# UAD Studer Emulation--substitutes



## José Herring (Mar 31, 2021)

I was wondering if anybody had any experience with the UAD Studer tape emulation. I'm looking for a close native alternative. I have Kramer from Waves but there's something about it that just isn't working for me. Or maybe I'm not working it right, but the Kramer doesn't at all sound like tape to me while the UAD does to an extent. 

I'm looking specifically for a a native equivalent in sound to the UAD. Would you consider Softtube's Tape to fit that bill?


----------



## kgdrum (Mar 31, 2021)

The Studer is very good,I haven’t used the Kramer in years but I remember being disappointed.
Softube’s Tape is nice,another newer one you might want to also checkout is Flywheel from Fuse Audio & its 1/2 price until 4/05 and it’s very good.





Fuse Audio Labs | Audio Plugins and Mobile Audio Apps


Fuse Audio Labs is a number one source for truly analog sounding plugins designed for the daily demands of real-world musicians and engineers.




fuseaudiolabs.com




If you have the CPU : IKMultimedia have their Tape Machine Collection in a $99 bundle deal currently. I haven’t tried it yet but most people say this is the best tape plugins currently (if you have Jam Points you can get it for $70)
This is a really good deal but this plugin is very demanding on the CPU.





IK Multimedia. Musicians First


IK Multimedia. Musicians First




www.ikmultimedia.com


----------



## doctoremmet (Mar 31, 2021)

José, the IKM Tape Emulations are very good. Current deal is good, as it includes the Roland Space Echo as well.

Softube Tape is more suitable for subtle use cases on inserts as it does not kill CPU. 

Also: the free yet excellent CHOW Tape (Plugin Boutique has it).


----------



## jcrosby (Mar 31, 2021)

José Herring said:


> I was wondering if anybody had any experience with the UAD Studer tape emulation. I'm looking for a close native alternative. I have Kramer from Waves but there's something about it that just isn't working for me. Or maybe I'm not working it right, but the Kramer doesn't at all sound like tape to me while the UAD does to an extent.
> 
> I'm looking specifically for a a native equivalent in sound to the UAD. Would you consider Softtube's Tape to fit that bill?


Softube's tape by default is pretty subtle, however the trick is to play with the crosstalk and high boost/cut. The crosstalk will actually emphasize the lows & highs. The high boost/cut does what it says on the tin... It's not a one to one match but you can get pretty close. The main difference is the lack of tape types... If you rarely dial these in I wouldn't sweat it...

as Doc says IK makes some decent tape plugins as well. Again not one to one, pretty close, only downside is that they're ruthless CPU eaters. (Akin to some of Acustica's heavier plugins)...

I've also gotten pretty close with Saturn 2. The dynamics knob and tone sliders can get you pretty close results... Overall I've gotten great results with: IK A80 (Studer), ST Tape (think there's supposed to be a Studer in there), Slate VTM (Studer, not sure of the model), Ozone 9 Tape (Hybrid of a Studer and an ATR-102, at least from what I've been told from a buddy who used to develop there...)

If you're curious I may upload a shootout if I have a moment later tonight....


----------



## doctoremmet (Mar 31, 2021)

jcrosby said:


> If you're curious I may upload a shootout if I have a moment later tonight....


----------



## fakemaxwell (Mar 31, 2021)

u-he Satin , Saturn 2, and CHOW Tape (freebie).

Satin and Saturn both do way way more than just tape emulation, making them more useful than a straight up tape plugin.


----------



## jcrosby (Mar 31, 2021)

Alrighty... Here's 6 comparisons.

The main folder has the RAW audio.
_Blind Test_ is self explanatory...
If you feel like skipping the blind test just unzip the file called '_Unzip Me for Results_'....

As for the UAD, I set the it to 30 ips and used 456.

Other plugins: In some cases I used the defaults. In other cases I made a few tone adjustments on the plugin itself to get a similar-ish tone. Again, I'm not saying any of these are necessarily one to one... Just a comparison to highlight the similarities/differences... As far as Softube's goes this was the closest combination I came up with on the spot. Crosstalk was juiced up to 75%, HF trim was dialed back down 3 dB.



https://www.dropbox.com/s/ke6l7jttlb611i5/Tape%20Plugin%20Comparisons.zip?dl=1


----------



## José Herring (Apr 1, 2021)

jcrosby said:


> Softube's tape by default is pretty subtle, however the trick is to play with the crosstalk and high boost/cut. The crosstalk will actually emphasize the lows & highs. The high boost/cut does what it says on the tin... It's not a one to one match but you can get pretty close. The main difference is the lack of tape types... If you rarely dial these in I wouldn't sweat it...
> 
> as Doc says IK makes some decent tape plugins as well. Again not one to one, pretty close, only downside is that they're ruthless CPU eaters. (Akin to some of Acustica's heavier plugins)...
> 
> ...


Yeah would love a shoot out. I have the Ozone but for some reason I can't hear any difference when I use it. Time to crack open the manual I guess.


