Slate Digital -‐ Virtual Tape Machines 13
Frequently Asked Questions
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How hard should the tape be hit?
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This depends on what you want to achieve and what is your mix.
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If you have a lot of bass in a Hip Hop mix, you can try to saturate the tape a lot. For a clean
sound, you don't want too much saturaPon. Slowly raise the Input of your track unPl you begin
to hear distorPon (this level will depend on the content of your mix or tracks). Then back off on
the input by .5dB.
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HiYng 0dB VU is the best way to maximize the tape sound, i.e. the best noise/saturaPon raPo.
As always, experiment and use your ears!
What is the preferred order of processing?
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By Fabrice Gabriel
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To simulate the typical signal flow when mixing a mulP-‐track session recorded to tape, we
recommend the following:
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1. VTM as the first insert on every track in your mix, set to the 2” 16-‐Track Machine.
2. Set Tape Type, Speed, and Bias to taste.
3. VCC Channel as the second insert on every tack in your mix.
4. VCC Mixbuss as the first insert on your Master Fader.
5. VTM as the last insert on your Master Fader (but before any limiPng), set to the 1⁄2” 2-‐Track
Machine.
6. Set Tape Type, Speed, and Bias to taste.
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This effecPvely reproduces the signal flow of mixing off a 2” 16-‐Track tape machine, into console
channels, through it’s mixbuss, and prinPng the mix to a 1⁄2” 2-‐Track tape machine.
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Of course this all depends on what you want to achieve for the order of processing. What is cool
with plugins is that you can do whatever you want. It’s totally up to you!
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Personally I'd use a different order of plugins depending on my track. For instance on a vocal
track, I'd use the following chain:
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Dessser > VTM > EQ > VCC
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I want to use the deesser with the more pronounced sibilants possible, and fix them as soon as
possible in the processing chain with both the deesser and the Virtual Tape Machines. If you
push the VTM, it acts as a vocal smoother and a kind of deesser, very complimentary from a
regular deesser.
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In this scenario, I want to take advantage of the Virtual Tape Machines harmonics, smoothing,
and distorPon to warm it up, and to even a\enuate/boost them with the EQ. I’d also want to
