Does the saturation give tracks analog low end and vibe

[mrskytown11]

Does the saturation give tracks analog low end and vibe

Just want to know what it does


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[Shailesh]

Hi !

Copy/pasted from my note book.

few of the words used during conversation for Analog-ness. Technically, they are different.

1. Flutter
   
2. Distortion
   
3. Trident/Tube
   

Most professional tape machines minimizes low and mid frequency harmonic distortions. Thus, gives high‑frequency extension and transient accuracy. Known as Analog Warmth.

The more bounce‑downs that are done on the same tape, the stronger these effects become, as each recording pass adds to the grunge, and this made the associated sound character more prevalent in the late 1970s and the 1980s.

Tape-Flutter(10Hz to 100Hz) is technically a mistake/fault. But, some people consider it as Analog Warmth.

[Dingo]

This is from an older thread about analogue recording ...

Magnetic tape responds to high level transient signals in a very different way to most digital recording systems.
In Digital, once you have run out of zeroes and ones there is nowhere left to go.
With magnetic the tape 'saturates', this is basically like a very soft peak limiter with some gain makeup applied.
Off tape, things 'warmed up', the high frequency response is not as clinical as digital, in fact you got rather a LPF effect as the top end slowly rolled off.
The physics of magnetic recording include:
Bias- the application of a very high frequency signal that activated magnetic particles and allowed for a flat response. Over biasing is sometimes used as an effect. On Dialogue or Vocals massive over biasing can make the person sound as if they have a lisp.
Flux Level - is basically the amount of signal you are electrically applying to the magnetic tape. High Flux levels could reduce the effect of tape hiss by lowering the noise floor, but it was a trade off with Distortion or Over Modulation Compression. Flux is also termed Saturation by some.
Tape Equalisation- Two standards around the world. NAB being the American standard and CCIR being the European standard.
In my opinion NAB was the best because it's EQ curve allowed better low frequency control giving a 'fatter' or 'meatier' low frequency response.
To my ear, Harrison Tape Saturation has that classic American sound.

And yes the net effect is a warming of the signal with a bit of a kick in the low mids. The great thing about this is that you don't get tape hiss, which before Dolby was the bug bear of analog engineers.

Here is a link to a very old 3M paper that goes further into the physics.
http://www.thehistoryofrecording.com/Pap...Primer.pdf

[Shailesh]

This is from an older thread about analogue recording ...

Magnetic tape responds to high level transient signals in a very different way to most digital recording systems.
In Digital, once you have run out of zeroes and ones there is nowhere left to go.
With magnetic the tape 'saturates', this is basically like a very soft peak limiter with some gain makeup applied.
Off tape, things 'warmed up', the high frequency response is not as clinical as digital, in fact you got rather a LPF effect as the top end slowly rolled off.
The physics of magnetic recording include:
Bias- the application of a very high frequency signal that activated magnetic particles and allowed for a flat response. Over biasing is sometimes used as an effect. On Dialogue or Vocals massive over biasing can make the person sound as if they have a lisp.
Flux Level - is basically the amount of signal you are electrically applying to the magnetic tape. High Flux levels could reduce the effect of tape hiss by lowering the noise floor, but it was a trade off with Distortion or Over Modulation Compression. Flux is also termed Saturation by some.
Tape Equalisation- Two standards around the world. NAB being the American standard and CCIR being the European standard.
In my opinion NAB was the best because it's EQ curve allowed better low frequency control giving a 'fatter' or 'meatier' low frequency response.
To my ear, Harrison Tape Saturation has that classic American sound.

And yes the net effect is a warming of the signal with a bit of a kick in the low mids. The great thing about this is that you don't get tape hiss, which before Dolby was the bug bear of analog engineers.

Here is a link to a very old 3M paper that goes further into the physics.
http://www.thehistoryofrecording.com/Pap...Primer.pdf

Thank you !

[Studio Saturn]

To me that tape by itself costs at least 80 bucks if it comes out as a plugin. What it does for drum is beyond my wish. I love how it saturates on parallel comp and change the characteristics of the kit. Ok let me put it this way. It makes your drum hit you in the chest.