Does gear like Distressor or Fatso=Analog tape?

[shedshrine]

For the record, I don't think tape is going anywhere.
But all the furor lately made me wonder, ( if only for the sake of argument mind you), if reel to reel tape were actually to dissapear forever, what is the current state of the art in emulation, how close is it to the real thing, to the ultimate 2" analog tape saturated bliss?(or 1/4" for that matter) Is there anything out there currently that is a dead ringer for the coveted sound that involves all those wonderful everpresent adjectives that cover this board?? Is it currently possible And if not, what qualities of tape are missing that prevent them from reaching that end.

[misterock]

Not necessarily.

Whats this? http://www.cranesong.com/PHOENIX.html

[joel hamilton]

When I mix lately, I mix out of pro tools HD through a studer A827 on input.
It is amazing how much of the "sound of tape" is the support electronics.
My protools rig sounds TOTALLY different straight to the console (which can be good) rather than looped through the tape machine. no tape. Just on input.

The distressor doesnt sound like tape. The fatso doesnt sound like tape. They are both great, but dont sound like tape. nice de-essers used correctly sound "like tape" to me sometimes, or at least the cartoon of tape...

I need to start collecting input electronics from all the great old machines, just so I can print through them....

[dumbangel]

I've got both products. None of them really sounds like tape - but what tape anyway? But both are great stuff to make digital sound more enjoyable. I can't imagine recording without a Fatso now. My next move to get a better sound without tape is to use slower and smoother preamps like like either valve or nevesque ones. Some mics have a nice slow attack on fast and loud transients; ribbons obviously but some other mics like the valve lcds are nice.

There's something really magical about tape, especially at 15 ips with 456, and nothing replicates it.

[radiationroom]

Q: Does gear like Distressor or Fatso=Analog tape?

A: Dunno. I've never used any of Empiracle Lab's products so I can't answer your question. But I will say that tape can be a VERY CLEAN recording medium provided that the deck is set-up correctly and the machines are not overloaded. I have never been one to use tape as a fuzz box or as a compressor - that is what Ibanez Toob Screamers and UA 1176s are made for.

I will second the opinion that different machines have different sounds because of the circuitry involved, much the same way that different consoles sound different - ie: an Ampex 351 will sound quite different from a Studer A-80 which will sound quite different from an Otari MTR-10 which will sound quite different from a Mike Spitz modified Ampex ATR-102 which will sound quite different from {_FILL_IN_THE_BLANK_}, even when using the same tape formulations.

As far as being the end of the road for tape, I'm not placing any bets for or against, but if someone has an Otari MTR-90 up for grabs super cheap, I would not hesitate buying it. I know several people who are in the know and feel cautiously optimistic that someone will have a tape line up by summer. Considering that someone in Mexico does a nice business in sproketed 35MM magnetic audio film for the motion picture business in 2005 it isn't hard to imagine someone doing a decent biz with tape in 2006.

The companies to watch are - -

• Cannon Ventures - cannonventures.com -
• ATR Service Company - http://www.atrservice.com -
• Analog Magnetics (no URL but rumored to be related to the Crane Song people)

73's - Peter Carli

[soundguy]

dude, a distressor (which is basically a digitally controlled 1176) doesnt even sound like an 1176, that shit most certainly doesnt sound like tape. Considering however that an ampex and a studer and a nagra dont at all sound alike, there is considerable debate about what "tape" sounds like in the first place. With Joel's studer, the electronics are definitely gonna crap out a million years before the tape does, so with some decks, the electronics will mask the sound of the deck long before the tape takes on some character of its own. Studers and MCI's sound like the opamps that are in the front end.

dave

[Nathan Eldred]

Is there anything out there currently that is a dead ringer for the coveted sound that involves all those wonderful everpresent adjectives that cover this board??

No, there isn't. Not that I have heard. I have not come across a piece of outboard gear or plug-in that can come close to, simulate, mimic or resemble the true essence of tape. Tape is not an just effect that can be copied.

Is it currently possible And if not, what qualities of tape are missing that prevent them from reaching that end.

It's an epiphany. It's something you have to experience for yourself.
It's something that digital recording doesn't have, and can not be given.

[vatoben]

Tape is not an just effect that can be copied.

i give it five years until someone like line 6 or bomb factory has an emulator plug in that can fool 80% of the people who swear by tape.
....let the flaming begin...

[Jesse Skeens]

I had a Fatso and didn't think much of the tape emulation characterisitics at the time. Then I got an Otari MX70 and now I really think the Fatso doesn't sound like tape.

Jesse

[Russian Recording]

The Crane Song HEDD doesn't really sound like "tape", but it sounds super aweseome!

Has anyone had a lot of experience with the Fatso?
I would like to know more about it. Is it useful as a compressor, or is the main focus of this box to emulate harmonic distortion/tape saturation? Can anyone compare it to the Crane Song HEDD?
thanks
mtar

[dumbangel]

The thing with the Fatso, and one of the reasons some people made negative comments about it initially, is that you can't switch it on and leave it like you would with a tape recorder. All parameters like tranny, compression, warmth, harmonics generator, interact in a very subtle way with how you set the gain and all the buttons.
You have to tweak and experiment with it until you learn and know its reactions. You have to adapt all the various parameters to each different input signal.

The most important feature which makes the fatso's specificity is the high frequency limiter, and in my experience this works well on simple signals for tracking but it is not that convincing with complex mix signals. You need to set it carefully, but it does make sounds smoother.

You'll find a couple of nice threads about the Fatso in the gearslutz forums.

[Zeppelin4Life]

I dont understand why someone would spend $2500 on a fatso when you could get a kick ass analog pre or a real tape machine (no pun intended) for less than $500..someone enlighten me. im really not trying to be a snob, but to my ears thoes analog simulations just really don't sound like tape. but im sure they will get better with time. with that said the PSP vintage warmer, for its price ($149), is pretty damn good for a tape sim plugin

[dumbangel]

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/showthre ... ight=fatso

[soundguy]

someone enlighten me.

well, its because its easier for people to just believe the hype than it is to think for themselves.

or

people arent confident enough in themselves to experiement and trust their resutls, so they go with the flow and follow the hype because if all those people love it, it must be good.

If some people would think out of the box enough to shear themselves, they could probably make a lot of money selling the wool growing on their backs which they could use to finance the next latest hype item they'll need to have.

dave