Tape saturation Reel to reel into DAW (logic pro x) for dummies like myself

[ChristopherTheo]

Hey all.

I have a focusrite 6i6 and a revox b77 (rca to jack cables as well).

I have some songs I want to give a warming up from my reel to reel machine. I dont know how to go about hooking it up, giving tape saturation into my digital mixes on logic.
I'd like to do something like this dude.

DX5 compressing with analog tape - YouTube
(2:27)

Thanks guys.

-Chris

 

[miroslav]

If the songs/tracks are already recorded...and in the DAW...send the stereo mix or track(s) to a pair of your interface outputs, and into the Revox.
Once you record them, drop them back to the DAW.

Or you can set up the Revox to monitor off the tape, in real-time as you record...and simultaneously drop the tracks back into the DAW to a fresh set of tracks, as you play them from the DAW to the deck.

Once you compute the time distance from the record to playback head...that's by how much you need to time-align the new tracks in the DAW...or just try and slide them by ear...you will have to do some fudging, considering there is no sync between the DAW and deck, and you're dealing with tape, which has fluctuations in its transport.

 

[garww]

Basically, you output your mix to the input of the deck. Then you spend a lot of time on headphones(at the deck) just recording at different levels and with different tape formulations to see if you find anything you want to use. Even with nominal recording levels there are so many variations in sound to be had. Then you can get into higher distortion levels, also. I would just buy a used low noise high output TDK and Maxell in 7-inch to play around with first. I buy, mostly, Scotch brand 203 and 206

EDIT; as an example, Part of my testing with the TEAC 2340 Simul Sync was CD in, and record level maxed for max distortion on Scotch 203

Nevermind, that mp3 is too big to upload

 

[ecc83]

Pity that guy did not show the B77s meters. You will probably have to drive the machine pretty hard to get any effect. '0' VU on a properly aligned 1/2 track deck should correspond to about 2 to 3% THD (total harmonic distortion) and if that sound bad, it actually isn't that audible, not on [peaks anyway. The meters will probably have to go off scale for much of the time.

This of course means that the REPLAY level off tape will be much higher so if you intend to record that back into the PC make sure you make the required reduction in level, you do not want to add DIGITAL distortion to the proceedings!

Dave.

 

[ecc83]

Pity that guy did not show the B77s meters. You will probably have to drive the machine pretty hard to get any effect. '0' VU on a properly aligned 1/2 track deck should correspond to about 2 to 3% THD (total harmonic distortion) and if that sound bad, it actually isn't that audible, not on [peaks anyway. The meters will probably have to go off scale for much of the time.

This of course means that the REPLAY level off tape will be much higher so if you intend to record that back into the PC make sure you make the required reduction in level, you do not want to add DIGITAL distortion to the proceedings!

Dave.

Ah! I see Mr G is on the case! I shall defer to he!

Dave.

 

[garww]

What you said about the metering is just as good. Different formulations can catch you, though. My particular 2-track knocks the 0-level down for +3 and +6 tapes. A 250nw tape is designed to tolerate +3, compared to the regular 180nm formulation.

Outside of the 1kHz test distortion spec, you have to listen to the other freqs(or scope it). But ya, the store bought Music reel can be hovering around +3/+6. Distortion, baby

 

[ecc83]

Just want to canter in on one of my hobby horses ('What? ANOTHER ONE!')
The term 'saturation' properly means a condition of a device, usually a transformer or transistor/valve where it is turn fully, hard on and all linear processes are ceased. Clearly we never want this to happen in an audio signal chain but the term seems to have stuck somehow and it used to mean even quite low levels of distortion!

Dave.

 

[garww]

With audio, it is, clearly, about the fun getting to the point of saturation. If we think we are saturating tape with a high signal level, then the bulk erasure wouldn't be able to erase it.

 

[ecc83]

With audio, it is, clearly, about the fun getting to the point of saturation. If we think we are saturating tape with a high signal level, then the bulk erasure wouldn't be able to erase it.

I doubt you get very close to tape saturation. I would bet the recording amps would crack first. A bulk eraser (or any form of de-magger) WORKS by taking the magnetic medium TO saturation and then slowly bring the domains back to a random state.

Dave.

 

[garww]

Ya, the VST mfg invented another whopper : ) At any rate, there can be many ways to tailor distortions on a tape machine