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selection of IEC1 or IEC2 equalization, and the subsequent sonic affects are
displayed in the Tape Playback Head and Tape Response Display. Note how the
purple saturation curve changes as the IEC1 or IEC2 standards are selected for
the various tape speeds.
Tape Formulations
In the world of tape, not only does the tape machine influence
how the audio is heard, the tape medium itself is also a sonic
factor. A great number of tape formulations have been
created since the tape machine was first developed. The AC2
plug-in has consolidated them all into two generally accepted
formulation categories:
• Modern: current manufacturing technologies create a tape with a much
greater dynamic range than earlier formulations. These tapes have a large
linear region, and hence have a smaller non-linear (saturation) ‘character’.
This makes for recordings as true as possible to the original material.
• Vintage: older tape mediums tend to have less dynamic range, and suffer
from greater distortion/saturation. These tapes, however, have ‘character’
that newer ones do not, and have been used with great success in recording
audio.
Tape Playback Head and Tape Response Display
A conventional tape machine (recorder or reproducer) requires a great deal
of maintenance, to insure the unit performs consistently. This requirement is
complicated by the subjective criteria of each user - the ‘optimal’ setup may
differ from project to project.
Fortunately in the digital domain, the ‘good’ things about tape machines and
the tape medium can be modeled, and the models can perform consistently
over time. Additionally, the ‘optimal’ setup is only a few control changes away
(instead of a tedious calibration session).
The rapid setup of the virtual tape machine in the AC2 plug-in is facilitated
by the visual feedback of its controls and the Tape Playback Head and Tape
Response Display.
The white curve shows the playback head response - low frequency rolloff and head bump levels update as the playback head type, Roll-off, and
Bump controls on the AC2 plug-in are updated. The purple curve shows the
amount of tape saturation caused by the under/over biasing of the virtual
tape machine, and how the biasing changes for different playback speeds and
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