T-RackS Tape Machine Collection available now

[Peter_IK]

UPDATE: Introductory pricing extended through July 15th, 2019!



Introducing the T-RackS Tape Machine Collection

Bring back the analog warmth and feel of reel-to-reel recording to your tracks

IK Multimedia is proud to announce the T-RackS Tape Machine Collection, available now! This collection gives you the true character of analog tape, adding warmth, character and glue to your tracks like never before. The new models include the Tape Machine 440, Tape Machine 80, Tape Machine 24, and Tape Machine 99, re-creating four classic tape recording machines from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s: the Ampex® 440B, the Studer® A80, the MCI® JH24 and the Revox® PR99.

Buy the Collection for a special $€/99.99* introductory price now

The T-RackS Tape Machine Collection is the culmination of 2 years of research and development on real, world-class machines, each carefully restored “to spec” and modeled stage-by-stage for incredible accuracy. Using a careful mix of convolution and physical modeling, the Tape Machine Collection re-creates the complex interplay of machine, tape, and audio to capture even the smallest detail of each machine.

Give your tracks that classic low-end weight, ear-pleasing high-end, saturation and glue that only tape can provide. Each Tape Machine module offers its own unique character plus 4 tape formulas, selectable tape speed, and common controls to let you easily audition the differences between the different machines and tape formulations.


Inside the T-RackS Tape Collection

Tape Machine 440: The Ampex 440 series dates from the late 1960’s, and delivers an unmistakably soulful color that made this professional and historic mixing and mastering machine a legend. This superb blend of art and technology has the power to turn your mixes into finished tracks.

Tape Machine 80: The legendary Studer A80 Mk II, in its various revisions, is an essential part of countless influential records. Engineered and manufactured in Switzerland from 1970 to 1988, it became the de facto standard for professional high-end multi-tracking. The A80’s sonic signature is a perfect blend between transparency and subtle harmonic enhancement.

Tape Machine 24: A model of the MCI JH24. First produced in 1980, the JH24 was a staple in US studios during the 1980s. This completely transformerless, high performance op-amp-based design delivers a pristine, phase coherent and remarkably true to the source audio performance. This results in a moderate and elegant polish to your music.

Tape Machine 99: The Revox PR99 Mk II is a stereo professional recorder produced by Studer in the 1980s. Engineered around a hybrid design that combines the best of discrete and op-amp topologies, this model offers a very smooth frequency response, especially on bass, with almost no trace of the typical “head bump” phenomenon. A standard for broadcast and classical music, this machine was appreciated by audiophiles for its exceptional sonic quality.

Both the T-RackS Tape Machine Collection and the individual a la carte processors are on sale for pre-order pricing now.


Options, Pricing, and Availability

The T-RackS Tape Collection bundle and individual Tape Machine Singles are available now in the IK Multimedia online store, Custom Shop and from IK authorized dealers worldwide.

For a limited time through July 15, 2019, the T-RackS Tape Collection bundle will be available at a special introductory price of only $/€99.99*. Each Tape Machine Single will also have a special introductory price of $/€79.99*.

After July 15, The Tape Machine Singles will be offered for $/€99.99* each, and the T-RackS Tape Collection featuring all four machines will be offered for $/€199.99* (a savings of 50% compared to purchasing individual models separately).

Learn more about T-RackS Tape Machine Collection here.

* All prices excluding taxes

[rdstreets]

Looking forward to trying this out on some existing mixes!

Are there future plans to improve the efficiency of this plugin so far as CPU usage goes? So far based on what I'm reading it takes up a lot of resources.

[Peter_IK]

I'm sure there will be optimizations all around, as most 1.0 plugins end up going through that during their early days but I don't have specific information. For more details on why this takes up more CPU resources, please see below:

The internal magnetic recording physical model works at 384 kHz. This explains why these emulations sound so accurate. As many here know, analog tape recorders work with a signal that linearises the tape medium (this is simplifying, I know), and the frequency of this signal is always well outside the audio band (for example on the Studer it is 150 kHz). To allow the physical model to run the internal sampling rate can’t be lower than the double of that or this and the true characteristics of the tape machine could not be replicated with authenticity.

