If you got a good mix already but just need that extra saturation that really polishes your mix you won't be disappointed. It does add about 1.4 db of gain so after you add this deduct the gain to match so you can really hear what's going on. Also, buy Plugindoctor, drop this in, and turn up the knob to where the low-mids and mids don't change in which it should be a good bit before the clip light turns on. Play with settings with both the 16 track and 2-track options to what it's really doing so you'll know how to use this plugin for both the mixbus and individual tracks.

Full disclosure, I've never owned or used any other tape sim. I bought this one on recommendations from people I trust. I definitely like the free trial period. Why would you pay for something you've never heard? My recording career goes back to the 1960s so I know what tape sounds like. Many digital sounds still sound lifeless and one-dimensional to me so I tried this on a number of sources and on final mixes. To my old analog ears there's not much that doesn't benefit from it. Try this: add it to, say, a mix, listen back carefully then subtract it and listen again. I'd be willing to bet you think something's missing. With the VTM plugged in, it's not brighter or fatter or more 'in your face' - that's what EQ is for - it's just more lifelike.

This plugin has changed the way I mix records. I mix 100 percent in the box and using this plugin will your mixes sound warm fat and wider. It's literally night and day when you use it on a mix. I've used tape machines in the past and steven slate did a really sick job enlumating the sound of tape machines. If your not using this on your mixes then really reconsider your career.

Great VST for adding into the mix. I only use this on the master out channel and it puts a little color and life into the overall mix.

This tape emulation can do wonders for adding extra weight and depth to a mix; it may not be obvious on individual tracks at first, but when you use it across a mix and bypass it, you can hear how it adds a pleasing weight and fullness to the mix, which has a subtle way of helping different elements pop out in the mix. I suppose you could push it to more extreme saturation levels as well, but usually it is best when used sparingly. Other tape emulations sometimes sound a little too much like an effect, but this one is very transparent and natural sounding. It works great combined with Slate's VCC as well.

From the first time I tried this plugin out after it was sent to me, I was amazed! This is a valuable tool for drums, recording electronic or acoustic drums. At times having to record something and to get it out in an emergency, I'l jump on my Roland drum kit and throw this on after and, I don't have any complaints. Get this and you'll find happiness!

Tape "emulation" being the key problem with other parties plugins. VTM NAILS IT - capturing all of the tonal non-linearities of tape and tape machines for you to imprint onto your tracks. Brings instant FAT & PUNCH - in your face sound, gluing everything together to get that record sound. Fantastic on drums ... and of course the mix buss!

I reviewed this plug-in before I bought it and it really sounds like Tape. I wanted to give my flat digital recordings some analog warmth sound and tame the transients in my kick and snare drums. After watching exhaustive YouTube videos about gain staging, I finally realized I wasn't gain staging right. Then I get back on Pro Tools and apply a Trim plug-in to get my gain staging right. After I applied this Virtual Tape Machine and switched between the 1/2 in. And 2 in. Tape modes. I got the 2 in. really slamming to almost 0 db. I noticed I gained about 2 db of headroom. Then I bounced the track down to see if my peaks (transients) were smaller and sure enough they were. I'm really pleased with my purchase and thanks to Clint from the Sales team at Sweetwater.

I use it in my Master Track in 1/2" stereo 30ips mode and in MIDI and some audio tracks in 2" 16 track 15ips mode. Simply put it is to add warmth, saturation and dimension to the project and it does exactly what I want it to by making the song more inviting to listen too. I want to focus real music without much obvious post production and this plug in can be used without making the track sound processed. It's simple to use and does what it says it will do - excellent!

I've tried the Kramer, and Waves J37. For metal, this is by far the best of the three with the J37 coming in 2nd. This plugin adds the most warmth and really makes the low frequencies punch with clarity! It does a great job cutting back on the digital high frequency harshness that you can't EQ away without sacrificing your track or mix.

Real simple. This is flawless tape saturation. End of story.

I've heard and read a lot about this plugin but I thought it was all hype.... Until I bought it.... Amazing!!!! Adds warmth and character to whatever you put it on, my mixes now sound much better... Thanks Jason... For your recommendation.

Steven Slate keep up the great work!!!

this is a great sounding plugin, does as advertised !!!!

This Slate VTM Plug-in just makes everything that much Bigger.
I've been using it on my Kick, Snare and Vocal Tracks when tracking and also during Mastering.
A great addition to my library of tools.

What a great simulation of the real deal, I don't have experience on Tapes machines, but I gotta say...it really feels way different when I'll put this plug-in its every track. Just sounds warm and natural, don't know how Slate did it, just works perfectly!!!!

