Every Tape Plugin vs Hardware Neve 542 Tape Emulators - Shootout Pt.1

I was hoping the hardware would sound closer to real tape. Basically sounds like an EQ and distortion unit to me

Hi, you need to try tr5 tape stuff. It's lit but i need to hear from you ahaha if you did sorry i can't find it.

nothing beats the 542 in this video.

I'm curious the difference between 2" tape emulations and half" master tape . Any difference to you?

do the 542s not have the link function?

Thanks! Great info and how to use context. I just bought a 542, beginning to build out a small outboard set up. Super stoked to get exploring it.

Dave, grateful you did this...Thank you!

No surprise Neve is the best in business. Love the Neve sound. It just adds another dimension to the incoming source and covers it with silky invisible, but quite hearable blanket.

It's seems to me you would load some of the presets and then edit from there!

As a guy on a "budget" what's the closest best plugin to get somewhere around the NEVE sound? I know it can't be done but curious your opinion and or option? Reviews say the neve blows away ALL plugins. Thanks.

I own two 542s and a few of that tape emulations you showed. Not a single one sounds like the Portico 542, not even close. I whished they would coz than i wouldnd have to patch arround while tracking an mixing.

First time watching it and the best part so far (I'm at 20 mins) is the Kramer Tape "happy wide smile" surprise on me and then on David's face...
Laughing time.
So cool video!!!!
Thanks a lot.

No IK multimedia tape machine plugins??? 🤦🏽

Is there anything to be aware of / are there any dangers when processing the master L and R through the two separate Neve's with individual controls for each L and R channel (I assume they are mono and paired together for stereo) instead of say a dedicated stereo processor with single controls for both L and R? Hope that made sense. Great stuff :)

I loved this video, so well done. Only critique is that your voice was too loud when you spoke around the music examples. Had to ride the volume keys most of this video in order to really hear some of the low end and detail in the music, and not have your voice punch my eardrums.

SOUNDS DOPE BRO, WHATS YOUR TAKE ON THE RUPERT NEVE ORBIT

Great Vid! Are you using the 15 or 30 ips setting on the 542s? Thanks

I need to know if the Neve Portico MBP has exactly the same parameters as these 2 units + limiter. Is that so? Maybe the MBP is better bang for the buck

Listening on Sennheisers 600 here. Actually I think you were very forgiving! I listened to the plugins first and then after the shootout was completed I went and listened to the Neve Designs. Being an advocate for ITB mixing, especially considering how much has coding evolved, I admit the difference was incredible. The Neves actually sparked a physical reaction from me, not just from the bump itself but from the way the whole thing worked on the material. Didn´t think the difference would be so big to be honest. Excellent video.

I like the sound of the Softube the most out of the plugins, it sounds the most musical, but u just sold me on the 542’s..

It seems to me that the Neve 542 is a unique processor. As opposed to emulating a particular machine like the plugins, Mr. Neve took the components found in a tape unit and put them into a circuit with other components to create a piece of gear with quite specific abilities and flavours. The man was a genius.
What do you think of Phil's Cascade by Elysia?

Got neve 542s and otari 2 track and 8 track.

542 is easy to use no dollors to maintain and they are cheaper than a tape machine to buy.
Tape machine sounds more musical than 542 but is a lot more hassel.

Get 8 542s run your stems out to them sum after..It might sound more tape as tape only really works when you track and sum to tape.
Tape is color eq and compression all in one you have to mix into it.

Makes tracks a lot more punchy 🤛. I do feel like I would want to use these at the beginning of my mixing change after preamp

Can we have the raw files you are using for personal test purposes? I can't buy even one of those plugins and i would like to try some free combination to achieve something similar. Thanks for the video, i liked the Bella video too!! Thank you!

I have iZotope Vintage tape, Softube Tape and U-he Satin. 😁

The best free Tape Emulation plugin that I have tried so far is Chow Tape.

I like OZONE the most in this video, but i would have been curious about the UAD versions as well.

It’s all about that low bump baby! 😎

Hey David, have you ever tried the zulu by handsome audio? If so what's your take on it?

the neves are good but not a substitute for tape.

Although the SSL Fusion is not a tape emulator I started wondering if the SSL Fusion or a pair of Neve 542s would be the way to go as the price would be about the same. Then I saw you did a shootout with the Fusion and the Neve 542. Nice one!

emulators vs emulators ... how about the real thing? you can get a revox A77 for half of the price of one RND 542 ... jus sayin

Older video, but IK Multimedia’s tapes are a cut above for mixing purposes IMO. But they are very CPU intensive. I have a decent system and I’d never dream of tracking with it running. But it’s the only tape plugin I’ve gotten really good results on the entire mixbus. Not for everything but when it works it can be fantastic

do you have two Neve 542s to run stereo signals through them? I'm thinking about getting into the 500 series as my first dive into hardware

Satin from U-He is a neve tape emul right? Coz it sounds bonkers

Thank maaan!) You just saved my vocal mix of Robie Williams - Angels with that Kramer plugin! I think it's not a big shame to upload it now)) Huge improvement in softening the sound, geting reed of that micro-sharp edges was all over! This one really works. Like a real tape-machine in my house)) BTW I was using Ozone previously and it's add a crazy amount of latency- somewhere around 50 ms (as all Ozon plugins does) and it's more like for open a sound at low bias and low input gain mostly i/m using. But it's really heavy! I'm just doing it for fun, of course. And it's cool, that we able to do this so easy now.

Mixbus Tv -Thanks for the 542 vids! I have a pair of 542's on loan. May I ask where in the chain are you you running your 542's -before or after 2 bus compressor, and why do you prefer them there? Thank you for your time -great channel!

Have you tried the tape saturation plugin from Hornet? Very good bang for your buck

No UAD tape???? What about the Studer A800 or the Ampex ATR-102??

Is there any chance you can test the Black Rooster Magnetite and the T-racks tape machines? I love your videos. Is amazing how accurate are your explanations

It would be great compare the antelope tape emulation too, but I know you don't have antelope interface, still awesome video, I've comparing by myself a few of these plugins against the antelope and antelope wins, even vs uad, still there are lot of good options and of course they are not better than real tapes, just different, thanks man

542 sounds great. I would love to see comparison between the 542 and real tape. This would be awesome ❤️

so is the 542 a mono unit? why do you have 2?

Man Iv watched so many comparisons over the last year and I. Gotta say the neve really makes a huge tasteful difference . Often I feel like I’m almost convincing myself a plugin sound different than another or a piece of hardware is way better than what it is , but this time around, the neve is adding a beautiful fat warmth . Hands down the best by a looooooong shot

How many consumers do you think says to him/herself.. " i really love this song because they used analog or plugins???

If you would track more instruments in the same time, you would need more of them? How are you working with just two?

Thank you for the review! Helped a lot

You're not wrong on the Waves Krammer delay. That delay section is my go to delay. It just works so well.