Tape Emulation and in your chain

[bonzerboy]

I would like to get peoples take on where you use a tape emulation plug in? I can see putting it first but someone told me it i best to put it last because you are giving your track the subtle character of say your EQ etc. Curious to feed back

[Ben Jenssen]

I'll go.
I guess you're talking about inserts order on a track.
Of course, there is no right way or wrong way.
When it comes to harmonics/character type of plugins I tend to insert them after EQ and dynamics, and then I go back to the eq/dyn and play with what's hitting the "tape" or whatever plugin we're talking about. That way I put the "character" on and then my eq'ing is going thru that character.
That sounds kinda messy, but my answer is; last
Clarification: The tape plugin last in the chain affects the desicions I make with eq/dyn going into it. Because the tape makes the eq/dyn sound different.

[bonzerboy]

thanks, good explanation.

[albee1952]

Hmmm, I never really thought about it, but thinking about it now, I use it first. Why? I am mixing, and when I mixed in the old analog days, the signal came FROM the tape machine(old habits die hard). In any case, I really think there is no wrong answer here(and I'm not sure either way sounds different)

[bonzerboy]

Signal came from tape but to get to the tape you went thru the board first and in those days you tired to get most of your sound / source to be as best as you could.. That is why i was asking. Good stuff like the answers

[Stephen Bond]

It doesn't make much difference with subtle settings. If you hit bypass and there's not much difference then it won't make a massive difference where it is in the chain.

If you are pushing things hard or there are substantial level changes then it will make a substantial difference to what other plugins are doing further down the chain.

All in all it is easy just to swap plugins around so try then at different orders. Whatever sounds best is best, that's the only rule!

Stephen

[JFreak]

If you think analog workflow, tape treatment would take place before EQ/COMP

[albee1952]

Originally Posted by JFreak

If you think analog workflow, tape treatment would take place before EQ/COMP

True, except that we would usually also be mixing TO tape Maybe I should put it at both ends

[JFreak]

Originally Posted by albee1952

True, except that we would usually also be mixing TO tape Maybe I should put it at both ends

Also true, but you would likely make adjustments after playback also

[Ben Jenssen]

I don't care if it has "Tape" in the name or not. I see this type of plugins as tone/character/flavour inserts and use them when I think they sound good.
I typically first insert eq/dyn to correct and sweeten the track, then insert the "flavour", then I go back and adjust eq/dyn again. The interaction between the plugins is clue.
That's the great thing about in-the-box, it's almost irrelevant what order or how many plugins you use, if it sounds good, it doesn't matter.