Tape Plugins Shootout: Softube/UAD/Waves/u-He/Slate Digital
Вставка
- Опубліковано 12 вер 2024
- Check me on Patreon: / resoundsound
Featured plugins:
Softube Tape: bit.ly/softubetape
u-He Satin: bit.ly/uhesatin
Waves Kramer Tape: bit.ly/waveskramer
Waves J-37: bit.ly/wavesj37
UAD Ampex ATR-102: bit.ly/atr-102
UAD Oxide Tape: bit.ly/oxidetape
Slate Virtual Tape Machines: bit.ly/slatevtm
2:33 - Waves Kramer Tape
4:10 - Waves J37
5:55 - Softube Tape
8:05 - UAD Ampex ATR-102
10:00 - UAD Oxide Tape
11:28 - Slate VTM
13:49 - u-He Satin
16:15 - Conclusion
Excellent demo!
Kevin Osborn Thanks dude 😊
The Softube Tape was the winner for me. So good that I downloaded the demo.
Yeeeeah!
I bought it just now on Black Friday sale. I really liked the beefiness and bottom end on the Ampex but overall found the Softube the most silky and musical.
Phart Just got that one myself can’t beat that discount!
What are the limitations of the demo?
Just got it yesterday.... I prefer it even to my uad tapes
Biggest advantage with the u-he Satin is that you can see exactly how the settings affect the final EQ output.
*hear. Not see. Close your eyes 🙏🏼❤️
This line is a little misleadning because satin is not just EQ. Compression, saturation and stereo imaging also changes but it's not reflected on line.
I own the UAD, Slate, and I'm testing the Softube. I gotta say the Softube sounds silky. It's all a matter of taste but I do prefer the Softube.
Cool video, My favorite plugin is SATIN by UHE. It's an amazing tool. You can go near 0 ips. For bass less ips is better, and for dub, Satin is a bomb. It makes bass sounds warm and saturate in a cool way. And with different type of EQ , You can achieve incredible sounds. The J 37 tape plugin by waves is cool too, but it is better for a flanger or a delay usage. UAD , I don't know, but I know their reputation. I tried Slate plugin, but I'm not a fan. Even if it's a cool stuff.
Just my 2 cents.
Great video !!
Bless up :)
Thank you for this shootout!
THX for compare the tape plugins.... it's all matter of tase but i found the ampex and the tape from softube adds a nice warmth to the track... also the trim knob by tape is very handy and useful
good stuff Ilpo!
I've test driven all but the UAD - and for me - Softube TAPE is the one!
Can be driven hard without breaking up, and the 'stability' knob is genius :)
Yes it's great!
Woooo! Brad Impact!! Glad you like it friend!
it sounds the thinnest of all, but it's distortion is the most pleasing one, and I would use that as an effect. wouldn't not use this plug on a master bus though.
i have used the Waves Kramer Tape and i find it Smooth and Natural. If you just want distortion i guess you can use any!
I feel like the music could be used in a stage select for a video game haha.
nuh - it's too cool for that. KCRW prime time.
circa 1998 perhaps
I don't get why so much of the demo is spent totally distorted? it's well beyond the scope of what these are used for. I totally appreciate a roundup, but it was difficult to compare them because of this.
Yup 👍
No Reelbus(my favourite). I only have Kramer Tape on this list, so it's helpful to get a good impression of the others. Ampex sounds the best to me. I like the way it opens out the stereo field.
Agreed, to me Ampex just kills it soundwise. And there's a lot you can tweak too to get the sound you want.
Softube and Ampex are both winners for subtlety and good separation of the highs and lows. I don't have those two but I'm probably going to get the Softube Tape plug after this because there's a sale on it. I do have the J37 and Kramer. The Kramer is incredible for rounding off the edges of harsh highs and making snares and kicks sound good together...amazingly well. It also works really well as a DeEsser. The J37 is one of my loves...it just makes things sound full and thick...it also has that cool delay effect which sounds so beautiful. This is one of those cases where you kind of need all of them.
