Slate Digital VCC & Virtual Tape Machines Tutorial

Join Steven Slate as he shows you how he approaches using the VTM and VCC plugins on a mix, and how these plugins can breathe new analog life into your DAW by recreating the nonlinearities of real analog consoles and tape machines.
For more information about the Virtual Console Collection and Virtual Tape Machines, visit:
www.slatedigital.com

[@itallama]

These plugins will change your whole mixing experience. Best plugins on the market.

[@eddythedreamer171]

It's Here to stay for a while

[@laboratorio7133]

they good.. but uad is the best in my opinion

[@Skkyyyyyyyyyyy]

laboratorio 713 negative

[@larrytate1657]

the vtm is for mixing not to be used for live sound right? I been playing live drums with plugins for better sound cause my cpu is able to handle with no lag but vtm is not used this way right?

[@kalenbaker7901]

That guitar tone is gorgeous. All these plug-ins are cool but the biggest thing I've learned in my mixing journey is that well-recorded tracks are the most important part of getting a solid production. Makes this mixing so much easier!

[@DIXIFREELY]

Steven Slate for President

[@evillain999]

trump is better

[@neet8280]

4 months later and on the verge of being impeached

[@larrytate1657]

4 months later and found out It was lies devised by the democrats and he never really did anything with Russia but Hillary actually did with a fake Russian dossier she paid millions for on lies about Trump. And the economy and jobs hit an all time high, all time high for black and Spanish employment as well.

[@gettyfeet9119]

4 years later.. OMG!!

[@DodgaOfficial]

Getting a slate subscription was one of the best choices I've ever made as a producer. They took my productions to a whole new level and I also learned so much from the slate academy. Their plugins are just absolutely phenomenal I use them on every single one of my tracks.

[@HarleyBob957]

I've been using the VCC for about a year now. Fantastic results. Saying that, now Slate has included SSL plug-ins in the Complete Access Pass. It's really all you need in the world of plug-ins, except for some specialty ones, oh..and the ones we buy because someone we look up to, in the world of mixing uses it..

[@Lordsofthecore]

nothing can beat vmr+vcc+vbc... i remember the first time i heard them, i was stoked! impressed! a incredible jaw dropping vintage's sound, full of harmonics and dynamics, now i can't start a mix without slam these beauties on. i can't wait to try the fg-stress! as usual awesome work Steven!

[@MatthewYates1]

I love Slate Digital Plugins. They've changed my mixing experience tramendously. Thanks for the tutorials, with out them I wouldn't know how to wield the tools. Thanks Steven Slate!!!

[@augimusicdotcom484]

Excellent tutorial - very well explained. I love that song. The guitars ghost notes in conjunction with the Bass Guitar & Drums are hip!! The husky tone of the lead vocalist fits in perfectly!

[@hazybrain7]

Cheers for the tutorial, I bought the plugins mentioned, but still need direction like this to get the most out of subtle moves, but man it sounds bigger and better.. More tutorials and insight please...

[@JakeAntelis]

sounds great, also got me having some nostalgia for the old school blackline tunes steven!

[@zeppo20]

Amazing, since I use these plugins my mixes are better, thank you Steven.

[@FASTFASTmusic]

skip to 10:42 if you just want to hear the magic

[@BoxRecords]

that "do not hurt anyone " was fun :-). I must say slate plugs rocks. really good plugins

[@Strinner]

I love the Slate Digital videos, great job with the presentation - it's given me some new idea's for mixing with both of these. I have the VTM, VCC, FG-X, Blue Compressors, VBC, Eiosis, the list goes on ... my only criticism would be most of your videos you're working with this sort of music, when you've included some electronic stuff it's been with EDM. I've no problem with this, but I write house & techno, which sonically sounds very different to a typical EDM mix. All the early house & techno music - Frankie Knuckles, Ce Ce Rogers, Farley Jackmaster Funk, Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson, etc, was cut to tape and recorded through analog desks, and people always strive for this type of 'vibe' with their productions. It'd be great to see more videos whit this type of music.

[@JesseBroman]

vcc is a must have plugin no joke. it does the things that you hope eq and compression will magically also do (i.e. glue the mix together) but really dont get all the way there by themselves. It really fattens up the bottom end but in a smooth way which i love.

[@uscoe]

All your plugins are one of the Best in the industry. Steve when are you going to release your song? A very nice song and imagine watching it on MTV 😄👍

[@IMAWriterRobJ]

Slate pays himself GENEROUS usage royalties. He told me himself. April Fools...no wait.. This song has appeared on several Slate Digital videos over the past 2 years or so? It now qualifies as a golden oldie. Steven, this track really does benefit from the plugs, truly brings your voice forward in a better way than a volume knob. Kudos to your musical partners as well.

