New Tape Emulation - "Roundtone"

[Topgear]

Originally Posted by Jazzy Pidjay

The best 10$ i spend in 'equipment' in general.

The sound is handled with great care and taste in this plugin
it's definitively got that 'Analog Warmth' and you can dial the amount
of character to taste easily from nearly transparent to fully abused
analog tape.

Great !!

I wouldn't say that it goes to "fully abused analog tape". It just doesn't do that very well, and I don't think it was meant to either. It introduces bad digital side effects when you abuse it. Other analog plugins like the new nomad tape thing, or psp vintage warmer do the "abused" thing WAY better.

But this plugin is fantastic when it comes to SUBTLE. For just adding that little bit of roundness..getting a less sterile sound on a vocal, acoustic guitar or a snare drum...it really shines.

[quintosardo]

Going to release a "Pink Floyd" style original album (Plootoh.com). Lots of Roundtone on it (and bits of real tape echo and plate, anyway). I hope I'll be able to get a serious demo by my side for its original purpose...

[kingocounty]

Originally Posted by Topgear

I wouldn't say that it goes to "fully abused analog tape". It just doesn't do that very well, and I don't think it was meant to either. It introduces bad digital side effects when you abuse it. Other analog plugins like the new nomad tape thing, or psp vintage warmer do the "abused" thing WAY better.

I'm hearing the same thing. I ran a sine through it and checked it with Span and it shows a lot of aliasing at anything other than extremely modest action levels. Still, fun to play with for $10.

[Sonic_Beast]

Yes, aliasing is there and I’d love to have an upsampling mode or improved code to remove that poop.

[quintosardo]

Originally Posted by kingocounty

I'm hearing the same thing. I ran a sine through it and checked it with Span and it shows a lot of aliasing at anything other than extremely modest action levels. Still, fun to play with for $10.

That's not the best test. Still, the sound level is very important. And "action" and "emphasis" have an important role.
It is not going to include an hidden limiter

[Jazzooo]

Hey, Ron! Happy New Year.

Doug

[Topgear]

Originally Posted by quintosardo

That's not the best test. Still, the sound level is very important. And "action" and "emphasis" have an important role.
It is not going to include an hidden limiter

I wonder though, if a hidden "limiter" would be the right cure anyway?

If people are seing lots of aliasing (I don't have much of a clue about aliasing, but maybe aliasing is even what's causing the piano to distort??) it doesn't seem to me like a hidden limiter is the way to cure that. Think of all the other saturation plugins out there, inflators, the coloured eq plugs with saturation, they don't digitally distort and I'm not sure they have...hidden limiters included.

And about the action + emphasis tweaking, it's all well and good to do some tweaking, but I found that with the piano (which frequency wise certainly is very normal, nothing extreme in terms of either lows or highs) it distorted at virtually every action/emphasis setting. When you have a signal within a very common frequency range, that's peaking well under 0, it shouldn't be almost impossible NOT to make it digitally distort in that nasty cracking way we all hate (Like 0's and 1's crying their digital hearts out).

All I'm saying is this: the plug excels when it's used in a very very subtle way to round things off a bit, and that's great for the price, but I really think that with the right research and some more thought put in to the next update there is room for improvement that could make this a true go-to plugin for a lot of people.

[quintosardo]

Maybe a 2x or 4x oversampling option would be the right way to go.
It is a standard and it would be very easy to add.
The adverse point is that it would be a bit heavier and probably with some latency.
Expect some good tests...

Anyway, please don't get me wrong: I'm discussing because feedback is great for improvement, of course.

[illacov]

Originally Posted by quintosardo

Maybe a 2x or 4x oversampling option would be the right way to go.
It is a standard and it would be very easy to add.
The adverse point is that it would be a bit heavier and probably with some latency.
Expect some good tests...

Anyway, please don't get me wrong: I'm discussing because feedback is great for improvement, of course.

I still have yet to test this in the studio I work out of HOWEVER, the oversampling option would be a priority IMHO. I notice that most plugins with oversampling plugins usually have a bit more excitement when you engage the ovesampling feature (or if its on by default).

The ganged mode would be cool but if you do ganged mode I would request this:

Gang groups.

Reason being that maybe you want your drums to sound like 15 ips soft, your guitars to sound like 30 ips soft and your mixbuss to sound like 15ips hard?

If you have gang groups you can pick and choose which groups go to whatever particular algorithm group you choose. Like gang groups 1 2 and 3?

ALSO is there a chance you can add the feature for the comp setting to apply to WHATEVER algorithm you want????

I like the comp on the 30 ips hard comp but I wish it was available on the 15ips hard setting as well.

I'm still getting used to the tweaking you can do with this plugin (oversampling, gang groups) but for the most part I think its off to a great start and once you put the finishing touches on the platform you will have something that easily could be a classic plugin!

Peace
Illumination

[Reverend Rhythm]

Originally Posted by illacov

I'm talking BBQ chicken good!!

I think we've found your marketing slogan!

[avebr]

Originally Posted by quintosardo

Maybe a 2x or 4x oversampling option would be the right way to go.
It is a standard and it would be very easy to add.
The adverse point is that it would be a bit heavier and probably with some latency.
Expect some good tests...
Anyway, please don't get me wrong: I'm discussing because feedback is great for improvement, of course.

