Meverylame
January 22nd, 2008, 08:46 AM
Hey guys and in particular Slippy,
Early in the SG narratives Slippy discussed gain scheduling and treatment of distorted guitar in reference to optimizing for analog tape. What are some of your methods for optimizing drums on input for tape and more specifically what do you find to be optimum levels to be hitting tape? If its an issue lets call the calibration +3@250.
Thanks!
eagan
January 22nd, 2008, 07:23 PM
Um.....maybe trying stuff, then listening?
I know, I'm talking crazy again. I'll shut up.
JLE
Slipperman
January 22nd, 2008, 08:13 PM
Holy fuck.
Just wrote a moderately extensive post on the subject. Timed out on the server(which FUCKING SUCKS AS A SYSTEM, AND HAS GOTTA BE EXTENDED/CORRECTED)... and, by missing a single digit on my own password upon logging back in...
LOST THE FUCKING POST.
Marvelous.
I'll try to get back later as I have(had) a bunch of thought on the subject.
It's gonna be one of those weeks. I can feel it.
Hate.
Major fucking hate.
Ahh me.
Think happy.
Happy Happy Joy Joy.
SM.
weedywet
January 24th, 2008, 10:23 PM
there's no such thing as +3@250
it can be 0 VU= 250 nW/m (which is sometimes, inaccurately, referred to as "+3")
or it can be +3 OVER 250
two completely different things.
try to be clear.
but really, the flux level isn;t CRUCIAL if you don't know anything else about working methods.
I tend to align the tape machine to 6 over 250 (8.5 over 185; what many might call, again inaccurately, "+9")
but I peak everything on the desk VU's at zero or less.
Drums often at -3
so if my snare drum is peaking at -3 VU going into a machine aligned for 520 nW/m, then it's getting roughly the same level on tape as the guy who aligns his machine to 250 (6 dB lower) but tends to slam the pin on the VU meter (6 dB hotter).
know what I mean?
understanding flux level is useful, but not as a magic trick in and of itself.
personally I REALLY dislike the sound of transistor stages and transformers in the output of the desk or the input of the machine or the return input back into the desk, being SLAMMED.
so I keep the levels between those stages reasonable.
But I elevate the level to the TAPE itself, within the machine, so the tape isn't being hit 'softly'.
I find most tape has a range of operating level in which it sounds best, TO ME.
while I like a little tape saturation when it's just making things sound big... as soon as it starts to BECOME the sound, sounding squashed or flattened or darker, I don't like it.
I like things to come off tape sounding like they went in, mostly.
no one minds if it seems subjectively "better"... but I am suspicious of any MAJOR alteration being noticeable on playback (which is why I think most 'tape simulators" are bullshit)
Drums have big nasty peaky transients that really VU meters don't catch.
So you need to learn to compensate for what you know is there but you can't SEE going in; or you need to get a good PPM.