What IS saturation (analog) and how does it work?

  • Thread starter Thread starter DaveDrummer
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Why is analog still preferred over digital systems by so many recording artists and professional engineers? The reason is the sound. On the higher end of analog recording systems, the 24 track 2 inch tape systems, there is a phenomenon called Tape Saturation, essentially a form of distortion that is extremely pleasing to the ear. Digital systems, despite their lower cost and extraordinary flexibility, do not naturally reproduce this effect.
Saturation gives you warm, smooth characteristics.
Although thats not an in depth explanation, its the reason its used.
 
It's been a while but......

It's been a while since I read about tape saturation. If I remember correctly it's kind of like compression. As the signal going tape gets hotter and hotter the more saturation/compression (and maybe also what Stealthtech said) distortion is added. It's basically the recording engineer pushing the limits of the medium and the medium be tape.

sonicpaint
:D
 
...you know that wave form you see on your computer?

ya that thing.

You see how it is in a track kind of......with a top and bottom. ....well anyways there is a strip that it is moving along and the wave is inside on the computer screen. When it gets too big on a computer it gets that nasty distortiony fuzz.

Well, that is actually representing what it would look like on tape. Except when that wave gets too big it has a means of smoothing out via attempting to cram the whole wave into the space rather than just clipping or cutting out the remainder of the wave like a computer would.
 
Tape is highly non-linear, so what happens is complex, but yes, one of the first effects of tape saturation is a compression effect, that is the total volume you get back from tape is lower that the volume you pushed to the tape, but the sound isn't distorted.

If you continue to push the tape even harder, you'll finally get distortion. This is a very soft and smooth distorsion, and therefore you can push tape very hard before it starts sounding nasty.

I'd seriously recommend anybody using tape to experiment with just how hard you can push your tape and what effects you get.
 
Cool. the reason I asked is because on my Cakewalk I can add a VTS plugin called 'TapeSim' and it simulated a tape. if I add simulated medium saturation on a 15ips tape, it sounds realllly nice.
 
DaveDrummer said:
Cool. the reason I asked is because on my Cakewalk I can add a VTS plugin called 'TapeSim' and it simulated a tape. if I add simulated medium saturation on a 15ips tape, it sounds realllly nice.

really i've always found it to be useless..
 
Teacher said:
really i've always found it to be useless..


how come? I find it to add the warmth I need..I think its in the EQ though. With that said, do you know any other Tape/Saturation sims? VTS?
 
The whole idea of using a plugin to simulate how tape reacts is pretty hard / impossible to pull off, due to the complex web of non-linearities involved, as Regebrow so amply pointed out.

Even though I think tape is slightly over-rated at the moment, it's still the only way I know of to get that effect. But there's always the Fatso .

:D
 
That said, PSP's Vintage Warmer has that saturate-y vibe without actually being a tape sim. I like it.

But, I like a lot of things, so. . .

MP
 
...on my Cakewalk I can add a VTS plugin
called 'TapeSim' and it simulated a tape.

Dave,
I've got that one, it's a DX plugin and is fun. I made a virtual chain to simulate the tube pre and tape saturation trying to breath some analog into an old worn out mix. It's got tape speed and EQ curves to have fun with...

I played around with using a 15ips speed and a 30ips eq curve, don't forget to use the tape hiss. It sounded good to me...

Does it sound like a Struder ? Is it like pushing into a real tape ? Does it knock out all those usec transients like a real tape ... Ha Ha - Close your eyes real tight ! Maybe not...Is it fun - yes ! :)

kylen
 
mallcore pop said:
That said, PSP's Vintage Warmer has that saturate-y vibe without actually being a tape sim. I like it.

But, I like a lot of things, so. . .

MP


Vintage Warmer is awesome, I had the demo. Maybe ill buy the full version someday.
 
mallcore pop said:
That said, PSP's Vintage Warmer has that saturate-y vibe without actually being a tape sim. I like it.

But, I like a lot of things, so. . .

MP

actually the vintage warmer simulates analog compression which i think is the saturation thing he is talking about....thats what that big input drive knob is doing...
 
With out simulation.

I have tried some of those tape simulations an have found that they do and ok job, I guess.

I would try and insert something analogue and warm sounding in your recording chain instead of trying to simulate it. It's not that hard or expensive to do it.

I guess if there was no possible way I could do that I might fall back on a simulator, but I'd try to avoid it if I could.

Later
sonicpaint
 
Teacher said:
actually the vintage warmer simulates analog compression which i think is the saturation thing he is talking about....thats what that big input drive knob is doing...

Well, yes, that's what the limiter section is doing, but all the input drive is doing is adjusting level into the wideband/multiband section. It has shelving eq's, knee, and attack/release, so I wouldn't call it a tape sim that does analog compression, but rather a compressor/limiter with an analog-y response (whatever that means).

VIHAB,

MP
 
ok guys, I bought vintage warmer. Wow, what a sweeeet plugin. It just makes my mixes sound huge. It definetly worth my $120.
 
Right on!

For individual tracks (not full mixes), play around with softer knee settings, ease up on the input drive, and increase the speed (attack/release).. Thickness up the ass.

In fact, don't ease up on input drive.


MP
 
regebro said:
Tape is highly non-linear, so what happens is complex, but yes, one of the first effects of tape saturation is a compression effect, that is the total volume you get back from tape is lower that the volume you pushed to the tape, but the sound isn't distorted.

If you continue to push the tape even harder, you'll finally get distortion. This is a very soft and smooth distorsion, and therefore you can push tape very hard before it starts sounding nasty.

I'd seriously recommend anybody using tape to experiment with just how hard you can push your tape and what effects you get.
Reg any difference between input and output is distortion in the literal sense. Distortion does not mean only crackling sounds. Mild tape compression is indeed distortion and has it's own warmth.
 
chessrock said:
-linearities involved, as Regebrow so amply pointed out.

Even though I think tape is slightly over-rated at the moment....[/URL] .

:D
Of course you do.
 
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