Soundskulptor STS stereo tape simulator

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dagoose

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Joined
Jun 27, 2007
Messages
722
Location
HI Ambacht, the Netherlands
Since the soundskulptor tape simulator is avalaible now and i'm already building mine and to keep the white market topic a bit clean this is going to be the support thread.  ;D

I already have a question concerning the VU meter board because there seems to be a mistake, there are 2x R20 marked resistors positions and i think that R16(?) is missing on the board so i guess that should be it but not sure which one.
the original value for R20 = 220k and the other resistor marked as R20 = 330r.
Which one is the REAL R20? the one near the trimpot or the one between the lm339's?

I'm building mine in a 1u case with 24 steps stepped attenuators, one for input and one for output so just 2 knobs for IO's.
I will post my panel later on when done.

More info: http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=33492.0
 
I've build dozens of these without noticing, sorry.
There is an error on the silkscreen labelling for the two 330R resistors.
Please reload the correct layout PDF here: http://www.soundskulptor.com/pdf/vum16-layout.pdf
It should be "Last modified" on 23/03/10 or later.

Regarding your other question about 1N914 versus 1N4148 I think they are identical today.
 
Looks like a great project! I might jump on it once some opinions on the actual sound of the unit start pouring in..

-jay
 
I was thinking about this yesterday, im definately going to get one, its something ive been aftr for a while without buying an actual tape deck. I have used some software tape emulators, wich are good for character, but dont give the same character as real tape does. An analogue emulator utilising a magnetic field is genius, but then I got thinking, has this been done before, or is Sound Skulptors box the first of its kind?
A brief search turned up no other hardware boxes that do the same job with inductors, but i could have missed something.
 
"...is simulated by the magnetic core of several coupled coils..."

Isn't that what we call a transformer, or am I missing something?
 
zebra50 said:
"...is simulated by the magnetic core of several coupled coils..."

Isn't that what we call a transformer, or am I missing something?

I would be keen to hear more about how the tape simulator actually works, do the inductors create a magnetic field from the audio signal, which is then picked up by a tape head or something similar, there by mimicin the actual mechanism of the audio being stored on magnetic tape?
Also how do you emulate the various tape speeds?
 
My STS came alive today and so far i really like it!

I did some listenings tests and i think this can really add something to my masteringchain when used quite subtle.
To me the 7.5 inch is a bit to dark and 15 is ok but the 30 inch speed is really nice and warm and melts thing together in quite a nice way when you don't dive it to hard.

It's running a bit in a experimental-phase now, all is working but i don't have the VU meters connected yet (they do work though) I have it running with stereopots at the moment so L/R tracking is not perfect but decent but i will make 24 stepped ins/outs but i have to find out what settings i use most so that they work as precise as possible.
The panel looks like shit now, old panel i had left with lot's of extra holes (nice for cooling  ;D ) but the engraved panel is on it's way.  8) (www.dagoosemusic.nl/temp/sts.rar )
I have made it with a hard bypass function with relays so that it's really in bypass when i want to, the relays are powered with a nice pushbutton labeled ''record'' so that it looks like a real REC button.  :-*

I will post pics when it's done completely, meanwhile... JPK; thanks for this nice little box!
 
Hi Jeffrey,

You're getting faster and faster with the soldering iron! Really looking forward to the finished product.

Could you do a sample on a real song, the sample on the site is just drums, I'm wondering what it does to a complete mix.
Kind regards and keep up the inspirational work tempo and build quality!

Maarten
 
I'm also itching to hear real sounds from it. Something you would dial in a real life situation.

From schematic alone it looks much like pre- and post- transformer filters with plain transformer saturation, and the only demo available now certainly sound like that. Certainly a simplification of what the media does. I'm curious just how much more there is that meets the eye.
 
As no one has replied as to weather this is true to a real tape sound I have something to offer.
Forgive my lack of electronics knowledge, would a similar effect not be possible by putting 2 tape heads close together and have one as a write and one as a read?
Do the inductors on the STS do a very similar thing?
 
Something similar but not exactly. If you use 2 tape heads close together, you will get an emulation of 2 tape heads but no tape sound. Not much if the heads are high quality.
In the STS circuit, the first coil emulates a tape record head (same inductance) and the tape. Because the magnetic core of the first coil is driven hard by the amp stage, the magnetic material (iron) can be driven into saturation like tape would.
The second coil is used to cancel the flaws of the first coil which are not related to core saturation because we try to emulate a high quality tape recorder. It also create the -6dB/oct filter needed for reading.
 
Excellent, I really think I will get the full kit soon, I just want to hear a few more users impressions of the sound.
Its still an impressive piece of kit regardless!  ;D
 
Autophase said:
An analogue emulator utilising a magnetic field is genius, but then I got thinking, has this been done before, or is Sound Skulptors box the first of its kind?
A brief search turned up no other hardware boxes that do the same job with inductors, but i could have missed something.

I can't remember the model number but Neve released a hardware tape sim in its portico line. 
 
this seems like such a great product and project! I am just about to get my hands on an Otari MX5050 for stereo tape use and am thinking...hmmm sell the Otari and get the STS!?  ;) I am thinking long term this is saving my self a heck of alot of service on the tape machine!  ;D
 
OK, this week the panel that Frank (NRG) made for me came in and it looks great! (lot's of thanks frank, great job!)
This is the result, have to make some better pics including beaver shots but here it is!

sts.jpg


and the rack where it's at (blurry pic):
rack.jpg


So far i still like the sts though i removed the stepped switches from the input because the range was not really right (had one soldered one laying around which i uesed).
I think that a pot works better then stepped because the input sensitivity is quite high and bit more gain can drive the input just a bit to hard causing distortion in a way that is not always nice. You want the input to be set to that point where the distortion/saturation is about to come in but you also don't want to set it to low so that you don't hear the saturation. With stepped switches it's just a bit to hard to set it just right i guess though for output it's ok.

Now i'm looking for a good (great) stereo potmeter (lowest %) for the input because there is some stereoshifting going on now... Anyone?
 
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