(?) of us with the 351 card talking on gearslutz? Not quite a rage in general, but certainly a rage amongst gearslutz anamod users

I haven't bothered with the Studer/3M tape forms' since I got the 351 card.

Ha! My tongue was firmly in cheek when I said that. (I think the few of us Anamod users are still a bit away from being "all the rage!" )

-andrews

[jtrainer]

hey all,

i can't thank ya enough for ALL of your feedback and help! and man, i had no idea that Anamod offers a guarentee and trial period. that is excellent cause that price tag is pretty heavy man. (gonna have to do some saving if i go that direction for sure)

any other thoughts, keep em comin!


i really appreciate the help,
thanks again!

jt

[vo1k1]

Specifically tape saturation (vs. other emulations)?

- Portico 5042
- EL7 FATSO

For other various saturation effects - there are so many creative plugin options - most already noted.

[jtrainer]

Hey all,

I just wanted to say thank you all so VERY much for your help on this! I must say that I have never gotten so much help from a Gearslutz forum ever.

I spoke with Greg at Anamod this morning and he was very nice and spent a considerable amount of time on the phone with me explaining the unit and helping me figure out if it was going to do what it was that I was looking for. He really went above and beyond any other person I have dealth with when buying equipment. And the unit will ship out on Wednesday so I will have it next week, amazing!

I give them a HUGE thumbs up already.

Now all I have to do is figure out which converters to get - Apogee Rosetta 200 or the Crane Song HEDD 192!

At leaset those are my choices right now, any thoughts?


Thanks again,
jt

PS. One last thing (sorry for the rant) I have to give a shout out to Warren at FrontEndAudio.com. I had ordered the Neve 5042 on Friday and then heard it in use over the weekend and didn't dig it. So I called him and he was super cool about cancelling the order and his customer service was amazing. Great guys there too.

[Dirty Halo]

Originally Posted by jtrainer

Hey all,

I just wanted to say thank you all so VERY much for your help on this! I must say that I have never gotten so much help from a Gearslutz forum ever.

I spoke with Greg at Anamod this morning and he was very nice and spent a considerable amount of time on the phone with me explaining the unit and helping me figure out if it was going to do what it was that I was looking for. He really went above and beyond any other person I have dealth with when buying equipment. And the unit will ship out on Wednesday so I will have it next week, amazing!

I give them a HUGE thumbs up already.

Now all I have to do is figure out which converters to get - Apogee Rosetta 200 or the Crane Song HEDD 192!

At leaset those are my choices right now, any thoughts?


Thanks again,
jt

PS. One last thing (sorry for the rant) I have to give a shout out to Warren at FrontEndAudio.com. I had ordered the Neve 5042 on Friday and then heard it in use over the weekend and didn't dig it. So I called him and he was super cool about cancelling the order and his customer service was amazing. Great guys there too.

I know you and I talked a lot about this via PM, but I want to also publicly say congrats AND that I too find Gred at Anamod (and Pendulum) to be a top notch guy!

Here's the brilliant mind creating tis stuff and he has no problem taking the time to chat with you about it, tell you how it works in a way that makes sense...

Now if only more G.S. threads could go that way

Anyway, I hope my description was close enough to what you learned from Greg. The Anamod is briliant stuff and I hope I did the technical side justice.

-andrews

[Fleaman]

Greg is the Man

I hope you ordered the 351 card with the Anamod as that card REALLY makes the machine. Remember, everything, even the card, has the trail period guarantee, so you can even return the 351 card only, or everything.

Unfortunately the stock cards (that come installed, yet are removable as all the cards are) are not returnable under this guarantee.

Make sure you hit drums/drum buss up with the 351 card, sweet sweet sweet

[Stiff]

Man, I really need to learn to read every post in a thread before I reply... I had written a bloody article on every tape emulator for Pro Tools only to see you had already made your decision

Oh, well, congrats on the purchase

[jtrainer]

Ah man, i would have totally dug reading your write up on the plug-ins even though i've purchased the Anamod.

send along if ya still have it, if not no worries and thanks so much for the effort anywho!

ya, i definately got the 351, vert stoked. spoke with Greg again today cause they got it ready early and shipped it out this morning. great guys.

i've also decided on the Apogee Rosetta 200 for my converters. since i will indeed be running certain already recorded tracks out of PT into the ATS1 and back into PT i wanna make sure i am set to get the best conversion i can. thanks to y'all for helping me with the converter decision as well.

very very much appreciated!


jt

[DONNX]

Its has been used on too many platinum records already and by some of the biggest names in the business. A proven standard for analog tape emulation. I tried the Digidesign version. It was alright. AC2 does a very good job.

Alot cheaper than hardware.


But really say you don't neither. Just use your ears and an eq/comp.