Softube Saturation Plugin

That's funny cause as far as I'm aware the ProChannel tapesim was developed by Softube.
I also think their amproom series is great.

I don't think I have ever used the Softube Sat Knob on a bus. It sounds great on certain individual tracks. It doesn't on others. Why you would expect it to be something to slap on willy nilly on everything is beyond me. What this has to do with the Tape Sim is also beyond me. They are two different plugs to achieve two different result AFAIK.
 
The Tape Sim is pretty darned awesome though from my limited experience with it and I DO use that on busses.
 
 

softube makes awesome plug ins.

Yeah the Softube saturation is on Dave Pensado's list of essential plugins. I've always been a fan, it's excellent when used sparingly. Another excellent plug if you're looking to fatten tracks up and give them some grit is the Sausage Fattener. Sounds great on almost anything, especially if you just give it a light sprinkle.

their FET compressor and amp room series (bass amp, metal amp, vintage amp) are great pieces of software.
 

CJaysMusic
You actually are a fan of their company, as you stated you like the Tape Saturation plugin. I would do more research before making such claims about a company. This will avoid 'the old foot in the mouth syndrome' you recently caught.
 
In music production, what works best for you and your sound will not work best for me and my sound.
In other words, To Each Their Own. One plugin is not better than the other, as they both server specific needs depending thousands of variables.
 
CJ

The Tape Saturation for the pro-channel and the Softube Saturation are two different plugins! It looks like you actually have 'the old foot in the mouth syndrome'
 
Anyway, in response to those who enjoy Softube plugins, I have tried many Softube plugins in many music scenarios and i find their modelling sup-par, whether it be their compressors or EQs or whatever, they have never convinced me, ever! Whether that means they're usable or not in any given DAW context is a 'totally different matter', i'm not talking about whether they're usable in a music context, i just simply don't like Softube's modelling in their plugins, i have found them wanting, and further i have found other third-party plugins that i deem superior and more accurate in the accuracy of the modelling.
 
FWIW if I turn-up the drive knob on the Softube Saturation plugin, I find that it readily displays a harsh brittleness quite unlike tape, even with the drive knob at only maybe 0.7 i find it too harsh for many things in contrast to an actual pleasing convincing Tape saturation affect. Just sayin.

jb101
The Sat nob is great, but I rarely use it past twenty to/quarter to.
 
The "Keep High/Neutral/Keep Low" switch is great, too.  I use it on vocals to only add saturation on the highs, similarly on bass tracks.
 
Great plug in..  but use sparingly.
 
I used to use it far more until the Ca2a came out.  It is still on most on my vocal tracks, and rock bass tracks, though.
 
If you find " this Softube plugin to be less than optimal under multiple scenarios", then try not turning it up to eleven.
 
If you find  "the Tape Saturation in the Pro Channel performs better", then you are comparing Apples to Orangutans.
 

When you say you use the switch to only apply it to the highs, do you mean you have it set to "keep highs?" Because if so, I was under the impression that it meant "leave the highs untouched."

Although I'm a big fan of Softube products I have to agree with the OP. I find the Tube Saturation PC module much more subtle and musical sounding. I use it a lot while I almost never use the Saturation Knob. The fact that the volume goes up as the saturation goes up makes it hard to use in my opinion.

The Sat Knob is a good one: I use it to add a little bit of dirt/grit to virtualy all tracks (never use it on a bus though).  You can actually use quite a lot, to the extent that it sounds too much on the track solo'd, but sounds good in the mix.
 
Use it as the first plug-in in the Pro Channel chain as it can affect the level quite significantly.

 



When you say you use the switch to only apply it to the highs, do you mean you have it set to "keep highs?" Because if so, I was under the impression that it meant "leave the highs untouched."



That's what I thought, until I actually listened to it.  Try it yourself.
 
Maybe even put it before Spam or somesuch, so you can see the effect as well.




jb101
You meant 'SPAN' and not spam, correct?
 
Just wonderin......

LA2A
 
FWIW if I turn-up the drive knob on the Softube Saturation plugin, I find that it readily displays a harsh brittleness quite unlike tape, even with the drive knob at only maybe 0.7 i find it too harsh for many things in contrast to an actual pleasing convincing Tape saturation affect. Just sayin.

 
It doesn't emulate tape saturation, so it would sound "quite unlike tape".

 

Del said... "When you say you use the switch to only apply it to the highs, do you mean you have it set to "keep highs?" Because if so, I was under the impression that it meant "leave the highs untouched."




OK, well let me confirm for you. If you want to keep the highs 'untouched' switch to "Keep High", if you want to leave the lows 'untouched' switch to "Keep Low". That's the official explanation from Softube.
 
 
 

BlixYZ
Aren't we talking about 2 totally different devices here? The Softube Saturation Knob is TUBE saturation while the tape emulator adds TAPE saturation.
Magnetic tape and vacuum tubes are both described to add warmth, but only one is used to add grit and bite at it's higher gain (tube) while tape adds a pleasing sonic "smearing" when highly saturated.

 
Also, John T said... "It doesn't emulate tape saturation, so it would sound 'quite unlike tape'."
 
 
 
 
My answer... Well not really, the quoted statement about the Softube Saturation Knob at the Presonus website (They also have it for free in their DAW)...  "We are very pleased to make available to all Studio One 2 users the new Softube Saturation Knob extension. With sweet 'Tape Saturation' on a single knob, plus the ability to affect all frequencies, or just the low or high end, this plug-in is quickly becoming a classic."
 
 

LA2A
 
My answer... Well not really, the quoted statement about the Softube Saturation Knob at the Presonus website (They also have it for free in their DAW)...  "We are very pleased to make available to all Studio One 2 users the new Softube Saturation Knob extension. With sweet 'Tape Saturation' on a single knob, plus the ability to affect all frequencies, or just the low or high end, this plug-in is quickly becoming a classic."
 

Presonus have got it wrong then. That's not what Softube say about it:
 
http://www.softube.com/index.php?id=satknob

Del
 

When you say you use the switch to only apply it to the highs, do you mean you have it set to "keep highs?" Because if so, I was under the impression that it meant "leave the highs untouched."



That's what I thought, until I actually listened to it.  Try it yourself.
 
Maybe even put it before Spam or somesuch, so you can see the effect as well.




jb101
You meant 'SPAN' and not spam, correct?
 
Just wonderin......




Yes, span, apologies.  I shall fix the post.

I've not done any objective testing on it, but to my ears, it doesn't leave any frequency range completely untouched, wherever you set it. The switch seems to bias it one way or the other, but in practical use, it always comes down to flipping the switch back and forth and using trial and error to get the a sound that does what you want.