What's your favorite way to add some "vintage"

[JakeAC5253]

I'm finishing up a project right now and what I have come up with sounds too "clear and modern" and something more dirty and vintage is desired. Client says he wants it to sound like it was recorded to tape. I've not been blessed with a tape machine over here, despite my efforts. How can I add some tape saturation preferably without having to do the entire tracking/mixing process over again?

 

[miguelrx10d]

Generally analog productions don't have that pronounced highend that digital ones usually have, so cutting some overall brightness out of some instruments might give you that feel
There are millions of plugins that simulate tape saturation, including good free ones like Variety of Sound... play with that but don't overuse it
Don't know what kind of music youre doing but try some spring reverb, very vintage

 

[CubanDude]

VTM for me

 

[Terminus]

Run it through a VCR.

 

[SethTheGreat]

What type of music is it? A short clip or some such would be nice. It would be easier to offer advice.

 

[JakeAC5253]

Run it through a VCR.

I wanted to do this! Does this actually work? I was gearing up to do it a while back when I read it here, but then someone said that the VHS audio channels are more or less the same quality as digital, which I think is true from a class I had on the subject a few years back, but maybe you have to push it to distortion or something?

I would really enjoy if this method worked, as I've got a TV with VHS player right in the control room. What sort of VHS cassettes should I buy, there's all different speeds and qualities. I guess the slowest speed would be the most colored and probably the closest to what I'm looking for?

 

[JakeAC5253]

What type of music is it? A short clip or some such would be nice. It would be easier to offer advice.

It's sort of like a southern rock deal, slow jam. The vocals are going to be rerecorded, so here is just the backing track.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/8838613/18 Hammers Backing.mp3

This is not a final mix, so don't judge.

 

[Terminus]

I wanted to do this! Does this actually work? I was gearing up to do it a while back when I read it here, but then someone said that the VHS audio channels are more or less the same quality as digital, which I think is true from a class I had on the subject a few years back, but maybe you have to push it to distortion or something?

I would really enjoy if this method worked, as I've got a TV with VHS player right in the control room. What sort of VHS cassettes should I buy, there's all different speeds and qualities. I guess the slowest speed would be the most colored and probably the closest to what I'm looking for?

Most VCRs I've seen don't have any kind of input volume control so pushing the output on your playback machine and listening to the result is your best bet. I've never done it myself, my VCR is so old that it's only got a mono audio output. Never use it anyway. You may want to try a cassette player instead, or try to find some 2" reel-2-reel somewhere.

 

[Lon]

CLA-76 bluey slammed.

 

[JakeAC5253]

Noted, thanks for the recommendations.

Here is a new mix, same source, but basically everything is straight DRENCHED in PSP VintageWarmer 2.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/8838613/18 Hammers Backing v2.mp3

 

[KHE]

haven't tried it yet, but probably useful? http://www.kvraudio.com/product/vintager-toy-by-solcito-m-sica

 

[SethTheGreat]

I've got a consumer grade reel to reel from the 60's or so that I've been dying to try out. Want me to see if I can tape the track then send it back to DAW? I haven't actually tried hooking it up yet so it might not even work.

 

[RedDog]

SONIMUS SATSON

But I might try dubbing to any consumer tape deck, like of the boombox variety. push it and get that tape hiss mojo.

 

[mickrich]

Send me the WAVs and I will run it through my A&H ZED-R16 and Drawmer 1968me valve bus compressor if you want.
This will take the digital edge off it and make it warmer.

 

[Clark Kent]

Listening to that mix I'd have to say that having two guitars hard panned playing different things rarely works. I'm not sure but that might be the thing the refer to as "not vintage".

Personally I'd duplicate both tracks and add a varying delay of 7-14ms on the duplicate tracks. Then mess with the panning so that each guitar tracks has it's pair.

For that vintage tone I suggest using some post-distortion preferable separately on each instrument with good taste.

 

[JakeAC5253]

Wow, that's great guys, thanks for the offers. I'm going to contact you soon about the outboard processing, within the next week hopefully. I need to reamp the guitars (these are just LeCto for a rough mixtest) and the vocals will be retracked with a ribbon mic soon. Should I send the entire mix, backing/vox, or stems?

I'd have to say that having two guitars hard panned playing different things rarely works. I'm not sure but that might be the thing the refer to as "not vintage".

Spin a Beatles' record sometime... plus I didn't write the parts, so I'm sure he's not referring to that. lol.

 

[BLUElightCory]

You've already gotten a million answers but I wanted to chime in as someone who owns way too many "analog"izer plugs and has at some point used most of what's out there.

In my opinion the best ones for the job of adding some vintage-y mojo to an existing mix (as opposed to mixing into the plug) are Kush Audio UBK-1 and Soundtoys Decapitator. UBK-1 is particularly great at preserving the sound of the original mix and just adding a layer of harmonic awesomeness.

 

[ArthurD]

If you wanto to, send me some wav files and I can run them into the Avalon 737SP, my old neve pre and VTM, if you want.

 

[Loki Laufeyiarson]

I think not having Lecto's but real amps on the guits would help getting a more vintage sound. And I like running everthing through my SPL vitalizer Mk2T for some extra vintage.

 

[ArthurD]