WAVES
KRAMER MASTER TAPE
USER GUIDE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER
WELCOME .................................................................................................................3
1.1
PRODUCT OVERVIEW.................................................................................................3
1.2
CONCEPTS AND TERMINOLOGY ..................................................................................4
1.3
1.4
COMPONENTS ...........................................................................................................7
1 – INTRODUCTION......................................................................................3
CHAPTER 2 – QUICK START GUIDE.............................................................................8
CHAPT
ER 3 – INTERFACE AND CONTROLS ...............................................................9
INTERFACE ................................................................................................................9
3.1
CONTROLS ..............................................................................................................10
3.2
3.3 WAVESYSTEM TOOLBAR ..........................................................................................13
CHAPTER 4 – APPENDIX .............................................................................................14
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Chapter 1 – Introduction
1.1 Welcome
Thank you for choosing Waves! In order to get the most out of your new Waves plugin,
please take a moment to read this user guide.
To install software and manage your licenses, you need to have a free Waves account.
Sign up at www.waves.com. With a Waves account you can keep track of your products,
renew your Waves Update Plan, participate in bonus programs, and keep up to date
with important information.
We suggest that you become familiar with the Waves Support pages: www.waves.com/
support. There are technical articles about installation, troubleshooting,
specifications, and more. Plus, you’ll find company contact information and Waves
Support news.
1.2 Product Overview
Developed in association with producer/engineer Eddie Kramer (Jimi Hendrix, Led
Zeppelin), the Kramer Master Tape plugin is modeled on a rare vintage ¼” tube-
powered reel-to-reel machine. A similar machine was used by Eddie Kramer during the
late ’60s at London’s Olympic Studios to record some of rock’s most classic tracks, by
artists including Jimi Hendrix, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and Traffic. Typically, it was
the final link in his recording chain, used to record the output of the Helios console
(modeled in the Kramer HLS Channel plugin), with dynamics processing by the PYE
compressor (modeled in the Kramer PIE Compressor plugin.)
With adjustable tape speed, bias, flux, wow & flutter, and modeled noise, the Kramer
Master Tape provides comprehensive control over the contours of your sound. To top it
off, we’ve added a flexible slap & feedback delay section.
Accurately modeling the character and sound of the machine proved quite challenging,
from the acquisition of well-maintained components, generously provided by Eric
Schilling (Shakira, Gloria Estefan, Natalie Cole, Elton John), down to finding the correct
magnetic tape, in addition to modeling the mechanical and magnetic modulations and
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colorations that give these rare machines their own unique sound. Special thanks go out
to Bob Olhsson (Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross) and especially John Haeny
(Bonnie Raitt, Weather Report, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, Jim Morrison, Tom
Jones) who provided invaluable assistance in the development of the Kramer Master
Tape plugin. You can read in greater detail about the modeling process in the White
Paper which is included as an appendix to this manual.
1.3 Concepts and Terminology
The following are a few of the terms and concepts that you will encounter while using the
Kramer
Master Tape plu
gin. You can read more about them in the White Paper
at the
end of this manual.
Tape Speed
The Kramer Master Tape offers two tape speeds: Low (7.5 inches per second or “ips”)
and High (15 ips). Low speed offers better low frequency response with some high
frequency loss, while high speed offers a more full range signal with slightly less low
end.
Input and Reproduce
When recording to tape, two monitoring modes are available. Input monitoring lets you
hear the signal as it reaches the recording head, including tube and mic-pre saturation.
Repro monitoring lets you hear the output of the repro head just like normal tape
playback, meaning that tape speed, bias, flux, wow & flutter, and noise, in addition to
tube and mic-pre saturation, all affect the monitored output.
Bias
Bias is an ultrasonic signal which is added to the recording in order to reduce limitations
of the magnetic medium. Bias calibration was a regular part of the tape machine
calibration routine and, while the manufacturers had their declared recommendations for
specific machines, many engineers felt that adding more gain to the bias signal gave
them better sound. For this reason, the Kramer Master Tape plugin offers both nominal
bias as well as overbias, which represents 3dB over the recommendation, a setting
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which became popular with many users.