Very useful comparison Ilpo. One point worth mentioning, perhaps - is that some of the UI's give extensive screen resources to how reels animate and may take up extra CPU cycles.Some of those animations may be slipped away in a "Hide" option, I don't know. I thought the UAD "Ampex" was the most dramatic. Least dramatic was u-He's "Satin".
stellar 808 Good points. Satin can be very subtle by nature but it is also incredibly tweakable. In fact almost too much so for me. I call it simulation rather than emulation. Great plugin.
graphics don't use much CPU or GPU, unless you use 15 year old laptop.
Thanks Resoundsound for this great job!
In my opinion:
1st: Ampex
2nd: Softube / U-HE - so silk, organic an smooth
3rd: Slate
Yup all great plugins
I like the Kramer one, its adds a bit of body on the master channel. Also use J37 on a synth bus for saturation. Best to be used as a light touch rather than too much distortion I find.
I have Softube Tape, U-he Satin and Izotope Vintage Tape.
My two cents: I’ve used pretty much all of these, and I’d say the Kramer Tape is good for a fairly simple option and Satin for more options. The rest.. meh. Not that they’re necessarily bad, but vs cost, I’m not sure they’re any improvement.
I would have used different source audio with more dynamics and acoustic sounds. I couldn't watch anymore when you cranked into distortion, left it there and and started changing the settings.
I was surprised by how Softube flattened the transients way too much, and no adjustment changed that.
Yeah because he was over doing the input...
Nice. You mentioned two of my favorites also. The ATR live on my Buss most of the time and really liking the Softube tape as well... Also like the UAD Studer for individual channels too... Satin looks cool, gonna check it out after seeing your video... Thanks for the shootout bruv!
SOFTUBE 🙌🏼
I have all of them. (not only Ampex) And I have to say, to closest to real tape with its behavior is the Satin.. and it stays most clear, unatended, same loudness level while you reachup to -5dB!!! Stunning. You gonna get so much headroom on your mixes with Satin. (on tracks or master, doesn't matter), Other plugins doesn't act so good. Too harsh, or too equalized... but Satins is really gr8
I realized today that it helps a lot to place a limiter after these things. That way you can drive them hotter without it sounding like crap. Learned this from my experience with loudness maximizes of any sort, such as clippers. Always put a limiter after anything that makes it louder and sometimes it works better to put the limiter on a separate channel so that you can keep the first channel extra loud. I noticed many people doing these shootouts and demonstrations of these tape plugins only mix it in like 6 percent or less and so you can't even hear it. Well of course because it sounds awful if they mix in too much BECAUSE THEY AREN'T USING A LIMITER. Then they point out how it's lacking bass or top end or something. They aren't using it correctly.
interesting... would a compressor do the same job or must it be a limter?
@@dariofromthefuture3075 sure. if the ratio is really high then it's a limiter
@@johnthecreative thanks
I like the low end of this track, and the DJ style talking you do- in rhythm!!
Uhe Satin, tweakers paradise. Makes EVERY track fits in a mix :)
All sound good on their own. But no plugin comes near to the depths of Satin :)
Second place Softube, king of analog modeling. Relatively deep, excellent sounding... And boy this tape stop emulation! If you got these two you got everything covered. There is a nice sounding from BlackRooster too. Waves times are over imho. Quit everything from them months before. They never could convince me. Everything they offer there is something better from another brand. Cheers
I don't see them as king of modeling... they make the cheaper amp models that are part of the UAD store, but they are old now... now they sell console 1 and fader 1 as their big thing - mad ether company drop from the top ranking in my book... their tape her sounds good with beautiful breakup and saturation , but also sounds the thinnest. I wood use, just not on master,
@@levondarratt787 did you try Model 84? I got a real Juno106 and they couldn't make it more close in every aspect. This is next level coding as well as their complete Modular system. I got real Doepfer and Dane here again. They mailed it.
Did you try out the Empirical Labs bundle. Man, this is killer also. The latest Tapes Echo...yes!
@@nichttuntun3364 I have yet to try ! :) Thanks.
I think UAD and Satin are coolest.
Thx for this great video and your effort!!
The UAD Ampex ATR-102 makes them all sound so weak, like they're not emulating that tape oxidation sound, at all.
