Softube Tape Plugin
- Time to get reel! Softube's Tape plug-in adds cohesion and weight to your mixes. But Tape goes far beyond your average tape machine emulation.
- Jun 12, 2017 - The latest entry into the tape simulation game is the Softube Tape plugin, with some nifty features not found in other versions.
Softube Plug Ins
Softube is a world leading developer of audio recording software and plug-ins for use with Pro Tools, Logic, Studio One, Cubase and many other DAWs.
Apple Logic Pro’s plugins are, for the most part, fantastic. But one conspicuous omission is the lack of a tape saturation plugin. Glue and Harmonic Distortion Before digital audio workstations, signals would be summed through a mixing desk and printed to tape. Driving a strong signal to the tape deck would saturate the signal and give it a thick and warm quality. In modern parlance, we often hear buzzwords like “glue” and “harmonic distortion” to describe the cohesive effect recording to tape had on the audio. In recent years many third party developers have tried their hand at emulating the type of warm saturation and subtle distortion that audio recorded and mixed on analog tape have. McDSP was one of the first with their AC101 and AC202 plugins.
UA, Waves, Slate, to name a few, have all followed with variations on a similar theme. They all impart certain qualities that enhance digital audio and impart tape-like qualities to the audio run through them. Softube Tape Enter Softube. Their newest offering, Tape, is the latest addition to the smorgasbord of tape emulation plugins out there. Now, no plugin will be a panacea for bad recording, arranging, production, or mixing. But Tape may just finally be the holy grail tape plugin we’ve all been waiting for.
It does all the classic tape emulation style processing we’ve come to expect from its predecessors; and more. And it’s easy to use. To start with, Softube Tape contains three separate tape machine emulations.
The differences between the three models are generally subtle, until you start pushing some of the other parameters beyond their normal tolerances. A simple Amount knob allows the user to dial in the amount of saturation desired. Softube got their gain staging right with this one. The Amount knob is programmed with a constant gain algorithm. So, as you dial it up, you won’t be distracted by differences in volume. You focus only on what the tape emulation is doing.
Metering Metering is simple and efficient. A clever toggle button allows visual monitoring not only of the input signal but of the amount of total harmonic distortion (THD) the plugin is adding to the audio being run through it. The front panel is rounded off with a choice of tape speed settings. In addition to the familiar values, ultra slow tape speeds of 3 3/4 and 1 7/8ths are available in case you want to push the tape effect into a grittier type of distortion. Additional Controls If the functions on Tape stopped here, it would be enough to be a great sounding traditional tape emulation style plugin effect.
But a click on the side panel reveals some extended parameters that really make this plugin special. A dry/wet knob and separate Input/Output faders allow for a completely different level of gain staging that opens the plugin up to much more colorful processing. Push the input to the tape emulation for more saturation, and balance the output level either with the dedicated fader, or the dry/wet knob, for a richer range of tape-based saturation. The speed/stability knob introduces a pitch modulation, that when combined with the dry/wet knob, creates a rich tape-based style chorusing effect. I for one can’t wait to try this on some vocals! The High-Frequency Trim and Crosstalk knobs, however, push the traditional aspects of tape saturation to new levels.
High-Frequency Trim One of the aspects of traditional tape is that the more you drive it and saturate it, the warmer the sound gets. But at the expense of some of the high end. Use the High-Frequency Trim to regulate the amount of high-frequency compensation. When pushed past twelve o’clock, a rich upper sheen is introduced to compensate.
I tried it on a drum bus and the high hats came to life. They had a crystal-clear sparkle, without compromising the “tape-iness” introduced with the amount knob. Move the knob to the lower half of its range for more of the vintage tape style warmth and fatness. Crosstalk knob The Crosstalk knob controls the amount of 'leakage' between channels on multichannel audio. So, dialing this up on a stereo bus adds the “glue” to the stereo image that we have come to love from tape emulation plugins.
The stereo imaging is maintained of course, but the crosstalk adds a cohesiveness to the stereo image that tightens up the whole stereo image. It beefed up the drum bus and master bus I tried it on nicely.