Flux
Flux is the term used for the level of magnetic radiation emitted from the record head on
to the tape,
commonly referred to as operating level. Measured in nano Webers per
Meter – nWb/m, flux is essentially a gain factor reflecting a higher level passed onto the
record head. While older tapes were designed to handle lower flux levels, modern tapes
could withstand much higher flux before distorting, resulting in relatively lower noise.
Noise
The Kramer Master Tape plugin features modeled noise which is a combination of the
tape hiss ge
nerated by analog tape r
ecording, overlaid by the thermal valve noise of the
reference machine’s input and output electronics.
Wow & Flutter
The term wo
w & flutter refers to modulations and
fluctuations in speed and gain caused
by physical friction of the mechanical parts of the tape machine and the tape itself. While
the original machines were designed to minimize wow and flutter, they nonetheless have
become part of the sound we associate with analog tape. Increasing the Wow & Flutter
control makes for a rougher, more “worn” sound.
VU Meter
The Kramer Master Tape features a modeled analog VU meter, where 0 dBVU =
1.23Volts RMS = +4 dBu at 1 kHz. Using a 700
Hz tone at -18 dBFS, input and output
levels are equal. The default VU meter calibration is -18 dBFS = 0 dBVU, which we
found to be optimal for achieving the desired sound when the meter action hovers
around 0 dBVU. For hot digital signals peaking close to 0 dBFS, this will require lowering
your Record Level proportionately to achieve “proper” tape sound. When running hot
signals, the needle may stick to the right side (≥ +3 dBVU). If you are achieving the
desired sound, but would like to see some meter action, you can calibrate the meter to
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your desired headroom, and the VU meter will offset its metering so that 0 VU will
correspond to the selected headroom value.
Delay
While the original tape machine didn’t feature dedicated delay functions, many engineers
he
utilized t
machines for slap/feedback echo effects. The Kramer Master Tape plugin
offers delay times from 1ms to 500 ms, with settings for 7.5 ips (266 ms) and 15 ips (133
ms), emulating the natural slap heard when monitoring the incoming and reproduced
signals at the indicated speeds.
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1.4 Components
The Kramer
Kramer Master Tape Mono
Master Tape consists of two components:
Kramer Master Tape Stereo
Kramer
Master Tape Mono
Kramer
Master Tape Stereo
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Chapter 2 – Quick Start Guide
o Insert the Kramer Master Tape on a track, group, or master.
o Go to the loudest passage in your song and, using the Record Level control,
adjust the input until the
o If the track h
hi-hats, stri
o
If the track has a lot of low frequency information (e.g., bass, kick drum, t
as important high frequency content (e.g., acoustic guitars,
ngs), use the 15 ips to better preserve high freque
meter displays -5 dBVU
use the 7.5 ips to better preserve low frequencies.
o Adjust the Flux control to increase or
o If needed, u
nlink the Re
cord Level and Playback level and adjust levels
individually.
Please note:
Since input
recommend experimenti
levels have a significant impact on the sound of the plugin, we
ng in order to find your optimal settings.
decrease am
to 0 dBVU.
vocals,
ncies.
uba),
ount of distortion.
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Chapter 3 – Interface and Controls
3.1 Interface
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3.2 Controls
SPEED selects the simulated tape speed.
Range: 7.5 ips, 15 ips
Default: 15 ips
When switching between the two speeds, the no
ise and frequency response will change
accordingly; at 15 ips, high frequency response is increased
higher than at 7.5 ips.
MONITOR selects the monitoring mode.
Range: Repro, Input
Default: Repro
Repro mode
the input tub
monitors input stage, tape stage and output stage; Input mode monitors only
e stage of th
e reference
machine, before it goes to tape, prior to the pre-
emphasis and de-emphasis filters.
and noise is one octave
BIAS controls the level of the ultrasonic bias signal.
Range: Nominal, Over
Default: Ove
r
VU METER displays input or output level, depending on your selection.
Range: -20 dBVU – +3
dBVU
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VU CALIBRATION controls the VU meter headroom calibration. It is
represented by the small screw-head below the VU meter display and does not have a
visible label. For most users, the default headroom setting of 18 dB should be the best
choice. (On the Stereo component, use the screw located on the left to calibrate both
meters.)