It's been out for a long time and it's still the best by far.. The others sound like simple saturation/distortion/sweetening enhancers.. or exciters,dunno... There's a huge gap concerning magnetic tape sound, cause the uad is actually trying to do that,while the others don't, at least to my ears... The only ones excluded are imho, U-He Satin and Waves J37..
So happy we came to almost the same conclusions ;)
Nace Kon Yes I agree! The J37 does sound very good too. Softube on all tracks and Ampex on mix bus is my go to now 👍
@@Resoundsound I'm with you on that exactly. The saturation of Softube can be exploited on tracks. UAD just sounds - different - and is a real master bus tool. J37, is a bit darker - so nice to have - to tame a lot of digital age harshness.
Slate Digital blows all the others outta the water
I like hamburgers. Does it mean I work in McDonalds?
that is an exxageration.
came here because I am interested in Softube Tape at the moment. You are a skilled speaker of colorful speech! Improvised? Scripted?
The best is the slate one boy that plugin can fix any bad vocals
How? What settings u use?
No IK MULTIMEDIA tape machines?🤦🏽
I have the Tascam bundle now and it's very good indeed!
@@Resoundsound Yezzir! 👊🏽🏆
I read comments and thinking...does anyone survive video to listen to UHE Satin ? In my opinion it beats all competitors. Dynamic bass and clear hights saturation, makes record more live than any of the plugins. i have J37 and Softube but probably insted of purchasing A800, after your test I will buy Satin. It sounds SOOOOOO GOOOD !
Call me a simple man, but I see you are using Studio One for you demos, thus I suscribe.
I’ve used quite a few different DAWs and currently mainly using Cubase, but welcome 😊
nice shootout! Missing a couple of them, but a great selection. I love Tape, and you gotta play with that Crosstalk to really get that sweet out of it lol :P
bombshelboy Yup very true!
bro your mix already sounds so good lol. what track is this?
Kramer tape is my fave
And is the ugliest.
good video, awesome beat!
this question is a bit silly.. where should i use these Tape plugins? is it inside the instrument channel or Mastering Channel??
iAmGio ™ use them on everything you would like to fatten up! Individual tracks, bus/group tracks and master!
each channel and a master
Very informative - thank you.
my opnion satin, ampex & softube
I like slate vtm, sounds fat & rounded
I'm considering the Softube but have struggled with their download and installation process before. Bit of a ballache. Prefer the Ampex overall but for the extra $80 it's too close to call.
Slate VTM is the fattest, most organic from all.
dude vtm is sick. Im lovin the slate stuff, but Im having a hard time with the compressors
Try Klanghelm MJUC
Same here, I love their Everything Bundle but can't suss out which compressor to use for which job!
because it's the one you own? and therefore the one you use? shallow dude.. I have them all and they all have their strong and weak points, the VTM gets hissy if you're using it on every channel or if you print it, who are you trying to BS?
Funny guy. UAD ATR 102, Studer A800, Oxide. I own those licenses also. Demoed Waves next to all of them. I owned Avid Reel Tape Suite also. I tried Nebula AlexB (those were good - different technology). VTM gets hissy from abuse and not reducing noise via "Noise Reduction". I don't find Fabrice Gabriel a poor unskilled guy. But whatever, for me VTM sounds exactly how I described it, in this demo sounded exactly as I know it. Next, You will assume that I listen on some crappy earbuds ?
Uad ampex yesss!!
again, lol, why not overloud Tape Desk?
Ampex and satin r my favorites
i buy soft tube tape.. for me 1. and perfect tape plugin :)
Fantastic!
SoftubeStudios yes awesome ✌️
pure GOLD !!!!!!
Guys, anyone knows if there a plug-in for chewed up tape - when recording changes it's speed/pitch?
Reel ADT. Satin does it too buT ADT is setup for it by default
Wavesfactory Cassette.
top notch just like your blog Ilpo!
This video made me so irritated because you didn't just let it sit between them and kept distorting them. You're not going to use it like that on the master bus.
But I'm not hating. It just makes comparing them difficult and annoying because you're constantly going into other realms of use instead of just using them in a proper use case scenario and switching between them so we can get a proper idea. Maybe in future that would be awesome if you could do that.
