Nomad Factory Essential Tube/Tape Warmer

The Nomad Factory Essential Tube/Tape Warmer is a plug-in that is part of Nomad's Essential Bundle. The bundle consists of nine plug-ins in total, all for just $200 US dollars. The bundle is compatible for both Mac and PC operating systems and in VST, RTAS, or AU formats. Installing the plug-in and the rest of the bundle was easy, as you just follow the step by step instructions as you would for any software. Installing the bundle is done all at once, so you don't have to do each individual plug-in one at a time. As far as the interface is concerned, it's fairly simple and does have the same sort of look as the others in the bundle. The parameters that they give you to work with aren't many, as it there are three different buttons for two different types of 12AX7 tube emulations and one for tape. You can also set the input and output levels and monitor them with the virtual VU meters it has. It's a pretty easy plug-in to use, so I wouldn't think you'd need a manual unless you're a beginner.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

I'm running the Nomad Factory Essential Tube/Tape Warmer on a Pro Tools LE based system. I've got version 8 of the software and I run it with a Digi 002R audio interface or a Digidesign Micro Box if I'm on the go. I also have a Mac Book Pro computer that has a 2.2 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 4 GB of RAM to work with. I don't have too many problems running anything on this system, as it's definitely pretty sturdy. Either way, the Essential Tube/Tape Warmer plug-in is one that doesn't seem to be taking up much processing power to begin with.

OVERALL OPINION

While in general it seems strange to aim to get an analog sound with a plug-in, but that's exactly what the idea is with the Nomad Factory Essential Tube/Tape Warmer. While it's definitely not a replacement for real analog gear in terms of tubes and warmth, for an in the box warmer it can actually do a pretty decent job of adding some depth to your sound. I like the tape warmth the best, as it will get you part of the way there in terms of getting a bit of a warmer tone. I wouldn't buy the Essential bundle just for this plug-in, so definitely check out the full array of plug-ins in the bundle if you're thinking about picking this up...