Range: -24 dBFS – -8 dBFS
Default: -18 dBFS
DELAY TIME controls the time of the tape delay effect, with settings for 7.5
ips (266 milliseconds) and 15 ips (133 ms).
Range: 1 ms – 500 ms (continuous)
Default: 133 ms (15 ips)
DELAY TYPE toggles between delay modes.
Range: Slap, Feedback
Default: Feedback
DELAY LEVEL controls the amount of the delayed output signal.
Range: Off – 100
Default: Off
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LOWPASS controls the LP cutoff frequency on the delay path.
Range: 200 Hz – 16 kHz
Default: 3.5 kHz
RECORD LEVEL controls the input level.
Range: +/- 18 dB
Default: 0 dB
LINK I/O links Record and Playback Levels controls. The link relationship is
inversely proportional, i.e., an increase in Record Level results in a decrease in Playback
level, and vice versa.
Range: Linked/Unlinked
Default: Linked
PLAYBACK LEVEL controls the total signal output level.
Range: +/- 18 dB
Default: 0 dB
FLUX controls the level of simulated magnetic radiation emitted from the
record head.
Range: 150 nWb/m – 1020 nWb/m
Default: 185 nWb/m (Reference machine 0 dB)
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WOW & FLUTTER controls the modulations and fluctuations of speed and
gain.
Range: 0 – 100
Default: 50 (as modeled from the original)
NOISE controls the level of added modeled noise including noise
modulations and signal additive noise.
Range: Off / -40 dB to 0 (0 as modeled from the original)
Default: Off
3.3 WaveSystem Toolbar
Use the bar at the top of the plugin to save and load presets, compare settings
, undo
and redo steps, and resize the plugin. To learn more, click the icon at the upper-right
corner of the window and open the WaveSystem Guide.
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Chapter 4 – Appendix
KRAMER M ASTER TAPE WHITE PAPER
Introduction
Written by John Haeny
Based on an original outline by
Mike Fradis, Waves Product Manger
Edited by Michael Costa
Bias Definition by Michael White
When Waves started a h
their intention to create a model of the original re
ardware modeling project with Eddie Kramer, it was always
cording chain from Olympic Studios in
London that Eddie used on his great recordings of Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones and
Jimi Hendrix. The model of the Helios Console Channel was challenging, resulting in the
Waves Kramer HLS Channel. Next was the modeling of the famous PYE compressor
which was released as Waves Kramer PIE Compressor.
Missing from this ‘golden’ chain was the classic American tube analogue tape machine
used for these recordings. Waves acquired what they believed was the right machine
and set about modeling, knowing it would be difficult based on what was already on the
market. As it turned out, the task was much more daunting than anticipated and Waves’
first attempt, the initial Kramer Master Tape, was withdrawn shortly after being
introduced into testing. It turned out that this third piece of the Kramer Olympic chain
was going to be the hardest.
Waves discovered (along with the guidance of some of their Beta tea
m) that they were
missing a number of things, each one extremely complicated by itself, and in total
representing a huge challenge. Thanks to the guidance of Bob Olhsson and John
Haeny, Waves were ultimately directed to the correct transport and tube electronics.
With Bob’s help, one of these rare beasts was found in Florida owned by Eric Shilling.
Eric kindly agreed to let Waves do some preliminary testing to ensure that this machine
was producing the sound that both Bob and John had missed in Waves’ first effort.
To clarify what appears
an American product in a British studio, it shou
to be a contradiction regarding the Olympic tape machine being
ld be made clear that at the time Eddie
Kramer was working at Olympic Studios in London, it was these American tape
machines that Olympic and their clients were using as master recorders.
This world f
(particularly in America) and was used for literally thousands of hit albums and sing
amous tube tape machine was the mainstay of the recording industry
les
over more than two decades of recording. For example in 1954, an early tube analogue
reel-to-reel tape machine recorded the historic first single of an unknown truck driver
named Elvis Presley, "That's All Right" at Sun Studios in Memphis. This same reel-toreel tape machine was also the backbone of the earliest days of multi-track recording.