This increases CPU load, of course, but as stated above it is the only way to faithfully reproduce what the tape machine/recorder does. Yes, there are already tons of “tape saturators”, but we didn’t wanted to make another one of those. The T-RackS Tape Machine Collection plug-ins are a true digital replica of what happens on the real system as a whole.

[jjguitar]

Is this available through custom shop ?

[Peter_IK]

Is this available through custom shop ?

Yes. Best practice would be to update to the latest T-RackS 5 which will also update Custom Shop and then you can try or buy the plugins or collection there.

[jjguitar]

Great !
I´ve updated to the new version but i`m not able to open custom shop. It says "Connection closed". I´ve opened a support ticket. I hope this could be solved. I´ve never had such a problem with custom shop.

[sbn]

I saw them in release day and clicked order automatically. Really impressed from result. Im so happy that new tracks still not released so there chance to improve them with such great tool.

Im not so "presets guy", but you got there already great sitting that sits perfect on my tracks.

great job IK !

[dlgebert]

Best practice would be to update to the latest T-RackS 5 which will also update Custom Shop and then you can try or buy the plugins or collection there.

Peter,

I upgraded to T-RackS 5 when it first came out and it was a game changer for me, especially in mastering.

I purchased and installed this new addition to the T-RackS 5 family on my iMac and I like everything I've seen so far.

But, MacOS Mojave reminded me that Custom Shop and the Authorization Manager are 32 bit applications and will soon not be allowed to run. From my understanding, this fall is when the 64 bit only MacOS will be launched. Can you please check with development to see when all IKM MacOS applications will be 64 bit compliant? According to Apple there will be no exceptions regarding 32 bit applications.

Thanks- Dave

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208436

[Ryan_IK]

These programs will run fine for now, we are currently looking into this topic as Apple moves forward away from 32-bit programs completely. Stay tuned for future updates in our news letter. I'll be sure to chime in on the topic with the team.

Sign up to the IK newsletter here.

[dlgebert]

Thanks Ryan!

I see the new name is Catalina...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacOS_Catalina

[kingrossmartyn]

Best tape sim I've ever used, nice one IK! It's a complete CPU hog but printing out some stems with the tape effect is what I'm doing so I'd rather have a CPU plugin that sounds really good.

[davedeck]

I installed the trial versions through Custom Shop last night and purchased the collection today. I like what tape emulations do for drums especially. Will factory presets be available at some point for the tape machines as they are for other T-Racks modules? They are helpful to those of us who are less familiar with what all the knobs and buttons do.

[Ryan_IK]

I installed the trial versions through Custom Shop last night and purchased the collection today. I like what tape emulations do for drums especially. Will factory presets be available at some point for the tape machines as they are for other T-Racks modules? They are helpful to those of us who are less familiar with what all the knobs and buttons do.

These modules should have their own presets. Check to make sure you have checked the MODULE list of presets and not GLOBAL. If you look at a module in T-RackS 5 stand alone or suite, there is a power button to the left of a preset button. Pressing this preset buttons should show you all available presets.

[davedeck]

I installed the trial versions through Custom Shop last night and purchased the collection today. I like what tape emulations do for drums especially. Will factory presets be available at some point for the tape machines as they are for other T-Racks modules? They are helpful to those of us who are less familiar with what all the knobs and buttons do.

These modules should have their own presets. Check to make sure you have checked the MODULE list of presets and not GLOBAL. If you look at a module in T-RackS 5 stand alone or suite, there is a power button to the left of a preset button. Pressing this preset buttons should show you all available presets.

I reinstalled version 5.2.1 of T-Racks, including the tape machines, and refreshed the plugins in Logic Pro X. Now the factory presets show up. The absence of the plugins initially may have occurred because I had installed the trial versions, which may not have included the factory presets, and then I may not have fully install the purchased versions properly. Thanks for the response.

[Peter_IK]

The demo should also have installed the presets, that's odd. They are definitely only under Module and not Global, though. That has confused some.

Also, the introductory pricing has been extended through July 15th! https://www.ikmultimedia.com/news/?id=tapemachines