How many things in our environment can be considered truly perfect? Another answer lies in the tonal characteristics – subtle harmonic enhancements add just that extra bit of colour, and we often exaggerate this effect by overdriving the input for even richer results. One simple answer is that imprecision is natural. Obviously this is subjective, but there are a few possible reasons for this. Much like with tubes, the sonic characteristics are highly celebrated as ‘warm’ and ‘musical’. Although popularity dipped as digital tech took hold, it never fully went away and even experienced a strong resurgence in the last decade or so. It goes something like this: digital audio is too precise and lacks a certain charm, character and…wait for it…warmth! The truth is that digital audio isn’t inherently cold or boring and there are plenty of ways to create movement and warmth entirely in the box.Īs you know, magnetic tape was the default recording medium for decades. Much fuss has been made over the need for analogue emulation plugins. Check out these 5 tape emulation plugins/VSTs.Looking to add grit, warmth or character to your otherwise sterile mixes?.