AUS230 Tape Project

So the tape project for me was maybe one of the best things I have learned at SAE. Out of anything I have learned in the last few years I would say that this is potentially the most valuable. I know that tape machines are not commonly used anymore but bands do still want to use them because of their unique sound. Unfortunately there aren't many around anymore in good working order and maybe even less engineers that know how to use them. These days unless you walk into a fairly nice, up market studio (lets not confuse Sound Park for nice or up market, but it's a quality recording studio) you aren't going to see a 24 or 16 track tape machine. Some engineers might have 2, 4 or even 8 track machine at their own personal studios but those machines seem to operate in a different manner to that of the bigger Otari and Studer systems. Functionality aside I also don't think that those smaller machines present the same grandeur that their 24 track counter parts do. Vibe is such an important part of recording and nothing says that you're about to make a sick record than walking into a studio that has a large format console and a big old tape machine sitting in the corner. Definitely a better vibe than walking into a room that just has a laptop and an interface.

If I hadn't been able to do that tape session at Sound Park I am not entirely sure how I would have ever learned my way around a tape machine. I have learned a lot from the internet about audio engineering, it's easily my greatest resource but like anything on the internet I have also learned some really stupid shit about audio. I don't think any amount of YouTube videos would have been as valuable as the time we spent at Sound Park. Being able to ask questions and troubleshoot on the fly was really great.

The value in this skill is that if a band that wants to work with me that are looking at tracking through tape I can say "Yeah, I have done that before" and fairly confidently navigate my way through that session. So many times have I said "Yeah, I have done that before" when I actually had no clue what I was meant to do but I have always seemed to fumble my way through without major issues, I don't think I could do that with a tape session. The reason that this is all relevant is that I am doing a record with a band in October and said "Let's do it all to tape". They got really excited about that fact as none of them had worked with tape before but were aware of the mystique surrounding it. When I suggested that approach to the band, I hadn't yet done our Sound Park session but now that I have feel confident in that project running well. It not only gets me payed for that job but I can see more work coming from this as well.

So I am going to go to a studio that I have never worked at and we'll so how it goes. I think at this stage I will have someone from the studio there with me for a portion of the day to get things moving and just incase a problem pops up that I can't fix but other than that it will just be me and the band. I think the best thing that I can do to make sure that session runs well and that I remain professional is just do my research. I know that I'll be using an Otari MTR90 so I need to do some reading on that machine. I need to get a mic's list and suss out what outboard gear I am going to use. Whether or not you are working out of a strange environment there is a level of planning that has to be done. In a familiar environment this planning ensures that a session is efficient time wise but in an unfamiliar one it's maybe the difference between a productive day or a lost session. What I have started to realise is that all studios are similar to some degree regardless of equipment, it's just all of their little quirks that are different somehow. If you can plan for the familiar and anticipate the quirks then hopefully you can run an efficient and professional session.

I am interested whether or not this new tape skill remains relevant for years to come. Unlike consoles, tape machines aren't being built anymore and I am fairly certain that a lot of companies no longer manufacture parts. As these machines start to die off and fall into disrepair in the years to come I wonder how much I will use them. I can't see a company ever looking to manufacture them new. Then again people said the same things about vinyl pressing machines and now those are being manufactured again. There would have to be some sort of revival of the format but with the way that computer recording is going I am not sure that would happen. Plug in software and emulation technology is only getting better and it may just get to the point where there are no differences between your plug in or the real deal. Even now the differences are negligible. Your plug in will never crap out unexpectedly resulting in some sort of happy accident that can only be found in the analogue realm though. So who knows, maybe Jack White will decide that he's the guy that will start making tape machines again.

SIDE NOTE: Speaking of emulation software, consoles and plug ins. How long is it until SSL or Neve partner with a DAW company and create virtual consoles? Essentially turning your Pro Tools tracks into virtual channel strips that send to a virtual master section. I know there are plug ins that do this to some degree already but I can fully see a situation where you can purchase an SSL branded ProTools version. Complete with routing, sends, inserts, buss compressors etc.