The Mix controls the amount of tape coloration and ranges from Source to Tape with certain programs, while from Bypass to Source for others. The last one disables the Tape component in the module, something that can be better understood if we take a look at the block diagram to the right. The controls here are the Input and Output knob, the Mix knob, the Preset List and the Econo switch. The three displays inform us about the program selected, type of emulation and frequency response. It is important to not confuse preset with programs, the first being a whole set of parameters for the whole Channel Strip while the programs are related to the Tape module. The Tape emulations are organized into four Banks (A to D) containing ten programs each. The tape, as well as the whole plug-in in general, is fairly simple to use as the controls are not exotic and they are also well documented in the manual. Surprisingly, we cannot rearrange the order of the module in the channel strip, and this forces us to use the separate plugins to customize the signal path. I found that it was great to be able to use the different parts of the strip separately, especially because I love the EQ and I am willing to use it everywhere just to add some grit. Taupe offers different plug-ins: Taupe, which is the complete channels strip consisting of Tape, EQ and Comp the Taupe Comp, Taupe EQ and Taupe Tape as separate modules and their ZL versions, which means Zero Latency, ideal for tracking. New algorithms allows further de-noise processing and subsequent elimination of any incorrect low-level behavior (including the so-called “echo bug”).
Acoustica review series#
Taupe is part of the ever-growing Aqua series of plug-ins and it is based on the Core 13 technology that introduces the new VLA™ technology (Vector Loading Acceleration), which makes the response of the plugin much faster. The tape machines that Acustica sampled come from different years, ranging from 50s to 90s
The resulting 40 crafted programs are capable of bringing in our DAWs the sound of another era, from subtle saturation to more evident sound coloration. The idea behind Taupe was to sample 21 analog and digital tape machines, three EQs from famous American consoles and two compressors (a compressor and a limiter).
In this review we are going to explore Taupe, an intriguing and powerful tool of the Aqua series that consists of a tape machine emulation plug-in at its core, expanded with a channel strip that includes an EQ and a Compressor/Limiter.įollowing the idea of naming plug-ins with colors, Taupe is not an exception, and its name also make suggest the word “tape” in our ears, preparing us for an encounter with the tool. Appreciations from professionals aren’t missing, in fact some of the names that worked closely with Acustica Audio include Greg Wells and Luca Pretolesi of Studio DMI (his name is especially associated with the Diamond series). These warm and faithful emulations are the outcome of years of research and they are responsible for some really great sounding stuff.
Or, said in another way, several effects or machines can be sampled and their sonic characteristics can be brought into the digital world. Without being overly technical, several techniques (described here: ) like the Nonlinear Convolution, Vectorial Volterra Kernels Technology and Time-Varying Models are merged into a single model to emulate classic pieces of hardware. Their products take advantage of a technology capable of providing seamless emulations of classic hardware machines and their non-linear behavior. Acustica Audio Taupe tries to bring that warmth in the digital domain with a host of digital sampled tape machines.Īcustica Audio is a company from Italy that is building a strong reputation for its high-quality plugins. Despite these modern times, we all yearn that analog warmth.
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