That's why we all love analog! (video)

I didn't know Crispin Glover was selling a tape machine.

A really cool video, thanks for sharing!

-MD
 
That......that is awesome. That is IT. :laughings: That is what IT is all about. I can totally relate. That video captured the "no way!" moment when you hear, really HEAR what real tape can do, and you realize that suddenly that dinosauric machine needs to be on a pedestal around which the rest of the studio gear needs to revolve...

My MM-1000 drives what is needed and what is and is not important in the gear lineup.

Thanks Daniel! That was FUN! :D
 
Really, really, reaaaallly makes me want to get our MCI sorted out more than ever...great vid!
 
Clasp

That CLASP system is pretty crazy, huh? I just heard about it this week and looked into it. It's expensive as hell (over $7K), but it looks as though it really does allow you to totally intergrate the sound of pure analog with the power of digital editing.

Is this old news? I could be late to the party. But check it out if you haven't heard of it.

www.endlessanalog.com
 
Hm...don't see what's so different about it than using my TimeLine Micro Lynx...what am I missing?

I'm happy that on first pass there is nothing that excites me about CLASP...
 
That vid, gave me the "chills"...

So, I can actually only just imagine what they were feelin'
at that moment!

That feeling is better than any other "indulgence" can produce!!!
Kinda like playin' a 'live' show...

Cool find Daniel!!! I enjoyed that!!!
 
Hm...don't see what's so different about it than using my TimeLine Micro Lynx...what am I missing?

I'm happy that on first pass there is nothing that excites me about CLASP...

It's not so much a sync-lock between a DAW and a tape deck...yeah, I already have that now too.

It's where the tape deck becomes like another DAW track and/or plug in.

IOW...you are tracking to tape...but it's automatically ending up as a DAW track without you having to rewind and dump to DAW.
So you only use the tape as/when needed...rather than the entire length for all 24 tracks. Like if there's only a 4-measure guitar part, it's recorded to tape and instantly appears as that in the DAW as a track. So you don't need to dedicate the entire tape track just to that guitar part.
The CLASP can use that same tape track for other things...and it's all on the fly and instantly appears as a DAW track in sample accurate sync.
You don't get sample accurate with the TimeLine Micro Lynx or other SMPTE based sync options.

CLASP makes the tape deck part of the DAW system...and not a separate box that's simply locked to it....if that makes any sense.

And all that is just my basic understanding. Check the CLASP link...there are videos and info describing exactly what it does and how...it's much more than a basic sync-lock setup.

But I agree...it ain't something for you typical home/project studio...overkill.
 
Last edited:
Ahhh...okay. Thanks for that, Miroslav.

There are some things I enjoy doing manually. CLASP sounds like a great solution for a production studio that has demand for true tape recording and reproduction but needs the efficiency of a digital environment. That is actually a really neat integration of the two mediums...taking advantage of some of the best of each medium's strengths.

BUT...

It also appears, to me, to be a tool for people who who don't like "getting their hands dirty" figuratively speaking...having to mess with the tape and manage the tracks and transfers, etc.

Its a tactile experience for me. Very interesting product though. Neat.
 
Its a tactile experience for me. Very interesting product though. Neat.

I'm willing to bet a majority of analog users enjoy the tactile experience...it's one of the main reasons I still like to use an analog console even though it's an extra PITA to run ProTools through one...I just need real knobs and faders and buttons to grab!

I'll bet that a lot of CLASP users would "rather" being working the old-school way...but modern markets demand otherwise when it comes to commercial production times and the all-might dollar. I felt conflicted when I first read about CLASP: on the one hand it opened new doors for analog in today's production methods; on the other hand, I felt like it would dilute the analog experience. Fortunately, I couldn't come close to affording it even IF my market demanded having one :D
 
IMO...the best "fallout" from the CLASP system is that it can introduce a lot of DAW-only people to using tape...and that's a good thing...even if they avoid the touchy-feely aspect of old-style tape deck use. :)

If you look at that one video on the CLASP site...the band that was using it point-blank said they never experienced tape before. So now, going into a pro studio that can afford a CLASP system...using the tape deck is simpler/faster and allows those DAW-only users to basically "ignore" the deck...as long as there's tape spooled on it, all Record, Play, FF, RW and punch-in stuff is done *at the DAW*...but they still hear what the tape is doing for their sound...
...and that's the key part!