Just like every other slate plugin, so worth the money. I put this across all my tracks in 1/2 inch, and then put the 24 track on busses. Then I set my bass and kick drum to the 15ips setting. Words dont describe the difference. You bypass them all at once (option-command) click the insert (if they're all in one row of inserts in pro tools) and it feels like night and day. So much added punch on the low end, and silky air/clarity on the top end. Now i need to also go review the VMR, because that thing is also on another level.

This plugin is amazing......i love what it do to my mixes......i definitely recommend this bad boy.......

It's just a great plugin that brings life to your music. Also it can beef up your lows or smooth out your highs. It's an instant change in the feel of a song or instrumental ounce you add this plugin to the mix bus.

I've used it on a few tracks so far, and am very pleased with the character it brings to the track! Slate Digital is a good company that continue to make good value plugs.

So...here's the deal. My first personal music experiences was with tape back in college recording concert bands, orchestral, etc....back in the day (late 70s, early 80s). Shortly after that, I had a Foster 4-track cassette recorder. Now we have amazing DAWs and the ability to virtually do whatever we want. Digital is pristine! So what's the big rage about analogue? It's character. Slate Digital has created in the Virtual Tape Machine plugin a very "musical" interface that processes the tracks you record into a wonderfully, discrete way. It's subtle. We're not looking for over-the-top, but rather for that organic & natural thing that influences the mix - and in my experience with this plug-in, it makes the mix sound better with additional body without the additional flab. Knowing how to record great signal, knowing how to trust ears and mix in a musical way helps, for sure. I completely dig Slate Digital and the hard work and dedication they put into the their work - they understand that in the end, it's about the music. If you understand tape technology, you'll appreciate the detail Slate Digital has put into the VTM. I kind of laugh because it's sort of like all the stuff we had to endure in the early days of photography, whether it be darkroom B&W or color processing. Now we have Photoshop. Well, here we have tape technology faithfully reproduced and presented on a silver platter. Go visit Slate Digital if you want the tech specs - it's well covered there.

I bought this plugin after several "big time" guys said that they always use a tape emulation on their mixes. I've always been a Slate fan, so I bought his version. It definitely adds the "fat" to the fat free sound of all digital music. I have had problems with computer freeze-up using this plugin - although I use it in conjunction with Blue Cat M7, so I can't be sure who's the culprit. Adding the VTM to the Slate VCC plugins give my mixes a more professional, smooth and meaty feel.

I like the way this plugin sounds. It reminds me of tape. it has an easy to use interface. However, it was a pain to get it registered with the ilok. I understand the need to keep things secure but it was a lot hassle to get to work with both Cubase and Ableton. Tech support was required twice. It should clearly (maybe bigger print of placement of statement), that it will only work with an ilok.

I saw demos of this on youtube and all of them sounded fantastic. But I thought if I got this plug it might not work as well for me (murphy's law maybe)?
...I was wrong.
This is...just..analog juicy I can't describe it in detail. When you put this even on an individual track, it brings that track to life like no other plug I've used. Thick rich harmonics, robust tone....And the best part?
Simplicity!
No endless tweaking for me. I haven't even applied it to my stereo bus yet but I can tell you it is a plug you can't live without. And for the price? Oh yes. There is a heaven!
Please treat yourself to this plug. It does not suck.
VCC is next on my list!

This is one of those fairly subtle effects/emulations that you will be tempted to dismiss if you just use one instance of it somewhere in your mix and expect it to make poor audio sound good. This effect is for taking a well recorded, well mixed track and simply make it sound BETTER.

Having never personally recorded or mixed to tape, I can't speak to it's accuracy in emulating the aural qualities that tape imparts. All I can say is, put this plugin on your tracks and/or sub-mix busses set to 2" tape and on your 2-buss set to 1/2", mix your session, then bypass all the instances of VTM in your session. You're welcome.

Having cut my teeth on 4-8-16-24 track machines before joining the digital crowd, It was a nice feeling seeing reels spin again in front of me. As has been quoted many, many, times, there's just a sound that "tape" gives you that can't be had with ones and zeros. This plug-in gives you more than mental assurance.."that sound" is "there" as was in times gone by. "Always rool tape". :-)

I have never had the privilege of using tape, so I cannot attest to the accuracy of this emulation - but I love what this plug-in does when I throw it on my mixes! I use it as a type of "EQ" sometimes, use it to get some creamy saturation, and to get a thick, fat, warm, punchy,"sheen" in my mix. VTM could be just what your mixes have been missing - grab it today, and give it a try for yourself! I don't think you'll be disappointed...

Adds the need color that makes the misxes sound more authentic and clear.

I downloaded a demo and started putting it on a project i was mixing, before I knew it I had it on almost all my tracks and couldn't see myself mixing without. It made such a huge difference in the mix, it took the digital sound out and added a real, full thick sound, i mixed some midi drums and slapped this on there, it made a world of a differnce and made them sound real.if your recording and mixing everything in the box this is what you need.