The first of the 8-track versions of this recorder was custom built for and sold to Les Paul
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for $10,000 in 1957, and was installed in his home recording studio. It became known as
the "Octopus”. 8-track serial number #3 of the same machine was sold to Atlantic
Records at Tom Dowd’s insistence in early 1958. Atlantic Records was the first record
company to use a multi-track recorder in their studio on a regular basis. Just pause for a
moment and contemplate all the great recordings that came out of that Atlantic Records
recording studio. If they ever were to induct a tape recorder into the Rock and Roll Hall
of Fame, this would be the machine!
With the modeling proje
tape speed,
tape emulsion, tape thickness, f
ct still appearing workable, it turned out that the recording curve,
l
ux or level recorded on the tape (more
later), and the bias settings all greatly impacted the final result. So again, with Bob and
John’s help, endless discussions and tests were made regarding tape types and
alignment techniques until what Waves were going to model was finally settled. Over
time and with much experimentation, they made sample recordings that both Bob and
John agreed had established a solid baseline from which to proceed. It would be these
initial samples of the test recordings that would be used for detailed comparison to
ensure that each model was performing accurately.
Once again, Eric Shilling
came to the rescue and agreed to do the massive testing and
modeling runs required to model the two primary tape speeds, a number of tape
emulsions plus variation
s in flux and bias settings as well as approaches to alignment
techniques.
With the modeling file
models, not only of the variety of analogue tape r
s in hand, Waves began the excessively complex task of creating
ecordings, b
ut the variety of bias, flu
x
levels (tape saturation) and speed settings. When Waves began evolving early stage
Alpha plugs, they required painstaking subjective analysis by comparison to the original
samples recorded on the original tape machine and then through feedback to the
development and engineering team, the models were honed. Because Waves felt they
could best do their development using only one platform at a time, they chose to do their
final development on the Macintosh, at which time Bob, who primarily uses a PC, offered
to take a back seat. John volunteered to take up the slack and became a more or less
full-time co-developer of the Kramer Master Tape plugin.
WHAT WAS MODELED AND HOW DOES THAT AFFECT THE GUI
AND THE OPERATION OF THE
Tape T
Waves mod
machine. Originally 3M Scotch 111 t
during the e
ype
eled 3M Scotch 207 tape as it was considered an excellent match for this
ape would have been the tape of ch
arly days of analogue tape recording. There were other earlier tape types
that were exceedingly popular as well - for example, 3M Scotch 201/202/203 was used
extensively by Motown, but sadly it was no longer available in a sufficient and durable
enough quantity for this project. Waves was also able to source an amount of an earlier
tape stock, 3M Scotch 131, but sadly the quality was poor and it did not hold up during
Waves Kramer Master Tape
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KRAMER MASTER TAPE?
oice for many
15
the modeling process. Because the members of the Waves team had extensive
experience with 3M Scotch 206 (a 1.5 millimeter base) and 3M Scotch 207 (a 1.0
millimeter base), 207 was selected because of the slightly thinner base, although
perhaps subject to greater print-through (clearly not an issue for a tape modeled plugin),
207 provided a more intimate recording and playback head contact (called ‘tape wrap’)
and thus produced a more extended high frequency response. Fortunately John Haeny
had a sufficient supply of virgin 3M Scotch 207 stock for the purpose so off the shipment
flew from Australia to Florida.
Tape Speed
The original
machine’s transport has 2 speeds: 15 ips (inch
es
per second), and 7.5 ips.
15 ips was the default professional standard providing the best high frequency response
and the lowest noise. 15 ips has a gentle roll off at around 16 kHz. 7.5 ips was the
minimum reasonable professional quality speed for studios and there was also a fair
amount of equipment for the home that operated at 7.5 ips. 7.5 ips has quite a high
frequency loss with a roll-off starting at around 8 kHz, but 7.5 ips managed to preserve
low frequencies better than 15 ips with a slightly more ‘solid’ bottom end and therefore
was widely used in rock recordings in the 60’s and 70’s.
