Abbey Road J37
Takeaways
- Wow refers to frequency modulation caused by speed irregularities of the tape machine motor
- Flutter refers to amplitude modulation caused by movement of the tape in relation to the machine’s recording heads
- Bias refers to the inaudible ultrasonic high frequency tone (usually a sine wave ranging from 40 kHz to as much as 100 kHz) that’s added to improve the fidelity of analog magnetic recordings
- Speed - 15ips and 7.5 ips
- input levels are important here, average input levels of -3 - 0 VU will ensure proper gain structure within the plugin
- plugin adds “tape compression” without using a compressor
- Use the Input level control (in its linked state) and the VU meters to adjust the input level. Make sure the peak program material does not exceed +1VU - +2VU.
- Modelled Tracks 2+3 gives a wider stereo sound - if it’s too extreme, use just 2 or 3
- Delay is limited to 2 seconds. Therefore, at tempos below 120 BPM, Whole Note duration is not available.
- when Delay Level is set to 50% and above, there is a chance to create infinite feedback due to the tape’s transfer function and the tonality of the input signal
Tape Formulas refers to the chemical structures of the different tape media developed by EMI
- EMI TAPE 888 (early ’60s) - Considered “lo-fi” and “grainier” compared to the other formulas, with more distortion between 1 kHz and 8 kHz
- EMI TAPE 811 (mid to late ’60s) - Offers better high frequency response and slightly less distortion than the 888 formula
- EMI TAPE 815 (early ’70s) - Delivers flatter high frequency response and less distortion than the 811 (minimal colouration)