Don't over think it, it adds harmonics that make the bottom end fatter but not muddy and smooths out the hi end. A must have for in the box production.

I grew up with analog tape so I know what tape is and I know what it ain't. I understand why it's still highly regarded. That warm sonic fingerprint probably has more merit in today's digital world than it did back in it's heyday. The irony is, back in the day, we all longed for something like digital. Now that we have it, we long for the good ol days lol. I had to wait a few weeks to get some projects under my belt before I felt confident enough to write a review. At first blush, the effect isn't very obvious. It's not like a wah wah pedal where you understand what it does in 10 seconds. You need to spend some time with it. It's not a complicated plug-in. If you do nothing more than plop it into your master bus you'll already have an idea of what it does. It does a pretty good job of emulating the sonic qualities of magnetic tape. They supposedly modeled it after two different decks. Had some experts come in and do the alignment and biasing on the original machines. I sense they spent some time listening and tweaking. It definitely takes some of the high-end brittleness away and helps tighten up the bottom end. It's the bottom end tightening effect I think I like the most about this thing. I don't know how it compares to the other VTM products on the market but since it's about half the price of some, I'd say it's a great bang for the buck and worth owning. It's resource hungry (as mentioned by others). I don't know I would use it on everything. But it's a cool tool and has already found it's place here especially on classic-rock-style projects. Another great SS product made better with Sweetwater's great price point.

After seeing some youtube demos that were pretty impressive, I decided to give the demo a try. Literally, the WOW factor was instantaneous. So many tape plugins seem either too subtle or way overhyped. This sounds absolutely spot on. Best all around tape emulator I have ever tried. Needless to say, I'm permanently adding this one to the collection.

I still have and use the Waves Kramer plugin, its a different type of sound and has a lot of versatility that I really enjoy. So, I'm not replacing this, just complimenting it. The Slate will be the workhorse of my studio, the Waves Kramer will become more of a specialty tool/character choice.

This plugin has a sweetness and life to it that really the closest thing to good analog tape I believe I've ever heard.

Everything Slate Digital does is above and beyond anything else out there period. Truly superior. I buy and use all their stuff and it changes my digital sound from the ground up.

Just as I expected from Slate Digital's renowned reputation, this plugin not only stood up to the expectations. It definitely blew me away.
Not only gave me analog warmth and great tone
It also tightened up my low-end and gave me the clarity and silkiness on the top-end I wasn't expecting to receive from it.

MID range suddenly had more punch and felt like it gained live,
Don't get me wrong. My mixes sounded very good already without it. So I wasn't expecting VTM to improve them at the level It did...
I will continue to train my ears and trust my instinct to get my mixes to sound as good as they can.
I don't want VTM to be my Lifesaver but to improve what's already a mix that I love

I send this message to all Mixing Engineers taking refuge among the Mixing boards and DAWs

VTM is here, and is waiting!


P.S

4.5 Stars = no AAX for VTM and VCC? WHEN

THIS PLUG IN WILL CHANGE HOW YOU APPROACH MIXING,PAIR THIS WITH THE VCC AND BE AMAZED ,I OWN THE DANGEROUS D-BOX AND DON'T GET ME WRONG IT IS AN AMAZING BOX WORTH THE D/A CONVERSION ALONE,BUT THE VTM AND AND VCC WILL ROCK YOUR MIXES TO LIFE,AT FIRST YOU WONT NOTICE MUCH DUE TO YEAR FATIGUE AND THE PLUGINS TRANSPARENCY WITH ANALOG CHARACTER BUT COME BACK LATER FOR THE MIXES YOU DONE WITH VCC / VTM AND YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT YOU R HEARING ,SLATE DIGITAL??? FROM NOW ON I'LL CALL THEM SLATE ANALOG!!!

In the digital audio world, I'm very new at using the analog modeled plugins. I bought VTM because of all the positive reviews and thought I'd try it out.
At first, I couldn't really hear any difference when putting the plugin on separate tracks and A/B-ing them (unless I cranked the input drive all the way up), but the amazing thing is that, when used properly, it gives the complete mix new life! The best comparison was to mix a song with and without the VTM and listen to the difference. Actually, it was more about FEELING the difference than hearing it!
Since I grew up listening to music in the analog world, it feels like I've 'come home.' I wish I knew about this earlier-I want to redo all my old mixes now!

This plugin offers compression and saturation in a very musical algorithm. The controls are deceptively simple but offer, to my ears, a wide palette of colours through compression and excitation utility. Makes out really nicely with esses and kick drums ;). Slight bug on the UI where the controls stick for a bit in logic 9, but that may be lthe fault of logic and/or system limitations. Minus 1 star for needing an ilok.