When switching between the 2 spee
high frequen
cy response with 15 ips when compared to 7.5 ips but perhaps a somewhat
ds you should expect to get a very much improved
less tight low end. Note that 15 ips will also provide less THD (Total Harmonic Distortion)
than 7.5 ips. There is also a shift in the frequency of the noise by an octave between 7.5
ips and 15 ips, with the noise at 15 ips sounding an octave higher than 7.5 ips. The
significance of this difference has always been argued, with some preferring the noise
signature of 7.5 ips and others preferring the noise signature of 15 ips. As time
progressed and 30 ips became popular, many used 30 ips because as the noise shifted
upwards yet another octave from 15 ips, it moved further away from the fundamental
musical frequencies and thus became less obtrusive. Experiment and form your own
opinions on the issue of speed vs. noise vs. frequency response.
Pre-Empha
sis Curves
At the time of the modeled tape machine’s popu
tape recording standard
s in use worldwide. Because of the in
larity, there were a number of magnetic
herent limitations in
analogue tape recording, these curves generally applied high frequency pre-emphasis
equalization during recording and then applied a high frequency post-emphasis during
playback. The net result of this was to maintain high frequency response according to
the standard being used with the added benefit of also reducing tape noise.
The most popular standa
was NAB (National Asso
rd in Europe at this time was CCIR; in America, the standard
ciation of Broadcasters). The machine at Olympic, as best we
can determine, was a NAB machine although the manufacturer would provide CCIR
machines on special order. Additionally, NAB was the standard used for the vast
majority of the American pop recordings done on this machine. Because the NAB
standard provides the most accurate sonic signature of this legendary American tape
machine, the NAB standard was chosen by Waves for the Kramer Master Tape model.
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Bias
Defined: Bias is a high fr
applied to the record head along wit
equency signal, typically between 40 kHz and 150 kHz,
h the audio signal when an audio track is
placed into record. The bias current solves a critical problem when recording to
analog tape. When the amplitude of an audio signal passes through the zero
voltage crossing, the magnetic field created by the record head is not strong
enough to polarize the magnetic oxide particles on the tape. Thus, a distortion of
the original audio signal is introduced. To minimize this distortion, the bias
current is applied to break down this resistance to polarization. The audio signal
can then be recorded more accurately without the effects of low level distortion.
The amount of bias current applied is critical to the frequency response and
distortion characteristics of an analog recording.
Waves mod
manufacturer’s recommendation for bias adjustment
eled and have provided you with two bias settings. “Nominal Bias,” the
(directly from the original operator’s
manual for the modeled machine) was recommended in the early years to try and reach
the best recording levels with the minimum amount of distortion and the maximum
frequency response. This setting produced a fairly low noise level (around 60 dB lower
than the peak signal), and around 2 to 3 dB of high frequency loss with a moderate
amount of high frequency distortion.
During the ’60s, after a
studio engin
eers and technicians d
number of years of working with these tapes, many professio
iscovered that by over biasing (increasing the
nal
amplitude of bias signal) by only a small amount, they could improve the high frequency
response and at the same time lower the noise level. This was called “Over Bias” and
each tape type, studio, recording engineer and technician had their own way of
calibrating the bias to achieve their preferred sonic qualities.
For the Kramer Master Tape, we modeled the -3 dB over bias, which was agreed by
most engineers to be the
point where you got the best high frequency response, least
amount of distortion and best signal to noise ratio on 3M Scotch 207 tape. (Actually -.7
dB at 700 Hz for 15 ips, but set at -3 dB at 15 kHz for accuracy. You adjusted nominal
bias to accomplish the peak level of the signal and then continued beyond the peak until
the level began dropping by the desired amount, therefore the term ‘over bias’. The bias
adjustment for 7.5 was done one octave lower at 350 Hz or 7,500 Hz and at -20 dB to
avoid excessive high frequency saturation.) When you switch from “Nominal Bias” to
“Over Bias” mode, you should expect to hear a bit less noise, clearer high frequencies
(reduced distortion), and a bit more overall dynamic range (and clarity, once again the
result of less overall THD).