[@richkohl]

Awesome video and products!! You have a great teaching style. Thanks very much.

[@dyonight]

I really dig that song, awesome mix as always. Well done you"re a star dude ahah!

[@werewolfmedialv]

Thanks for all the great information to go along with your great products.

[@Nekofaza]

Great song, mate! Nice old-school vibe!

[@bittahwizard5528]

Steve slate you are awesome!!!! I love the vitual mix rack!!!!!!!!

[@frolilapume2263]

Great plugins, great tutorial and great song!

[@mydrumming]

That tune is class!!

[@davidhaolai]

this song got me hooked...... dear Steven where can i listen to the full song?

[@EgoShredder]

These Slate plugins are really superb! I'm a little biased though coming from a tape background in the 1980s and 1990s. Rock and Metal genres always benefit from tape and analogue equipment methods.

[@ChrisArlesMusic]

Proud user of slate digital gears !!! thanks for the good job guys ;)

[@MikeGervasi]

"Magic Processor". Awesome. And yeah this track is killer.

[@spacebrain1971]

great tutorial - thank you steven!

[@andreasoberholz]

I was not a fan when VCC1 hit the world but a few weeks ago I gave VCC2 a try and I was positive surprised. I bought the 14.99 subscription. To my surprise all the other plug ins own a vibe as well. What I like about them its most often subtle, like with real gear. I love the idea to have the VMR. I hope that VMR gets some changes in the workflow. It needs to be more intuitive. I still have to read too much. But its a big plus versus tons of clicking to open plug in windows. I hope that VMR gets us closer to a more instinct based mixing-process, - like with real gear.

[@AntonioTeoli]

Hey Slate, your plugins are awesome and I gotta say, I would love to hear them being used in a context of a film/game score. Lots of friends use your plugins on their music (me included), so what about a tutorial on these type of music from the creator itself? ;)

[@ingolfpencz1304]

Awesome. Soundwise and artistically as well. :)

[@wxcltv_media]

OUTSTANDING GAME CHANGING PLUG IN!

[@pianist007]

Great job Steven, really amazing. I have a little suggestion with regards to the A/B comparison: when they are spaced out from each other and separated by a long comment I lose the instant effect of hearing the difference, maybe it would be better to make the comment before or after the comparison ? Just an idea :)

[@wermeint2]

This!

[@SlateDigitalTV]

At the end of the video I do an uninterrupted A/B! Check it out! - Steven

[@lk0707]

yeah, would be nice to get this song. Im listen to techno, but for some reason I really like this vocal.

[@thebarcodestv]

JESUS, That sounds GREAT...!

[@PureAmbientDrone]

I use these plugs and they are indispensable!

[@izisrecords1259]

These plugins are my game changer

[@crystalclearmedia3554]

This is very informative Ricky ...

[@simonbarth3181]

Yes now add a preamp in the beginning of every chain and you can bring e mix just so much forword before even starting to mix. Its amazing honestly. Saturation noise and tape compression are so overlooked as a general mixing startingpoint. Its always just eq and compression. Combine that with you typical china condesor and you are set up for failure!

[@BarkingForBroccoliBG]

Now I need the VTM Virtual Talent Machine plug in

[@shahabshariatzadeh9067]

Amazing........music & vocal

[@AnuragDixitMuzic]

Great video, thanks 👍🏼

[@SekuImani]

thanks man, tell me something...the first version w/retro-knobs GUI..the group section allowed you to assign "groups" to chosen groups on the VCC i.e. drums=6 tracks all to group one on the VCC and on the mix-buss you could could control the level of group one with out the level changing on the other groups..it's not that way now...why?..and is it possible to still achieve that now? if not..whats the reason for have 8 groups?

[@lk0707]

Could you also explain, how to work with this GROUPS settings please ?

[@kentkarlsson4169]

Nice vibe in the song!

[@Gambit771]

That is a really good song. Is there anywhere we can listen to the full version?

[@jannaronmusic]

Very great video and vst overall. I've always had a thing for Tape Emulation/analog sound. Did you sing the vocals on this song?

[@bgingras05]

Thank you Steven!!!

[@WayneDawkinsThePartyMan]

Yep the plugs do add dimension to the mix.