* Please * put the oversampling as an option you can select (no, 2x, 4x,...), as I've seen already on some [better] EQ plugins.

This way the user can select based on his needs (latency/cpu x quality) !!!


all the best,
ave.

[illacov]

Originally Posted by Reverend Rhythm

I think we've found your marketing slogan!

Hey its my job bro LOL

I co-founded a microphone company and came up with the concept to name all the microphones after dogs. Ya know man's best friend? People aren't saying they want a U47 clone anymore they call me up asking for a Husky.

Roundtone: Bar B Q Chicken Good!

Remember where you heard it first

Peace
Illumination

[Sonic_Beast]

I think it should also have x8, x32 (ala Glue) and AUTO mode in which it only upsamples when you mix down your files.

[Tranny-Cap-Tube]

Any oversampling greater than 8X is pointless. Any harmonic that goes out that far is never going to alias back to below 22k at an audible level, barely measurable.

Quintosardo,

You should be able to add 2x and 4x without adding latency. I think you should maybe upgrade some things in Roundtone and then charge a little more for it.

[Mercado_Negro]

Originally Posted by Tranny-Cap-Tube

You should be able to add 2x and 4x without adding latency.

Not if he wants to add proper linear filtering to it and gain more quality, which is what I'd expect from someone like Quinto

[quintosardo]

This should be the next version:

- optional 4x linear_phase oversampling with "auto" mode for mixdown (testing proper oversampling, should add about 26 samples of latency)
- 4 gang groups
- more algorithms (including comp mode for 15ips)
- a "BBQ Chicken Good" algorithm?

It will be a free update for existing users, of course.

[yllet]

Tried some more today...

It sure adds some glue and removes digital harshness when used on mixbuss (i'm usning nebula r2r studer om all indvididual tracks btw). But the stereo image seem to shrink a little as well?

Anyway, keep up the good work. I'm looking forward to the update(s)

/Jon

[BlackBackDrop]

Originally Posted by electro

R U serious?

Yes!

Lets just say that nature is not perfect yet digital can be.

[BlackBackDrop]

Originally Posted by 0t0b0t

I'm sure he is.. and I can see why. Audio gets completely uninteresting when it's noise or hiss free. Often times people find the addition of noise pleasing even if it's only subconciously noticed. The charme of old recordings is also partly due to tape hiss/noise and not only the saturation IMHO.
Furthermore every recording from analog - be it via a microphone or any other analog stage - contains noise.

Noise is most definitely part of the analog world, so why shouldn't it be part of an emulation of that world?

Spot on! Can we be friends, its lonely over here?

[illacov]

Originally Posted by quintosardo

This should be the next version:

- optional 4x linear_phase oversampling with "auto" mode for mixdown (testing proper oversampling, should add about 26 samples of latency)
- 4 gang groups
- more algorithms (including comp mode for 15ips)
- a "BBQ Chicken Good" algorithm?

It will be a free update for existing users, of course.

Well that BBQ Chicken Good Algorithm could be a high headroom tape setting like GP9.

I'd think that BBQ Chicken gets alot of headroom when it gets into my hands!!

Can't wait for the next update!

Thanks


Peace
Illumination

[0t0b0t]

Sure, buddy

[bitman]

Excellent!

Gang groups.
Thank you.

[illacov]

This plugin RAWKS!!!

This is like the Reaper of plugins for 2011. We ask the developer for a feature and he makes it happen. You gotta love it!

So far I asked for BBQ Chicken and gang groups. Damn! Can I also suggest one other feature?

Solid state VS Tube stages in the deck

Old school tube reel to reel anyone?? Ampex 351 etc??

Bro I know you got it in you to get this in one of the updates. You'll be farting through silk with these features.

Peace
Illumination

[quintosardo]

A full sine sweep through Roundtone:



***edit
This is for the rolloff of the filter of course, still not showing the harmonics

[BlackBackDrop]

Originally Posted by quintosardo

A full sine sweep through Roundtone:



***edit
This is for the rolloff of the filter of course, still not showing the harmonics

whats does this demonstrate?

[mljung]

Look at the attached jpeg for a 910Hz sine test tone [at -8,5 dB]. All knobs in default mode.

The speed knob seem to be the "aliasing knob". If you turn it clockwise it get's worse, but it almost disappears if you turn it "down"

Hope something can be done about this!

My ears are telling me that it's one fine plug otherwise...

::
Mads

[quintosardo]

The frequency graph was about filter rolloff. This is to be sure that we can use it on a master bus without loosing hi freqs.
A graph about harmonics will follow as soon as I've defined a final filter candidate.

About speed knob: it controls time constants, so, a bit parallel to a compressor, when it is too slow it lets hifreqs pass through.

[Unrealworld82]

Just ordered!

[quintosardo]

Just received a great demo by Giuseppe Novella, a young but experienced italian sound engineer.

It is a two-parts demo, pop+electro.

This is the original song:

Dry

This is with every track "through tape":

Tape

...

[Graal]

Originally Posted by quintosardo

Just received a great demo by Giuseppe Novella, a young but experienced italian sound engineer.

It is a two-parts demo, pop+electro.

This is the original song:

Dry

This is with every track "through tape":

Tape

...

Cool..it's subtle. I'm listening through Headphones (AKG K701) right now and I can feel the subtle difference.

All I can say is that Roundtone makes it seem more musical and pulls it all together like a sort of glue.