----------



## DimensionsTomorrow (Apr 1, 2021)

I have a few tape plugins, but not the UAD Studer. U-he Satin is probably the most tasteful tape plug-in I have. XLN Audio’s RC-20 is still probably my favorite “character” plug-in though. I often use Waves J-37 as well (along with AR Vinyl). If I had to choose only two, I’d take Satin and RC-20.

Edit: I don’t even count Ozone as, like you, it doesn’t do much for me. I’m not that big on Saturn 2 either for tape - personal preference I guess, but could be user error.


----------



## jcrosby (Apr 1, 2021)

José Herring said:


> I have the Ozone but for some reason I can't hear any difference when I use it.


I actually use it pretty often. It may not look like tape but I actually think it sounds pretty good....

I looked at a few of them on an analyzer and Ozone's actually had the widest range of tone shaping in the sub range.... In 30 ips mode it adds a head bump around 40-50 Hz and has a gentle roll off below. It also adds a tiny low mid dip (which explains why I alway thought it had a punchy tone). Switching to 15 pushes the head bump down below 30. 

They were all pretty similar except UAD's, where the head bump extended past 100. That's probably that x-factor you're not hearing in other tape plugins... At the end of the day I'm pretty agnostic... If I can dial it in to sound good it works for me... Even Saturn 2 sounds pretty good once you play with the tone sliders...


----------



## José Herring (Apr 1, 2021)

jcrosby said:


> I actually use it pretty often. It may not look like tape but I actually think it sounds pretty good....
> 
> I looked at a few of them on an analyzer and Ozone's actually had the widest range of tone shaping in the sub range.... In 30 ips mode it adds a head bump around 40-50 Hz and has a gentle roll off below. It also adds a tiny low mid dip (which explains why I alway thought it had a punchy tone). Switching to 15 pushes the head bump down below 30.
> 
> They were all pretty similar except UAD's, where the head bump extended past 100. That's probably that x-factor you're not hearing in other tape plugins... At the end of the day I'm pretty agnostic... If I can dial it in to sound good it works for me... Even Saturn 2 sounds pretty good once you play with the tone sliders...


Cool. I'll give it another shot. Tried it again tonight but still no luck. But, I will try your suggestions.

I did get a bit of luck looking at the EQ response curves of analog tape machines. Like you said they had that 40hz bump and then flat all the way up until you start to get to 10k then a lot of machines had a spike heading up. The Otari curve had this and I love that machine.

I'm ashamed to admit that mostly what I attribute to the warm sound of analog is just that saturated bass bump. But there you have it. It's the sound I like.

Did get a bit of somewhere with some IR's of the Studer A80 I found online. It had the exact sound I was looking for warmth wise but as is so often the case with IR's it made everything just sound weird so decided against it.

Going to bed now but will try Ozone in the morning one more time with fresh ears. 

If I can get it close I'll hold off on getting other paid ones. I' also playing around with Chow. Now that I know what I'm looking for it might work. Right now though all I get is a bit too much distortion added to the sound. 

Never ending quest. 

Thanks again.

They are ten bucks but I was wondering if you might give them a try and let me know how they compare. If you don't want to pay I'll buy another copy for you.









PastToFutureReverbs


The Best Samples/Reverbs/IRs/Virtual Instruments & More!




gumroad.com





Talk again tomorrow. Thx again.


----------



## Scoremixer (Apr 1, 2021)

U-HE Satin is very flexible, playing around with tape speed, presence bump, Dolby (and alternative) companders etc. Plus there's a nice little graph so you can see in real time what your tweaks are doing to the frequency response. I haven't exhaustively tried all the tape emus, but I've tried a fair few and haven't come across one that quite does what Satin does.


----------



## wilifordmusic (Apr 1, 2021)

I find Satin pleasing and useful for a couple tasks.
There is a free demo/download on u-He site.


----------



## easyrider (Apr 1, 2021)

U-HE Satin....without doubt.

The IK tapes are good as well....but their upgrade crossgrade pricing is way off. Seriouly consider what you want from IK before purchase.

The cost of the IK tapes deal now is cheaper for new customers than someone who owns all the tapes....


----------



## darcvision (Apr 1, 2021)

i like using magnetite from black rooster audio because it sounds really great and very easy to use. chow tape also very great and has a lot of potential but its too complicated. also hornet tape is really good because it has a lot of option, gain compensation, very affordable and low cpu.


----------



## José Herring (Apr 1, 2021)

Two files of a noodle I did (please don't expect it to be a high level mock up). One is w/o the studer IR's and one with the Studer IR's. Let me know what you think of the contrast.

edit: Added a third file with the compressor after the studer IR to even out the bass bump.


----------



## wst3 (Apr 2, 2021)

I've grown really accustomed to the UAD Studer and Ampex models. They are subtle, but they are also effective. u-He Satin is really cool, but I haven't found it as effective as the Studer and Ampex. Softube Tape is another contender and I have been using it more frequently in Studio One as a mixFX multi-track, it sounds great.

Of all the tape plugins I've tried I would rank the UAD and Softube plugins at the top of my list.


----------



## ptram (Apr 2, 2021)

José Herring said:


> I have the Ozone but for some reason I can't hear any difference when I use it.