[@thesoozeTJ]

Hey Steven- awesome video! Quick question on the VTM. I see that you generally put the VTM on each track, usually set quite similarly. Is there a benefit to doing it this way vs. creating an insert with the VTM and just sending each track to it?

[@larrytate1657]

Does the input/output linked like that eliminate the need for the trimmer?

[@nikgiengermakesmusic]

Holy shit. This is absolutely crazy

[@DonJaye]

Could you tell us what the vocals and instruments are tracked with?

[@AMB666]

Personally, I crank the hell out of them. They sound incredible!

[@joseeduardoparra2812]

didn't you experience latency on the VTM? how do you fix that?

[@AMB666]

@@joseeduardoparra2812 Generally, I don't. Or at least not a noticeable difference. You may care if you have like DI vs real amp or some phase related tracks (like drums). And if so, you can fix it easily using a time delay plugin

[@joseeduardoparra2812]

@@AMB666 thanks bro

[@jordisonjr1]

I have a question, if I have a little drum track and I insert the VTM with the settings I like, I feel the best sweet spot with the Input all way left(-18db, linked) with the needle barely moving around - 20VU, because when I raise it or peak around 0 VU it feel really bump and stressed, Am I doing well? As real tape machine?

[@MasterMetallium]

Hey Slate! What would be the difference if I put the tape machine after the virtual console? I saw you did put the tape machine in the first slot. Thanks a lot!

[@Nightwinflyer]

There used to be a Slate video where this song was played in its entirety. I can't find it anymore. Does anyone know which video it was and if it still exists? This is a cool song.

[@WAZA___]

Do you leave the VTM off when it comes to the mastering stage? Or do you mixdown to tape and master to tape?

[@nicholaschauke9880]

Nyc one man, great tutorial. I wanted to ask if you can use VCC then Virtual tape on an already bounced audio track just incase you didn't use them on individual channels?

[@SybrenRoefs]

Would love to work on the multitracks for this song. Are they freely available by any chance? In some way they remind me of the better Black Sabbath songs.

[@solobroadcast]

Thanks for sharing this Steven. It's awesome and I love your plugins! Just one question. the Verse Vocal and Chorus Vocal sounds totally different. 09:45 Like singer suddenly run to your face. Did you do this on purpose ?

[@nersonangelo]

Hey "don't hurt anyone" happy mixing

[@BraveHeartOriginal]

Great info 😊👌🔥

[@MikeGervasi]

Is this track where you got the name for the Raven console?

[@soundsofthenewberlin]

When adding on so many channels the Tape tool I get a lot of build up noise on my Master channel. Especially if i insert the Tape also on the Master Fader channel. I dont know the algorithm behind it but to my ears is just added white noise with an EQ wich smooths out High mids from 2 - 7 k calling that analogue Tape emulation. I love everything in that bundle but the Tape plug in makes me very sceptical

[@MrTheMoondog]

only i hear hight frequency becomes so jingle and clean?

[@dreynam2]

What kind of microphone are you using for the video and song recording?

[@withapick8730]

Love this song!

[@maryhardy2262]

Respect....that was some voodoo magic🔮

[@MattMacD]

can anyone link me to the song?

[@joseeduardoparra2812]

How can I fix the latency of VTM on my Cubase DAW? It has 39.2 ms of latency in cubase, but this latency don't appear in the DAW "Reason". I use Cubase for everything. Can someone tell me what to do? Please for the love of god :(

[@podespault]

Hey Steven, thanks for the tutorial. I see that you are using a different setting on all the instances of the tape machine. If I remember correctly, the user manual suggests to group instruments to share a setting and have a glued feeling. Care to explain the advantages? Thanks

[@SlateDigitalTV]

I base it mostly on the tone of the two different machines, mostly as I say in the video, the differences in the tape speeds. 30ips is gonna be flatter but will still have a head bump in the 100-200Hz area, 15ips will be slightly bigger in the 60Hz-90Hz area, and 15ips will also have a rounder top end.

[@Risenson]

Can anyone tell me what consoles are being emulated and which is which?

[@sansocie]

Hope the Raven haired one did not get away. Very nice demo!

[@synaikido]

Whats the name of this song? Great vibe!

[@basdenchris]

@SlateTV What song is this? I've heard it in a couple videos, and I super dig it!

[@RichBischoff]

This song is vibey!

[@morgonemusic3372]

I bought the VBC rack a while back. When I went to use it today, it worked but the needles on the interface weren't working, as if no signal was going to it. Which is frustrating because I can't see how many db of compression is happening. Do you know any remedy to this?

