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TECHNOLOGY REVIEW


Audio Media editor Jory MacKay talks with Waves’ product manager Mike Fradis about modelling such a classic piece of kit.


Those who know their recording history will know the significance of the tape deck emulated in the J37 plug-in, but for those who aren’t sure, what is the importance of this particular unit? This particular unit is a 1in four-track machine, probably the highest resolution per track you can get in tape machines till this day. It’s the first machine to have both sync head output amps as well as repro head output amps, which enabled the invention of the ADT effect. It is considered to this day to be one of the best sounding machines as it is extremely flat (0.5dB at 20kHz is an astonishing frequency response for tape machines). Lots of the Abbey Road recordings, including Beatles albums, were recorded on this machine. As for the unique EMI formulas, these are


extremely rare and modelling them is probably one of the best legacies Waves can leave behind, as there are virtually no more formulas like these one.


What were your main concerns when designing the plug-in?


A tape machine is a beast with so many sonic variables. I think the main concern was to get it properly calibrated each time you take a measurement to make sure the results are consistent. Also, we took great care in getting the unique harmonic distortion structure.


What are some of the specific sonic characteristics you were trying to capture?


rate and depth controls can add character to the sound – though you can also use these parameters along with Noise (hiss and intermodulation distortion) and Sat (a different effect compared to just increasing the input level) when processing in ‘normal’ tape emulation mode. The delay can be set to


create various types of echo – Slap(back,) FDBK (feedback), and a stereo Ping- Pong – and features linkable stereo level/feedback settings, high pass and low pass equalisation, feedback delay time (up to two seconds), and a button to synchronise the delay to the tempo of your DAW.


THE SOUND It would be an almost impossible task to hear how the J37 stands up to the original hardware – unless it was the actual model that Waves had access to of


www.audiomedia.com


We recorded test signals we can measure on one, and on the other one we recorded music to make sure what we measure and calibrate in the plug-in results in correct sonic characteristic. Measurements will get you 80% there, but the last 20%, which are the hardest ones to do, are done by ear – listening and matching.


Well the frequency response is probably the most important aspect of modelling. The frequency response varies according to how hard you hit the machine, and these dynamic changes are hard to model. We also wanted to get the silky high frequencies as well as make sure that the variations in bias change the sonic character of the machine correctly.


How did you go about developing the different tape formulas? Each of the formulas has a different dynamic range, frequency response, and harmonic distortion it creates. We did the 815 first as this was the flattest formula we had, and once we had modelled it to our satisfaction, we moved onto modelling the 811 and the 888, which is the oldest one. Getting some clean tape formulas was the key.


“The effect of the J37 is often subtle, but instancing a few of these on several tracks of multi- tracked drums, does indeed ‘glue’ the instruments together in a way that’s difficult to achieve using other processors.”


Stephen Bennett


course! These machines are now ancient and, even if in perfect working order, the combination of changing tape formulations and physical modifications would make any direct comparison fruitless – as would trying to compare the plug-in directly to other makes of vintage reel-to-reel machines. In spite of this, I powered up


my Ferrograph Series 6 and Studer A800 stereo tape recorders and ran some tracks through them alongside the J37 – after I’d spent a few hours cleaning and demagnetising heads and performing alignment, that is. I was pleasantly surprised by what the J37 had to offer – you can make it hiss and wobble like a broken tape machine if you like (instant Frank Zappa!), but you can also dial in something of the ‘warmth’ and compression and other audio artefacts that, ironically, people often used to try to avoid when using tape.


The effect of the J37 is


often subtle, but instancing a few of these on several tracks of multi-tracked drums, does indeed ‘glue’ the instruments together in a way that’s difficult to achieve using other processors – apart from using analogue tape, of course!


Lastly, can you tell me about your partnership with Abbey Road Studios? Abbey Road is a very good partner for our modelling line as they probably have some of the most exotic hardware available, all with a history beyond compare. They help us to make sure each piece of gear we model is maintained properly and they still have one of the original engineers working for them and maintaining the gear in the old, ‘proper’ way. They also help us with quality assurance of the sound aspect and make sure to point out the working methods used with the specific devices we model as well as helping us to acquire all the required measurements. To me they don’t act only as a partner but also as beta testers of the highest degree. Can you imagine having the option to throw something at 15 top-notch engineers for immediate feedback? It really helps the development process. To sum it all up, Abbey Road is not just a marketing brand partner, but they take a major part in the development and that is the key the great products we create together.


CONCLUSION The J37 brings a set of audio processing options to the table that are not covered by other tape emulators such as Waves’ own Kramer plug-in and the Universal Audio Studer A800. The sound it imparts is more ‘vintage,’ for want of a better word, and the delay section turns it into something rather special. If your musical head is firmly set in the 60s, the J37 should help you some way to creating the vibe of the technology of that era. For the rest of us, the tone shaping on offer and,


INFORMATION Feature set


• Created in association with Abbey Road Studios • Includes models of three tape formulas developed by EMI


• Controls for bias, wow, flutter, tape speed, and more • Tape Delay including three different delay types, sync, and LP and HP filter controls


www.waves.com April 2014 41


especially, the tape delay, will be eminently useful in modern productions. All Waves needs to do now is emulate the smell generated by 52 vacuum tubes heating up and I’ll be on Amazon ordering a pair of loons before I know it!


THE REVIEWER STEPHEN BENNETT has been involved in music production for over 30 years. Based in Norwich he splits his time between writing books and articles on music technology, recording and touring, and lecturing at the University of East Anglia.


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