How hard can you hit the Portico Tape Emulator?

[Bump Music]

I'd like to get the Portico Tape Emulator for my mix buss, and I'd like to hit it hard. I have a Fatso, which I hit pretty darn hard right now with great resluts. The Fatso wil be moving to my drum buss and I was hoping the Portico would replace it on my 2 buss.

So how much emulated "tape" compression can you get out of the Portico?

[Greg Wells]

The compression effect is more pronounced when you turn up the "saturation" knob. It starts to smooth out the highs in a very musical way. If you turn it all the way up, you hear some smoothed out distortion that's not so useful. I like the saturation knob between 10 am and 12 noon.

[mixerguy]

Originally Posted by Bump Music

...(snip).... I have a Fatso, which I hit pretty darn hard right now with great resluts. .... (snip)....

Resluts?

How do I get me some resluts?

[Bump Music]

Originally Posted by Greg Wells

The compression effect is more pronounced when you turn up the "saturation" knob. It starts to smooth out the highs in a very musical way. If you turn it all the way up, you hear some smoothed out distortion that's not so useful. I like the saturation knob between 10 am and 12 noon.

Thanks for the reply. How is it for level boosting? And are any of the knobs stepped?

Thanks in advance!

[Greg Wells]

you can turn the input up a LOT before it gets weird, giving you more signal obviously. no stepped knobs. the only knob that ever changes for me is the saturation knob from song to song. i can not live without this unit, and ditto for the new compressor in feedback mode. for me, they're both magic sounding.

[salvator]

Hi,

First, it all depend on input level.
Then it also depend weither it's drums, vocal, bass or 2 bus etc ...
But most often, the saturation knob is around 12 here.

There was few case where I made it distorting (some drums, loops etc...), but generally I like it mild :-)

Salvator

[Mind-Over-Midi]

Greg;

Love your music! I wondering if there are any recent songs that you've used the 5042 or the 5043 on that I might be able to listen to? If so where in the mix did you use them and how?

Thanks for your time,

Bill.

[rlnyc]

same here. i never turn my portico tape emulator off. and i hit it pretty hard sometimes, but past noon it can get mushy, and the meters red line and although it doesn't sound "bad"- that is, it doesn't really ever turn to crackling noise or anything, it gets like, "too drunk".

the input can be used as a line amp, and boy does it sound great. coupled with the tape em, it is one classy piece.

best,
rlnyc

[Bump Music]

Thanks for the replies guys!

One last question and then I'm picking one up.

I can get A LOT more apparent level from my Fatso... Can the Portico do the same? Can you boost a lot of level with it?

Thanks!

[salvator]

Originally Posted by rlnyc

the input can be used as a line amp, and boy does it sound great.

What he said !
The gear has a great color on it's own that I like a lot.
Even with the tape bypassed it has that cool "tranny" sound.

Salvator

[Greg Wells]

Originally Posted by Mind-Over-Midi

I wondering if there are any recent songs that you've used the 5042 or the 5043 on that I might be able to listen to? If so where in the mix did you use them and how?

Thanks, Bill. I just got the compressor a few days ago and haven't taken it off the stereo buss (in feedback mode). Holy crap, it's gorgeous.. the sound I've always been looking for. To be fair, I haven't tried it on a fast song yet. Might be too slow or require the more modern sounding "feedforward" mode.

None of my mixes have been released yet that have the tape emulator on it. Soon! I'm mixing a record the month of June that I produced this past Jan. - March, a new artist named Mika signed to Universal. That will all go through the 5042, and likely all through the 5043 as well.

[Mind-Over-Midi]

Originally Posted by Greg Wells

Thanks, Bill. I just got the compressor a few days ago and haven't taken it off the stereo buss (in feedback mode). Holy crap, it's gorgeous.. the sound I've always been looking for. To be fair, I haven't tried it on a fast song yet. Might be too slow or require the more modern sounding "feedforward" mode.

None of my mixes have been released yet that have the tape emulator on it. Soon! I'm mixing a record the month of June that I produced this past Jan. - March, a new artist named Mika signed to Universal. That will all go through the 5042, and likely all through the 5043 as well.

Greg;

Thanks for taking the time to get back to me. I'm looking forward to hearing your next project! Please come back and tell us how it works out for you. Hopefully by the time it comes out I'll have had a chance to try out the new Portico stuff. It would be really nice to have the sound of tape in a 1/2 rack space!

[rlnyc]

Originally Posted by Bump Music

Thanks for the replies guys!

One last question and then I'm picking one up.

Can you boost a lot of level with it?

the line amp section i think you can go +22db. i have never gone that far cause i got gain stages up the wazzoo, but you can easily look up the specs at the neve designs website.

best,
rlnyc