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Reel Tape Flanger is part of the Reel Tape suite of tape-simulation effects plug-ins and is available in AAX, TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite formats.
Reel Tape Flanger simulates a tape machine flanging effect, modeling the frequency sweep and “crossover” comb-filtering effects that can result when the flanger variable delay is adjusted. It also reproduces the frequency response, noise, wow and flutter, and distortion characteristics of analog tape recording.
For years, engineers have relied on analog tape to add a smooth, warm sound to their recordings. When driven hard, tape responds with gentle distortion rather than abrupt clipping as in the digital domain. Magnetic tape also has a frequency-dependent saturation characteristic that can lend punch to the low end, and sweetness to the highs.
Reel Tape Flanger models a classic tape flanging setup with two analog tape machines and a mixer, where one tape machine has a fixed delay and the other has a continuously variable delay.
The two machines are fed an input signal in parallel, and the output of the machines is then mixed. When the variable delay on the second machine is changed at a constant rate (using an LFO), the resulting frequency cancellations cause a periodic phasing of the original signal.
The use of a fixed delay on the first machine makes it possible to adjust the variable delay on the second machine to pass the “zero” point (to a delay value less than the fixed delay), resulting in phase cancellation (or the “crossover” flanging effect).
Reel Tape Flanger automatically applies tape saturation effects that correspond to the following control settings in Reel Tape Saturation:
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Speed: 15 ips
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Bias: 0.0 dB
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You can use the BPM Sync feature to synchronize the Reel Tape Flanger effect to the current tempo of the Pro Tools session.
Reel Tape Flanger can be placed on mono, stereo, or multichannel tracks.