AudioThing
Reels – LoFi Vibes, Reel-to-Reel + Echo + Tape Stop Emulation by AudioThing Review
Reels Lo-Fi saturation plugin by AudioThing
Reels which is a great plugin to add Lo-Fi vibes is modeled after an old Japanese portable tape recorder. This tape recorder produces a pretty audible Lo-Fi analog sound. AudioThing did send a review copy with no strings attached.
Installation
This plugin is installed on MAC or Windows to be used in your DAW. It supports VST, VST3, AU, and AAX (64bit only), see here for latest technical requirements. Before you register it you can use it in a demo mode the plug-in will output silence for 3 seconds every 45 seconds, and you won’t be able to save presets.
Sound
AudioThing, an audio plugin effect developing house, developed Reels to create a virtual tape machine software plugin that injects retro feel into your production.
When you listen to Lo-Fi tracks today they have certain characteristics where instruments within the track or the whole mix sound somehow damaged. Lovers of that sound call it “it sounds Lo-fi”. The plugin Reels emulates all the imperfections of an consumer reel-to-reel recorder.
To adjust the vibe, tone and sound of instruments or the whole track you can emulate imperfections and the connected saturation with this plugin effect.
- Harshness, harmonic distortion with loss of clarity (mid-range)
- WOW/Flutter, pitch instabilities due to recording and playback issues
- Ducking, random volume loss due to tape or rec/play head imperfections
- Crosstalk, the leak between left and right channel in a stereo signal
- Hiss, high-frequency noise caused by the magnetic particles in the tape
- Motor, mid-frequency noise caused by the reels motor
I do like the beautiful sound this plugin can generate so I went ahead and bought the sampled unit which is shipped to me currently. Using this plugin to generate the sound and vibe of a Lo-Fi sounding tape is very a compelling.
There are three distinctive tape choosing that are named after their country of origin. JP (Japan) is vintage, IT (Italy) with a limited frequency response and FR (France) for destroying your sound. A great choice of tone and vibe, but what happened to the developer in France?
User interface & Usability
AudioThing has created a excellent look and fell in their clear interface. Other vendor do play with their UI more, but I want results quick and enjoy the interface designed.
Rating: Four out of five stars
Reels allows you to generate the vibe you hear from those old tape machines. The effect creates a VERY convincing simulation of old tapes/machines – perfect for Lo-Fi productions. It sounds really good on different types of sound effects, drums, synths, and vocals.
Loot Audio
Loot Audio Awards £20,000 of Prizes in a Competition for Music Producers
Loot Audio Awards
Loot Audio is running an exclusive competition from May 12th, 2021 until the end of May, with over £1,500 worth of prizes, and a free gift for the first 1,500 entrants, totaling over £20,000 in value.
Main Prizes Include
First Prize – Native Instruments S49 Keyboard
Second Prize – Roli Equator 2 Synth
Third Prize – 3 x Soundiron products: Hyperion String Elements, Apocalypse Elements and Glitch Hero
Runner Up Prizes
There will also be a minimum of 18 runner-up prizes, and the first 1,500 entrants will receive their choice of free product (Choose between Pipe Festival 2, Fameboy or Cinemate). There are 500 copies of each to give away. Each entry will be able to choose which gift they want and receive a unique code for use on the website.
- Ben Osterhouse
- Audiothing
- Karanyi Sounds
- Sound Yeti
DJ Swivel
D16 Group - Synthmagic
Concept Samples - Ergo Kukke
3 x £50 Gift Vouchers to use on Loot Audio - and more
Competition
The competition will run from May 12th, 2021, and requires entrants to fill in their email addresses on the dedicated landing page https://www.lootaudio.com/competition. The competition will end on June, 8th 2021, and the winner will then be picked at random on 9th June 2021 and the winners will be notified via email on June, 14th 2021.
AudioThing
AudioThing Alborosie Dub Station Introductory Sale
AudioThing Alborosie Dub Station Introductory Sale
Filter, Echo, Spring by Alborosie
This is the full version of Alborosie Dub Station (Affiliate Link). The following versions are also available:
- Alborosie Dub Station Crossgrade from Springs (Affiliate Link)
- Alborosie Dub Station Crossgrade from Outer Space (Affiliate Link)
Straight from the heart of Jamaica’s most prolific music community, Waterhouse in Kingston, AudioThing proudly introduce you to the Alborosie Dub Station.
AudioThing sampled, analyzed, and carefully recreated the original filter, echos, and spring reverb pre-owned, modified, and used by the legendary Osbourne Ruddock “King Tubby” – producer, studio engineer, and pioneer of dub reggae from the golden era of the 70s – from Alborosie’s personal vintage gear collection.
ECHOWUK: Directly from federal studios, then King Tubby studio in Waterhouse Kingston, the MCI 2 track tape that was used to record and also to create the echo effect for most of the reggae classics overall and popular Tubby’s instrumental dub mixes.
SPRING BLING: Directly from King Tubby studio in Waterhouse Kingston, the modified Fairchild Spring Reverb used by the Maestro himself in most classic records and dub mixes he recorded and produced.
FILTER MAN: Modelled after Tubby’s so-called “Big Knob”, a passive high-pass filter with eleven frequency steps from 70Hz to 7.5KHz. This filter defined the sound of the entire ‘roots’ area of Jamaican music!
AudioThing give special thanks to Lloyd James “King Jammy” for the continuous inspiration and guidance.
Alborosie
Real name Alberto D’Ascola, he was born in the Sicilian town of Marsala, Italy. He formed the Reggae National Tickets, who regularly toured Europe during the mid-to-late nineties. As the Millennium approached, the Tickets performed in Jamaica and the island immediately enveloped Alborosie in its spell, prompting him to jump ship and take a job as an engineer at Gee Jam studios in Port Antonio – a tropical hideaway on Jamaica’s north coast where Amy Winehouse, No Doubt, and many other foreign and local stars liked to record.
“I just wanted to be close to the music that I loved, and that I couldn’t find in Italy. That is the main story behind my journey so all I want to do now is contribute to the genre and bring it to the next level – to carry the flag, or even just help someone else carry the flag”
In 2011, he won the M.O.B.O. (Music of Black Origin) Awards in the Best Reggae Act category.
Pricing and Availability
AudioThing sampled, analyzed, and carefully recreated the original filter, echos, and spring reverb pre-owned, modified, and used by the legendary Osbourne Ruddock “King Tubby”. Get this unique digital delay unit with crossgrade prices from €59 / $59 (Affiliate Link).
AudioThing
AudioThing Organetta Sale
AudioThing Organetta Sale
The Organetta is a small portable reed organ made in the late 50s. The sound is generated by an electric fan that blows air into a set of brass reeds hence the sound is reminiscent of something in between melodica and an accordion. AudioThing sampled this little green friend with two mics: a large-diaphragm condenser mic and a piezo attached to the chassis. The fan noise has been removed from the samples but you can choose to add it to the mix or play it alone by pressing the green keys. To add more realism we captured 6 round-robin of the key down and up noises.
Important note: The full version of Kontakt 4.2.4 or higher is required to run this software.
Pricing and Availability
Organetta (Affiliate Link) is an intricately sampled portable reed organ with a rich, iconic sound that is somewhere between melodica and an accordion. Save 62% off and get it now for only £4.95 / $6, exclusively at Plugin Boutique.
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