Question for you guys that still use real tape
 

For those of you who are still using real, analog tape in your studios, at some part of the recording process...

Are you still cutting the tape with a razor blade and pasting it back together like in the olden days? Or are you just using it as an initial recording medium and them playing that back into Protools? Or alternatively, summing to tape at the end of the process?

I know there's a few of you out there still doing it, just wondering what your workflow is and how it fits into the digital workflow.

Re: Question for you guys that still use real tape
 

Before I messed up my Tascam TSR-8 a while back while trying to replace the capstan drive belt, I would sync it to ProTools using a PPS-2 Synchronizer. I liked to record my drum kit to analog tape, and then dump it into ProTools for editing and mixing.

Re: Question for you guys that still use real tape
 

I've pretty much stopped editing with a razor blade, though I'm tempted at times. Usually (when I do use tape) I record to tape and then transfer to Pro Tools for editing.

Re: Question for you guys that still use real tape
 

Track 24 Tape / 24 Pro Tools (48 in) 24 192's and 24 888/24 from 2"tape no NR

Monitor and track splits to Pro Tools and tape Repro-Head to Pro Tools (Offset) at once.
HD10 accel

No razors unless needed.

Re: Question for you guys that still use real tape
 

JC: I see that the "imposter" thread is no longer here, and your original thread is now at the top of the list.

Re: Question for you guys that still use real tape
 

Yeah, I reported it as spam. I guess the mods nuked it.

One of the weirder spam posts I’ve ever seen though. Someone registered a month ago, and then their first post was yesterday, copying mine, including my sig line. Just odd.

Re: Question for you guys that still use real tape
 

Gotta surf band that we still bust out the blades for,
but usually only need them when we’re fixing old splices during transfers.

So now tape is used during mixing/mastering;
to run signal out of PT, through the analog console,
hit the tape (either half inch or 2 inch),
over to an 1176, and then print back through the 192's.

Re: Question for you guys that still use real tape
 

What does that process get you?

You are digitizing the signal into Protools, then putting it on to tape, then back into Protools. So you are digitizing the signal twice. Can you actually hear any audible difference? Or is it all just a placebo effect because you think it SHOULD sound better/different?

Re: Question for you guys that still use real tape
 

I'm guessing he's using the process to bypass the summing engine in PT. That would be the only audible thing that comes to my mind.

Re: Question for you guys that still use real tape
 

Jack's right, we zero out the faders out from PT
then sum that through the Malcolm Toft console
before hitting the tape.

The great thing about todays A/D’s
is although they don't themselves sound like analog,
they retain the sound of analog;
so once you get the saturation
(and another DB or so if you're into that sort of thing)
the 192 will faithfully capture that…