Flux
Defined: The
in measuring the am
magnetic flux density recorded on a tape (level). The standard unit
ount of magnetic energy recorded to tape is expressed in
NanoWebers per meter (commonly abbreviated as nWb/m). When picking an
operating level for tape (flux/level), the general rule is that the higher the
operating level, the further away you are from the noise floor but the closer you
are to the point of distortion. This dynamic is highly dependant on the tape stock
being used. For a detailed dissertation on magnetic recording flux and fluxfrequency measurements please use this URL
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http://home.comcast.net/~mrltapes/mcknight_flux-and-flux-frequency-responsemeasurements.pdf
Flux is the
magnetic density recorded on the tape per meter (nWb/m),
the higher the flux
level - the higher the recording level on the tape. In order to reach higher recording
levels you need to have tapes that can manage a higher flux level (many modern tapes
can reach very high recording levels with minimum distortion with the added benefit of
reduced noise or ‘tape hiss’).
The manufacturer initia
machines d
uring the 19
lly established a recording level for recordings made on their
50s. This w
as called Standard Operating Level. This recording
level was at a flux level of 185 nWb/m. All early alignment tapes were Standard
Operating Level or 185 nWb/m signals and eventually became the standard for all
magnetic tape recording. As tapes were developed to handle greater and greater flux (or
higher recording) levels, the industry continued to rate tape flux levels based on the
original Standard Operating Level. For example, a tape that was designed to record
signals at 250 nWb/m was said to be recording at +3 dB (over the Standard Operating
Level of 185 nWb/m). As a point of reference, since the Flux Control on Kramer Master
Tape is calibrated in nWb/m, here is a quick reference guide for comparison (Source
Quantegy):
-2 dB = 150 nWb/m
0 dB = 185 nWb/m
(Sta
ndard Operating Level)
+3 dB = 250 nWb/m
+5 dB = 320 nWb/m
+6 dB = 370 nWb/m
+9 dB = 520 nWb/m
Science aside, early on many engin
recording le
vels on tapes, it created
eers discovered that by pushing or abusing the
some very musical and
frequently desirable sideeffects, especially in Rock and Roll recording. Tape has a very unique way of going into
saturation or overload, whereas digital is basically ‘go or no-go’ with over-modulation
producing clipping. As the levels are raised on analogue tape, a number of things
increase simultaneously and fairly gradually: Total Harmonic Distortion (THD), Intermodulation Distortion (IM), Modulation Noise and a mix of other aberrations and for ms
of distortion, many of which are still not fully understood. Also, when tape is pushed hard
enough, it has a tendency to ‘saturate’ which is a form of compression, unique to
analogue tape. Many engineers, even when digital was available, still preferred to record
certain instruments on analogue tape (especially Rock and Roll drums) pushing the
levels on the tape well beyond their ideal operating conditions to gain this saturation or
compression.
Modeling this behavior of changing sonic behavior across a
perhaps one
of Waves’ biggest cha
nges. Ultimately they were able to create a
lle
wide range of flux levels was
continuous flux control that ranges from -2 dB below the Standard Operating Level well
into unknown territories, invaluable for a wide variety of special effects.
Since 3M Scotch 207 w
vary about t
he ‘ideal’ level for Scotch 207, Waves chose the more conservative level of
as rated at between 185 nWb/m or 250 nWb/m
(while opinio
ns
185 nWb/m for the Kramer Master Tape default, although they modeled a wide range of
flux levels to be able to accurately create the variable flux control), you will find that the
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plugin will be especially sensitive to settings above the recommended level of the tape
sampled. When reaching higher flux levels you will notice that the low frequencies and
very high frequencies become more and more distorted as the noise level goes down.
Additionally there is another layer of distortion since these increased operating levels
also stress the tube input and output stages, giving you the bonus of an additional level
of overall “tube distortion.”
Kramer Master Tape is the first tape modeling plugin that has actually managed to
create a con
tinuously variable flux control, lettin
g the user sonically und
erstand the
changes between different recording levels. Add to this that this is also being done on a
fully tube electronics tape machine and you truly have a one of a kind plugin - unique in
the industry.
As an added feature, using Kramer
add the sou
nd of the inp
ut and outpu
Master Tape in the input only mode allows you to
t tube electronics, minus the sound of analogue
tape recording. Increasing the record level as you reduce the playback level (to maintain
unity gain) increases the tube saturation of the input and output amplifiers, independent
of the flux control (which only affects tape saturation). These controls can be used either
in conjunction with the sound of the tape saturation, or without the tape saturation to
create just the sound of these unique tube amplifiers operating across their entire range
of saturation.