Of course…someone still needs to thread the tape and calibrate/maintain the deck!!! :D
 
I was looking at a video about this studio buying a CLASP and I got the impression that it's been out for about 6 or 7 years now. Over 7K is a lot of money to spend.
 
I don't understand how CLASP deals with the time delay between the sync and repro head and manages to keep everything locked together?

Obviously, when you're tracking, you can not be listening to the tape as your cue monitor because of the delay. So what are you hearing as your cue? That's got to just be you pre-tape cue mix along with the DAW tracks.

So what does CLASP actually accomplish? Is it just the time savings or printed taped sound into your DAW in one step instead of two? If that's all it is, I'm not seeing the merit in spending 7 grand on this box. Why not save the 7 gees, track your project in analog and then once done, dump it to DAW and go nuts on the digital mix down.

Cheers! :)
 
I don't understand how CLASP deals with the time delay between the sync and repro head and manages to keep everything locked together?

Obviously, when you're tracking, you can not be listening to the tape as your cue monitor because of the delay. So what are you hearing as your cue? That's got to just be you pre-tape cue mix along with the DAW tracks.

So what does CLASP actually accomplish? Is it just the time savings or printed taped sound into your DAW in one step instead of two? If that's all it is, I'm not seeing the merit in spending 7 grand on this box. Why not save the 7 gees, track your project in analog and then once done, dump it to DAW and go nuts on the digital mix down.

Cheers! :)

Among other things, you can have 3 different tape machines hooked up to CLASP, and you can choose whichever you want to use (controlled through CLASP). Also, you can choose the tape speed for each tape machine and control that through CLASP.

I'm not entirely sure how it deals with the delay. There's a video on there that goes into fair detail about it. But I know it's programmed for each machine and takes into account the delay, wow & flutter, etc.

It's almost marketed like an analog plug-in ... like an effect you can choose to use however much you want ... except it's the real thing. Plus, you use significantly less tape, and there's significantly less wear on the heads and motors and machine in general because you're only recording what you need. You're not (usually) using the tape machine to play back---only to record the length of whatever take you use it for.

I agree 7K is a lot, and I don't think it's marketed to home recordists. I think it's more marketed as a fairly inexpensive way for major studios to make analog recording more desirable and affordable to artists again.
 
Among other things, you can have 3 different tape machines hooked up to CLASP, and you can choose whichever you want to use (controlled through CLASP). Also, you can choose the tape speed for each tape machine and control that through CLASP.

I'm not entirely sure how it deals with the delay. There's a video on there that goes into fair detail about it. But I know it's programmed for each machine and takes into account the delay, wow & flutter, etc.

It's almost marketed like an analog plug-in ... like an effect you can choose to use however much you want ... except it's the real thing. Plus, you use significantly less tape, and there's significantly less wear on the heads and motors and machine in general because you're only recording what you need. You're not (usually) using the tape machine to play back---only to record the length of whatever take you use it for.

I agree 7K is a lot, and I don't think it's marketed to home recordists. I think it's more marketed as a fairly inexpensive way for major studios to make analog recording more desirable and affordable to artists again.

Ah! OK, I get the picture a bit clearer now. Less wear and tear on the ATR and less tape to use as well as the flexibility to play with the different speeds or different machines within the same song.

Still I'm left with the feeling that the ATR is on Dr. Frankenstein's bench and its DNA is being whored off to the DAW master and once done, there is no real analog multi track master to go back to. You're locked into however well the analog to digital conversion and storage of the waveforms got accomplished and that's that.

Interesting!

Cheers! :)
 
Back
Top