All the vibrations of a real analog tape… and even more :
Some of the most common high-end tape recorder emulators on the market can sometimes be too thin, leaving the question “is this thing included”? That’s why Kiive Audio’s Tape Face is modeled after one of the most distinctive professional tape recorders ever made, adding a welcome dose of analog charm to digital recordings.
Characteristics
Three Modes: Tasteful, Subtle to Serious :
In I mode, Tape Face provides an accurate emulation of an Irish tape recorder known for its pleasingly colored tone. In this default setting, it delivers an even stronger sound signature than some of the cleaner machines made in Switzerland and the US. In mode II, the emulation becomes much more transparent when a softer touch is required. And for Lo-Fi lovers, Mode III packs in extra grain, saturation, and treble softening for more extreme analog degradation.
More than just emulation :
Tape Face offers features not found on original analog tape recorders. It adds extra tape speeds for more frequency curves and head hits.
Want to push your head even more? Try the “Low Boost” feature to restore lost low frequencies. Want more ribbon color and compression without increasing gain? Just increase the saturation knob.
Do you want real magic? The “Bias” switch boosts and saturates the low mids while keeping them under control with frequency-dependent tape compression. Tape Face even lets you add stereo width or see how much tape compression is being applied.
Try EVERYTHING :
Tape Face sounds great just about anywhere. To get a subtle hint of tape saturation, try mode II on the mix bus or all of your tracks, at 30 or 15 pixels.
Feed thin guitars in I mode, then try flipping the bias switch and running it in 15 or 7.5 ips mode for even richer sound. Bring parallel drum busses and loops to life by turning on Mode III – and feel free to adjust the saturation knob!
Try any of these approaches on vocals, bass, drums and synths to get the amount of color you want.
Peculiarities
Emulation of an analog model of a classic Irish tape recorder.
Processor-friendly oversampling allows it to be used on every track to emulate recording through a physical tape recorder.
Three modes:
(I) – Perfect for getting that bumpy tape sound with minimal distortion. This setting is best for a mix bus or drums with heavy transients that need to be tamed.
(II) – Emulates a near-perfectly calibrated tape recorder with silky-smooth highs, bumpy lows and very useful tape compression on input. Perfect for a mix bus or any finishing touches.
(III) – Created specifically for LoFi producers. Dark and grainy tape saturation with strong Gain reduction and harmonics when pressed.
Additional features include:
Bias: Make low-medium bold, grainy and straight while keeping them well controlled.
Tape speed: Decrease the speed to increase the amount of high-frequency roll-off and head impact frequency.
Meter GR: Visualization of the degree of compression of the take.
Stereo Width: The spread of your sound.
Bass Boost: Bring back low frequencies lost due to saturation.
Saturation: Enhance tape compression and harmonic coloration without disturbing the amplification circuitry.