Because of t
controls, you have full control over both the tape saturation a
he independence of the flux control and the record level and playback level
nd the tube saturation while
maintaining the level of the Kramer Master Tape track in your mix (using the ‘Link’
function for the record and playback controls).
To simplify the Kramer Master Tape Flux control, just think of it as a ‘tape drive’ or
‘saturation control’. As you increase the flux level on the tape the output of the
Kramer Master Tape plugin stays constant at unity gain unless you choose to
adjust the output gain control.
Noise
Although the Noise control on the Kramer Master Tape is defaulted to off, it is strongly
suggested that you take a listen to it. If this can be said, you may find it to be some of
the sweetest noise you will ever hear since it is a combination of the tape hiss generated
by analogue tape recording, overlaid by the thermal tube noise of this historic machine’s
input and output electronics.
Wow
Defined: Wow and flutter in analogue
tape recordings results from the turning
speed inaccuracies (FM), and flutter effect (AM) caused from changes in the
physica
l alignment of the tape on the actual recording head, coupled with the ‘slip
and slide’ of the tape going through the transport mechanism and a variety of
mechanical ‘frictions.’
In a perfect
considered wow and flutter the same as surface noise on a vinyl disc - ju
world, there would not have been wow and flutter. Many ‘in the day’
st something
negative one had to live with since that was the ‘state of the art.’ But like noise, there are
Waves Kramer Master Tape
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many that will feel that any model is not complete without all the flaws as well. For that
reason, Waves has provided you a manual wow control on the plugin’s graphic interface.
It is defaulted to the wow and flutter modeled on the sample machine. You can increase
it for a somewhat more enhanced effect (although it would have never been too obvious
[unless your machine was broken] as it was always a subtlety of the analogue tape
process), or if you choose, you can move to a more idealized world and turn the wow off.
Having or not having wow and flutter and/or noise has nothing to do with the primary
advantages of the analogue tape recording sonics, so use them or not at your own
discretion. You will always have the advantages of the Kramer Master Tape sound with
or without them.
Something Extra
To sweeten the Kramer
control (0 ms-500 ms) th
Master Tape package, Waves also added a variable delay
at routes the tape playback of the plugin back to the input of the
Kramer Master Tape. This creates a very basic feedback tape delay effect across the
entire signal (the direct signal is always included in the mix). A low pass (LP) filter was
added to the delayed feedback path to allow you to filter out any unwanted high
frequencies. This delay/feedback feature is intended to be very basic. It does not offer a
wide control section, but is believed to contribute additional value to the Kramer Master
Tape plugin. Used carefully, this function has the capacity to create some very lovely
tape delay sounds. It also needs to be pointed out that the delay is only affected by the
Delay Time control in the delay section. It is NOT affected by the running speed of the
transport. If you need to ask why Waves included this bonus function, the answer is
quite simple...because they could, and they were confident that you would enjoy it!
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE KRAMER MASTER TAPE
Default Set-Up
The default set-up of the Kramer Master Tape, without any adjustments, will provide
identical re
sults to havin
standard curve with an over-bias of -3 dB at 15 kHz and at a recording flux level of 185
nWb/m. This will yield the sound of the basic industry set-up for this machine at the
height of its era. The only item remaining for you to decide will be whether or not to have
tape and tube amplifier noise, and if so, exactly to what degree.
g made your recording o
n 3M Scotch 207 at 15 ips using a NAB
Of course you also have other options with regard to bias, wow, speed and most
dramatically, a continuo
usly variable flux cont
rol
starting at the ultra conservative setting
of -2 dB below the classic Standard Operating Level all the way to some rather massive,
heretofore unattainable in a plugin, extreme analogue tape saturation effects.
Meter Transfer Switch
On the face of the meter, you will find a switch that lets you choose whether the meter
displays the
plugin’s
inpu
t or its output. This is purely a meter transfer switch and has no
effect on the monitored sound.