This thing is worth all the ratings it has gotten. I use it on every mix now......
I gave 4.5 because it's a CPU hog but it's very good....

So I was blown away by the Virtual Bus Compressor so I bought it. So I had to demo the Virtual Console Collection and The Virtual Tape Machines. I was blown away with the magic the tape imparted on my mixes. It has a permanent spot on my vocal chain along with the VCC. If you're mixing In The Box you definitely need this plugin. There's something that Slate Digital is doing that is breaking down the wall between digital and analogue with every release of their plugins. I bought all and can buy any of their products with my eyes closed because I know their attention to detail is impeccable. Buy this plugin NOW!!!!! I ran a friend's mix through my arsenal of Slate plugins including the Tape and He as well decided to make the purchase citing the character the plugins imparted that was undeniable. Buy this plugin NOW!!!!

I first want to say that the Steven Slate Virtual Tape Machine is AWESOME!
When I first asserted the plugin to a project I had already started, the mucic sounded very thick with no eq color because the prior eq settings I was using were set before the VTM was applied. AS I began to raise the eq levels the the tape saturation came to life! And the music just kicked butt!
Usually in the digital realm alone, eq adjustments don't do much to enhance the music, But with the VTM the eq's all sound natural and breath even more life into your mixes!
I bought the boxed version because it included the iLok2. And it was a breeze installing it. Trust me,.....get this software, as it will not only bring life into your music, it will bring new life into "you" as an artist.
My music is now FAT, Thick, and no matter what you do to EQ it it sounds excellent. You'll never be the same without it.
That being said,...the specs say that the VTM is only compatible with Windows 7, (WRONG),.....I use Windows XP 32 bit with Pro Tools 7 LE and it runs as smooth as butter! NO ISSUES!
If you want your mixes to sound somewhat good, then don't use the Steven Slate VTM, but if you want them to sound GREAT, then buy it! You "will not" regret it. Just remember to adjust your existing eq settings from what they were to bring out the punch, and excellence in the VTM! It is awesome! Finally,.......I am enjoying recording again, and have the ultimate confidence that it will kick A** in the end!
The $199 price tag on this VTM is worth thousands of dollars in my opinion. Reel to Reel recorders now belongs either in the dumpster or a museum, for sure.

Gives a great warmth to the overall sound or just individual tracks. Easy to use and adds depth to the bass end.

Well, I was already using the Waves Kramer tape on my tracks and it really works great, however, I wanted something a little different. So, instead of going with Universal Audio tape plugins, I decided on this Slate VTM. Wow ! Definitely good and different (in an awesome way)! compared to Kramer tape, It has a much SMOOTHER feel to it. Kramer is not better or worse, just different. They both sound amazing, but the Slate is much smoother and not so drastic. Sounds very authentic! Thanks Sweetwater and Slate! A+++

great product -- loud...

this product is awesome , use it in all my mixes , i'm getting that big warm sound at home studio now thank you Slate Digital

As soon as I used it on my first track I was amazed at the difference. My acoustic guitar was warmer and less flat. Its easy to use as you would expect a tape machine to be. It glued my tracks together and I needed less EQ to get a nice high end sound. I haven't used any other VTM but this should be used on all DAWs.

The sound this vst produces really is on point. A must have for the money.

I was skeptic. I gave a chance to several other tape emulation products before, and I never found anything that I would qualify as good enough... until now. Slate's VTM is amazingly close to what a real studio tape machine sounds like. In other words, this is your best option, short of having access to the real thing. Give it a try!

I've been working professionally in Nashville for nearly a decade, so I've worked on some beautiful analog gear. But like everyone else, I need the ability to mix a "big" sounding record in my house as well. This made all the difference on a live project I just mixed. I slapped it across all my sub-mixes (2"), and then on my Master as well (1/2"), and mixed faster with it up. When closing the mix, I A/B'd with and without it, and the mix didn't fall apart without it, which told me it's not changing or overhyping what goes in. But the mix went from 2-dimensional to extremely life-like when engaged. I got to meet Steven at a demonstration here in Nashville, and I love that this plug-in has such a passionate driving force behind it. Couldn't be happier with this purchase!

My only complaint so far is that the most recent update added a TON of tape hiss. To the point that I uninstalled and went back to the previous version, but I have complete faith that they'll make it right.

If you want to add tape compression and coloration to your tracks this is definitely the way to go. Way to go Slate Digital!

It's a solid plug in. I do think UAD has the edge on this though. I supoose it's all subjective and a matter of taste. I really do like the 1/2" mastereing deck on this I must say.

I have never used a real tape but i like what it brings to the sound. There is something diffrent that i like in the mix i do now in Logic. My CPU suffers little bit. I put it only on few submix and on the master track.
Nice plug.