If a project is recorded entirely in the digital domain,"warming up" or adding tape saturation is an option at the mastering stage. That's where tape layback comes in. Running final mixes through analog tape ("laying back to tape" or "layback mastering") has become a popular request using our ½" and ¼" two-track tape machine.

Why would you want to do this? In some cases, transferring an all-digital project to analog tape can smooth out the top end and adds warmth and richness to the overall sound. For this process, Sound Affair uses an Ampex ½" ATR-102 tape recorder running at 15 or 30 ips with ATR magnetic tape. The ATR-102 has been the two-track machine of choice in professional studios for over 30 years.

Find out more about the benefits of Analog tape Layback on our Tech Tips page here;

benefits-of-tape-layback