I hear, or think of hearing, a subtle smoothing and darkening. But compared to Softube Tape (the only other simulator I have, apart for the saturator in Synchron Player), I wouldn’t feel it as the effect of a tape. With ST Tape I know I'm listening to something recorded on a tape. Or, at least, I'm listening to what I like to consider a tape simulation!

Paolo


----------



## Dietz (Apr 2, 2021)

If AAX is an option, CraneSong's Phoenix II is still the closest thing to the proverbial "better-button". Plus - it's most likely the ugliest plug-in on this planet, so you can be sure not to get fooled by fancy graphics. ;-D


----------



## jcrosby (Apr 2, 2021)

Here are some pink noise tests. The redline is a flat pink noise reference curve overlaid in the analyzer. 

Except for ST Tape's model B, ST Tape is pretty subtle by default. I always like the way Ozone thickened up the sub in 30 ips mode. As you can see ozone adds a bump between 40 and 50 by default. (I also like that it cleans up rumble below 40. Wasn't aware of this until looking at it...)
Granted the harmonic behavior's probably a bit different on both plugins, but that can be measured easily using a sine wave....

Anyway... I just think it's really really important not to let a plugin's graphics influence your perception of what it's doing. Analyzer's are a great for providing an unbiased reality check... 

Ozone 9 Tape: 30 ips Default settings. (At least default IIRC? Low slider is at 2, high slider is at 4).





Ozone 9 Tape 15 ips Default:






ST Tape Model A Default:





ST Tape model C Default:





ST Tape Model B:


----------



## jcrosby (Apr 2, 2021)

Finally... You can shape the tone pretty substantially in Ozone... In generally I prefer Ozone's quick and easy way of dialing things vs chaning the pre/post tone and bias dials in UAD or IK's plugins. Turning those tiny dials is a pain in the ass 


Ozone 9: Low at 6, High at 0, Bias at +3.




Ozone 9: Fully Juiced - Low and High at 10, Bias at 0.


----------



## José Herring (Apr 2, 2021)

Going to give the Izotope another shot right now. Thanks for doing this.


----------



## José Herring (Apr 3, 2021)

jcrosby said:


> Finally... You can shape the tone pretty substantially in Ozone... In generally I prefer Ozone's quick and easy way of dialing things vs chaning the pre/post tone and bias dials in UAD or IK's plugins. Turning those tiny dials is a pain in the ass
> 
> 
> Ozone 9: Low at 6, High at 0, Bias at +3.
> ...


Yeah, this is it. This is what I was looking for and I had it all along. I was also using it as part of a mastering chain on a the 2 bus and frankly it wasn't doing a damn thing. But, when I put the plugin by itself on one of my orchestral groups like say low string it really shines. 

Thanks for your help.


----------



## jcrosby (Apr 3, 2021)

José Herring said:


> Yeah, this is it. This is what I was looking for and I had it all along. I was also using it as part of a mastering chain on a the 2 bus and frankly it wasn't doing a damn thing. But, when I put the plugin by itself on one of my orchestral groups like say low string it really shines.
> 
> Thanks for your help.


You bet man! Really glad to hear  FYI I still love the Studer plugin. I really wish I had a native version I could use on my laptop. (My UAD's PCIe...)


----------



## José Herring (Apr 3, 2021)

jcrosby said:


> You bet man! Really glad to hear  FYI I still love the Studer plugin. I really wish I had a native version I could use on my laptop. (My UAD's PCIe...)


I'll work my way up to the UAD for sure. For me I just something that I can get by with for now.


----------



## ptram (Apr 3, 2021)

jcrosby said:


> Here are some pink noise tests.


Do you also have sonograms, to see what's happening to the harmonic content?

Paolo


----------



## José Herring (Apr 3, 2021)

ptram said:


> Do you also have sonograms, to see what's happening to the harmonic content?
> 
> Paolo


The baby turned out fine but thanks for your concern.


----------



## jcrosby (Apr 3, 2021)

ptram said:


> Do you also have sonograms, to see what's happening to the harmonic content?
> 
> Paolo


Sure I can do that. I'm a sucker for nerdy stuff like this  I prefer to use an analyzer though as it's a little less cryptic, plus everyone understands what they're looking at... I also find it easier to see if the harmonics are 2nd, 3rd, mixed, or non-linear...


----------



## doctoremmet (Apr 3, 2021)

jcrosby said:


> Sure I can do that. I'm a sucker for nerdy stuff like this  I prefer to use an analyzer though as it's a little less cryptic and everyone uses one...


Love your analysis. Love the plugin choice too! True community service ❤️


----------



## jcrosby (Apr 3, 2021)

doctoremmet said:


> Love your analysis. Love the plugin choice too! True community service ❤️


Thanks Doc!! <3


----------



## BasariStudios (Apr 10, 2021)

Acustica Audio Taupe





Taupe - Acustica Audio


Xmas Arctic sale: €99 (€249) save 60% until Jan 8, 2023! The king of sample-based analog tape plug-ins. "I have so many good memories of the early...




www.acustica-audio.com


----------



## Macrawn (Apr 10, 2021)

Jcrosby, 

Are you talking about the Ozone 9 Vintage Tape?


----------

