We meticulously sampled machines from the late 1950s up through the early 90s, all of which were wonderfully maintained and calibrated. On top of this, we also included the EQ section of 3 iconic American consoles from the 1970s and 80s, plus 2 switchable compressors. (All available as standalone modules, too.) Taupe has been developed from the ground up using to give you the most realistic tape plug emulation possible.
Giancarlo Del Sordo, the CEO of Acustica Audio, has this to say about Taupe:
“I remember when we had to deal with noise, limited editing possibilities, and all the other disadvantages of using low-quality instruments, and yet the results still sounded incredible! Why? Because tape machines were at the center of everything!”
Now, we bring that tape
machine magic back into play, with the added flexibility of
cutting-edge technology.
The Mix knob on Taupe has nothing to do with the regular dry/wet knob found on most plugins. Instead, it allows you to adjust the desired amount of “tape coloration” — from SOURCE (no tape signal, preamp input signal only) to TAPE (all tape signal) — by blending the tonal characteristics of the machine's circuitry with or without the tape component. This revolutionary type of control is a first for Acustic Audio, and it’s also a first for the pro audio world: it has never been implemented in any other plugin before. now..
We get it: you’re itching to ride the input train into Saturation Town.
Just hit the tape hard, and you’ll get the original compression and harmonic distortion as delivered by the original machines. The resulting effect can be as subtle as 0.5dB of gentle compression, or you can reach up to 6dB of instant limiting. Transients will be gently rounded-out, beefed up, almost stretched, as only high-quality machines can do. At least, until now!
Don’t need the compression effect? The “econo” function disables the compression component of the tape, saving your CPU resources for the effects that you choose to add to your mix.
Taupe EQ includes 3 different equalizer models, so you can further shape the sound of your instruments.
Model A was included in the EQ section of a robust American console that was built in 1976. This was one of the most flexible mixing desks ever manufactured, and the first to introduce the automated VCA fader system.
Model B is the EQ section of an in-line console made in 1979.
Model C was derived from a high-end console manufactured in 1982 by a famous Swiss Company.
Derived from a top-quality Swiss analog console manufactured in 1982, Taupe's dynamics module is great for bass, drums, pianos, and even spoken word recording.
Taupe is also available as a channel strip plug-in for Modula.
