Axe-Fx Via 2in Tape!

atomicriffmaster

atomicriffmaster

Member
So I had an old song in Pro Tools and was thinking about re-recording the guitars with Axe-Fx then bouncing to tape then summing back into Pro Tools. It was all well and good until I realized, "duh! I should just bounce drums and bass to tape then record guitars DIRECT to tape". Anyway, here's how it turned out, oh and I used a Studer 24trk for this. I'll post the full song later maybe, depends if anyone finds this interesting hahah.



Analog Rock - Tape!!
 
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I used a Tom Anderson Bulldog with BKP Cold Sweats, the amp model was the Shiver LD. I also ran the Axe-Fx straight into an API 2500 so that gave it that nice leveled feel, but I bet a studio compressor block tweaked right would have much the same effect.
 
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Thanks! After hearing all this hype about BKP, I tried BKP Nailbomb Pickup on my Music Man JPX, but felt like it lacked that mid hump around 2kHz, so changed it back to Crunch Lab.

I have never been a fan of using compressor on guitar tracks, but I really want to start using it in my recording. Although compressors are generally placed in front of the signal chain, I have seen people slamming compressor at the end or in software after the track has been recorded. Any idea on advantages and disadvantages of those two configurations, esp. on metal guitar tracks?
 
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I totally see where you're coming from, especially with metal distorted guitars, because they're already pretty much square waveforms haha. From a mix standpoint though, I don't know what I would do without a compressor on a guitar master bus. And I have the real API 2500 and the Waves plugin and honestly, they are pretty much identical sounding and operating. All and all, for metal guitar sounds I'd probably only use an analog compressor on the input side to keep the peaks under control and just to have as a safety kinda thing. I think that software compressors will always do a better job at compressing something consistently and accurately.
 
Man this sounds nice! We're trying running the Ultra out stereo thru a Vintech 1272 and also tried some Summit Audio 2ba-221's just to warm it up some and getting great results!
 
Analog ROCKS!!!!

I can point out distorted guitars that have been sent to tape every time... and they're awesome!

There is something about hitting analog tape that 'softens' a distorted guitar - very pleasing to the ear.

I wish there was some way the AXE II could emulate tape.

I've been thinking about this for a while now; especially after listening to the Caroline's Spine - Captured project... and they used a system that basically bounced all of their guitars to/from analog immediately after recording as I understand. BTW, their guitar tones are fabulous!

The way analog tape works is there is a pre-emphasis EQ added before sending the signal to the record head (forgetting about the HiFreq BIAS that's added also)

When the playback head reads the tape on playback, the playback electronics adds a de-emphases EQ to flatten the response back to zero (or approximately)

However, the tape is hit hard WITH the pre-emphases EQ which alters the way the compression works on tape. In other words, Hi Frequencies hit the tape compression FIRST.

Wonder if the II has enough power to do a pre-emphasis EQ, then hit a compressor, and do a de-emphases in a poor man's attempt at emulating tape compression?

I haven't tried this yet, but it's on my list of things to do.

Anyone?

L
 
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