Video Review - Softube Tape Check out Softube Tape in action here. Conclusion Logic Pro users are generally pretty happy with the effects bundled with the DAW.
But, as I mentioned at the top of this review, tape saturation is absent. Tape fills a much-needed void in Logic Pro’s rich collection of effects processors. And it may very well be the last tape emulation plugin you’ll ever need to buy. Pricing Softube Tape is available now for $79, for use with VST, VST3, Audio Units, AAX Native and Mix Engine FX. For more information, or to try out a 20-day demo, visit If you’re a regular discount shopper at Plugin Boutique and you’ve already received some Virtual Cash, go here.
I love the Softube Tape plug-in. It's great for just adding a touch of analog tape simulation to a final mix, but more impressively it's great for adding character to vocals and guitars. It provides instant glue for harsh or overly transient sounds in a mix. Joe Chiccarelli, Mixer/Engineer/Producer for Beck, U2, The Strokes, Elton John, etc. Three Machines in One Tape includes three different tape machine types in one plug-in. Type A is based on a classic Swiss high end reel-to-reel machine, known and loved for its precision and linearity.
Type B is much more colorful—it's a transformer based machine which adds extra weight and cream to the low end. Lastly, Type C is based on a British tape machine with a distinct vintage vibe.
Ease of Use Select your favorite tape machine Type, and adjust the Amount knob to taste. In most cases, that's all you need to do to soak your tracks in analog tape sweetness.
Easier still, load up one of the included presets, made by award winning engineers such as Joe Chiccarelli (Beck, U2, Strokes) and Howard Willing (Smashing Pumpkins, Sheryl Crow, Kris Kristofferson). Tape sounds FANTASTIC.
I like Type A and C the best. Overall, the sound of it is outstanding!!! BT a k a Brian Transeau, American music producer, composer, technologist, audio technician, multi-instrumentalist But Wait, There's More Feeling tweaky? Why not start by trying the different tape speed settings—you'll find that the slower the tape speed, the more pronounced is the so-called tape head bump, which adds low end to the mix. Or open the Remote Control panel where you can control the selected tape machine's speed stability, crosstalk amount and several other tape-a-liscious features.
Dense Sound, Light on CPU Add a single instance of Tape on your master bus to emulate what most computer based studios do today—mix in the computer, then mix down to a stereo tape machine—or go vintage style by adding Tape to every single track in your mix. Yes, your computer will be able to handle it. As most Softube plug-ins, Tape is uniquely light on your computer's processor. Softube Tape is my new favorite saturation plug in. Parallel it with your kick or bass and drive it hard—thick and fat.
Tape also lives on my mix buss alongside a couple of other Softube modeled plug-ins, glues my tracks, and gives me a lot of sonic options; from transparent to unwieldy and everywhere in between. Howard Willing, Producer, engieer and mixer for Smashing Pumpkins, Sheryl Crow and Kris Kristofferson. Extras for Studio One Users If you run Presonus Studio One, you can not only use Tape as a standard plug-in. Adding Tape to your MixFX slot gives you Tape Multitrack. Tape Multitrack includes all the goodies of Tape, but in addition, you get selectable crosstalk between each individual track—and you can easily control the Tape Multitrack settings from a single interface.
The Tape and Tape Multitrack license is one and the same. This means that if you're not a Studio One user but at some future point decide to switch to that DAW, you will already have Tape Multitrack installed, licensed and ready to go. In Short.
Realistic analog tape sound. Three tape machine types included. Easy to use. Low CPU usage. Includes Tape Multitrack which can be used in the MixFX slot of Presonus Studio One—adding individual channel crosstalk and single interface control of all tracks. NKS-ready: Integrates with Native Instruments hardware and software.
Plug-in parameters and presets can be controlled from KOMPLETE KONTROL and MASCHINE. This website uses session and persistent cookies in order to provide you with the full user experience on the website, to collect statistical information and to provide our visitors with relevant advertising.
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Softube Tape Plugin Download
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