[@SlateDigitalTV]

Thanks for reaching out! Our support team is awesome and should be able to get you up and running ASAP - slatedigital.zendesk.com/hc/en-us

[@whackoization]

Is this song released? It's so freaking nice! Please let me know guys.

[@kabelothebeeagae6884]

What's the name of the tune you're mixing Steven ?

[@TsosmiLosGizmoXou]

no VTM on vocals ??

[@Heafyshiu]

ohhhhh. I love the song. Where do I get it?? :(

[@AmagrasMUSIC]

Do they ever run out of tape? Seriously, great job with those plugs.

[@sansocie]

That was funny!

[@damiensmith371]

Quick question... for some of the individual track tweaks why turn down the input of the plugin to a negative when linked rather than unlinking and boosting just the output or just turning down the track volume? What's the advantage there? Isn't that taking away some of the plugin treatment?

[@jonathanedwards4251]

Voltage-heavy distortion sounds different than voltage-starved distortion. It's taking advantage of pushing the "console's" circuitry in different places along the signal path. Also, on the input side you're pushing different components than you would be pushing the output side. Personally like to overdrive my channels, under drive my busses, and overdrive my 2-mix.

[@AzharWaliam]

Where to find this song???? .... I love this song .....

[@kevingregoire2764]

"Raven Haired Girl" is a number one hit buddy. Lets have it.

[@fredrikerlingsson7397]

Whats the Song called?

[@AnesBkdm]

Steven, I love your song! Where can I buy it?

[@tomrado5249]

Yeah I agree :)

[@lisagarland2646]

Still not available to this day...

[@ReeseWitherknife]

@@lisagarland2646 Still not available in 2019 :(

[@augimusicdotcom484]

I'd buy it today if it was available!

[@rafaevitorgabriel]

I loved this song too.

[@DanSistos]

It would be better if the bypass volume was the same as the plugin engaged volume for a fair comparison. Of course everything sounds better when it’s louder.

[@ryanzarrillo9199]

I noticed when you started tweaking the input/outputs on the VCC and the VCC Mix Buss that you increased the input on the Mix Buss but you decreased the input on the VCC's using the US-A model. Is there any reasoning behind this? I can't seem to notice much a difference whether you increase or decrease input or output if they're both linked. Are my ears just bad...? THANKS FOR DITCHING THE DONGLE! A loyal customer, Ryan

[@robkidd8432]

Could anyone explain to me the difference between increasing the drive on vcc, and doing what Steven does by increasing input and decreasing output? He says he likes to keep drive on 6 and push up the input but I can't understand why. Not even sure why vcc needs both of these controls.

[@SlateDigitalTV]

Drive will increase some of the harmonic content, but not really influence the saturation that much. The input/ouput will also increase harmonic content but also will drive the amplifiers into saturation.

[@yi382]

SlateTV when do you actually pull the input down (output up) and when do you pull the input up (output down) ? Its probably a silly question but i really dont get it

[@ian.seynave]

You push the input up if you want to feel more saturation (and drive), and you pull it down if you want less

[@diregremo]

Awesome!

[@studiowolff]

Sorry...but i can't hear the difference when Steve touches the knobs..on the final bypass A/B i can hear a difference especially in low-mid range. I've got the all-access pass. How can i make my ear more experienced to use the proper settings?

[@Adam-mw4xs]

I don't like straight digital but I truly don't like what the plugins do either. I've auditioned the plugins many times now and I can't put my finger on why but it just kills the energy for me, even though the plugins are supposed to be bringing energy. Would be nice to hear them used on a different mix, too.

[@JustinSalter1]

Love it!!

[@gabrielroman146]

Steven, how do you gain stage your levels into the emulations. How do you keep appropriate levels into the emulations for drums and the rest on the instruments? RMS for transient material like drums vs the rest of the tracks is very different. Any tips or guidelines for gain staging drums vs the rest?

[@SlateDigitalTV]

As you can see I do it mainly by ear, using the meter as a guide tool. I start turning the knobs and close my eyes and listen till it "sits" where I want it.

[@tema_overdrive]

@@SlateDigitalTV Steven , where can i find this song? is it available in 2021?

[@metalion667]

the difference at the end is quite impressive - is this really level matched? also it sounds like the stereo field expands out, how does it do this?

[@floofytown]

Of course it's not level-matched. It sounds louder and it is...just look at the ol' master fader.

[@JRNonline]

I love this song! Who is the band?

[@piyushpatel7567]

Can someone tell me what this song is?