Waves Kramer Master Tape
User Guide
20
Mode Sw
itch or Input/Reproduce
In place of t
label above it will be in t
Kramer
he classic record light you will find an illuminated yellow or amber lamp. The
he default mode of Repro, which means the outp
ut of the
Master Tape is after the model of recording on tape. (i.e., in Repro mode, you
are hearing the sound of the playback head reproducing the signal previously recorded
by the record head.) In the Input mode, you will only be hearing the sound of the tube
input and output electronic stages (or directly through the machine without any tape
running). This is not a pure bypass and this sound is, in and of itself, valuable for many
applications. Other than the audio monitor transfer and the light being on for Reproduce
and off for Input, when in Reproduce the transport reels will also be turning to insure you
that you are hearing the result of recording on analogue tape. Should you choose not to
have the reels turning, simply clicking on them will turn their motion off.
What Should You Expect to Hear
The sound o
in the digital age. The goal of the de
f analogue magnetic tape recording may be new or un-familiar to some born
sign of all analogue tape recorders was the same to provide a transparent, colorless method of media storage. The machine we modeled
was quite successful in its day, at accomplishing this goal. But because of the state of
the art at the time of this machine’s development, it still had a wide variety of limitations:
Tape saturation, tape noise, harmonic distortion, modulation noise, phase shift and
limitations in frequency response to name but a few.
Although many think that analogue
today’s standards and measurements it does quite the opposite. Measured by modern
tape will improve the sonic quality of their signal, by
technology it lowers the overall resolution of a signal. In fact the signal to noise ratio of
an analogue tape recording is not good by today’s standards. It fails to accurately
reproduce both high and low frequencies. Its THD (Total Harmonic Distortion)
measurements are not good by current standards (more than 1% THD) and yet listeners
still find its sound pleasing.
So just why is this
to measurements and the theoretical loss o
sound so desirable? Well for a number of reasons, but firstly, contrary
h frequency response, b
f hig
ecause of the
non-linearity of the NAB standard, coupled with the third harmonic distortion created by
the analogue recording process, the ultimate subjective result is a slight increase in the
quantity and clarity of the higher frequencies.
Even as digital recording
considered t
o be a limita
has come of age, and with hindsight 20/20, what many
tion of analo
gue tape recording, has in fact become desirable.
Digital has been criticized by many as being clinical and cold sounding, while analogue
technology has been touted as sounding warm, clear and musical. Therein lies the big
difference in what you should hear in the plugin. Granted, if you want to play with the
settings (and please feel free to do so) you can create some very dramatic tape effects
of saturation, noise, etc. But by using the Kramer Master Tape with its default setting, it
will provide you with an extremely accurate model of, not only tube analogue tape
recording, but of analogue tape recording on what many considered to be the premier
tube analogue tape recorder of its era.
Waves Kramer Master Tape
User Guide
21
A description of the sound of the Kramer Master Tape is that it is best ‘felt’ as a warm,
sweet and clear musical sound. Start there as your basis and then experiment with the
controls to discover all the additional sonic qualities available to you, and choose those
that best suit your tastes and your style of music.
In Practical Application
It is not possible to create a model with this level of detail and flexibility and at the same
time keep it
s resource d
emands low. Running Kramer Maste
Tape does require a fair
r
amount of system resources as you might expect. If you want to use the plugin on
individual tracks, please do so, as there are no ‘rules’ in our art form. But Kramer Master
Tape may perform best on sub-mixes of drums and percussion, strings, guitars, vocals
and anything that requires analogue ‘warmth and clarity.’ Also, don’t forget what the
plugin could contribute to digitally sampled instruments and digital synthesizers. Many
will find that across an entire mix and especially in mastering, Kramer Master Tape may
prove to be invaluable. The Kramer Master Tape plugin is the result of almost two years
of failures and triumphs, and contains the heart and soul of many contributors. Waves’
sincerest hope is that you will enjoy Kramer Master Tape, and that it will become an
invaluable component in your sonic toolkit.
Kramer Master Tape used in conjun
ction with the Kramer HLS and the Kramer PIE
finally completes the magic of the original
Kramer Olympic Studio recording chain.
Waves Kramer Master Tape
User Guide
22
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