I agree. The only common denominator for a comparison was the music. Yes, of course the video producer said, there is no real comparison possible, however, from a sound engineer's point there could heave been done more to introduce all these tape machine plugins. It was just a playing around without even adequate time for each comparison so that the brain can work with it. Many times I saw the needle in the red zone (of course we can oversaturate, but that's not how we sound engineers/music producers work in general). There could have been a thought out basis to compare with the same IPS, with the same metering, the nearest best possible "same" adjustments of the various plugins, then showing with and without Bypass, etc.
true - but we get to hear the quality of the distortion in an exaggerated form. While we won't use it like that, we can clearly hear how it sounds....
Softube & UAD win it
I like UAD Studer A800
They're skeered of Acustica Taupe plugin!
Have you tested IVGI and some of the Airwindows plugins?
I have IVGI and SDRR from Klanghelm. I would not consider them tape plugins as such! Cool plugins although I don't find myself using them anymore. There are other plugins that I find sound better with the material I am working with.
Oh sorry, I didn't read well the title of the video, still I know about two free tape emulation plugins: Airwindows IronOxide 5 and IronOxide Classic.
Cool - Have not tried those myself. Thanks for the tip!
Airwindows is fantastic and Chris the developer is amazing. I've used them, for 10 years but I'm kinda tired of the lack of a decent UI. I bought Softube Tape today.
and... somebody can compare with real tape machine to get a serious opinion?
UAD Ampex for me man!
Waves J37 🔌
The one you get with Presonus Superior Drummer is the nuts. But I don't think you can get separately...
With PreSonus??? I'm lost
@@tri-unetrl3966 Sorry, Toontrack. Brain doesn't work.
Softube all the way:)
The uad added the most "pressure" on the low end to me... slate, same weight but less "pressure."
Does this make sense to *anyone* other than me?
The satin was pretty sweet...
Agree, the Ampex had a little more thump on the kick.
there are also different settings for all plugins, not shown in video.
I did not like the review.
It should be called "Using a tape recorder as a Distortion".
I think Soundtoys Decapitor or Fabfilter seems more suitable (and easier) for that purpose.
It could have been tested by a mixing engineer. And with suitable music: piano, voice, drums, etc.
Why not both? Decapitator + tape plugin.
UAD Ampex for me
I have tape salad :(
I want a tape plugin for drums (I make 90's style Hip Hop), what do you all recomend?
buy a used cassette tape deck on eBay! :) iz nice!
Overloud Tapedesk
Ampex!
B for BBASSSS
I have been trying to find out why anyone would want to emulate tape. Isn’t tape old tech? Didn’t we try for years to get rid of tape noise? Why do we want it back? I really don’t understand.
Darker sound and distortions.
it's valid point that you make here! it's perhaps a fashion trend - like going back to the 90ies now, and wearing these wonky jeans. Until we convince ourselves that they actually look better...something like that.
Good video, but dude please no need for the long ass intro.
Can someone explain to me why he keeps distorting the signal? I know you're trying to push the tape plugins but seriously dude, it hurts my ears. It was hard for me to evaluate with them being pushed so much because I had to turn my volume down every time you did it.
Cool track; nice since most demos like this make you listen to absolute garbage
Why are people get blinded by a algorithm and a GUI for a audio placebo? If you want to add real 3rd harmonics, invest in a reel 2 reel which most of the time are cheaper then these GUI with a code behind it lol. And then you have the real deal, and much cheaper!
Honestly, you're going to add in too much noise doing that and it's too much hassle but yeah truth is you don't really need any of these plugins - particularly if you have any of the other bazillion emulation plugins which all promise to add a bit of artificial analog saturation. - You should really get any serious tracks you make professionally mastered which will also add in more saturation and many mastering engineers will be happy if you remove these plugins from your master buss and let them take care of it.
You can get a real to real and a lifetime supply of magnetic tape for less than fifty bucks? And enough to put on as many channels as you want? Wow. Hey, what's in your vape pen? Because DMT and angel dust don't work in mine.