a while back I started working on an idea, emulating Michael Brauer’s modified AWA G7201 Limiting Amplifier. the specs are available online and Brauer’s modifications are well known. i’d heard rave reviews for the kazrog mhb green so I knew it could be done well digitally.
so far I’ve been focused on making sure the profiles match the plotted spec. even though my measurements were all within my self-imposed spec tolerance, the behavior of the profiles interacting, specifically the wow/flutter values when toggled, was wrong.
researching tape modes and plotting frequency curves was fun. the information, values, and how to accurately plot them wasn’t too difficult; that information is all over the internet. getting the next part right is what will either make or break the sound of this pedal.
well, that was a super satisfying deep dive. I was fully prepared to dial in the sound of each tape mode through trial and error, but turns out some smart and ambitious people already did the work of analyzing and documenting the frequency responses of each machine.
I fucking love tapes. listening to tapes, recording onto tapes, re-recording tapes over and over to wear them out, splicing tapes to make loops, buying used tape lots to find memories nearly lost in a dusty basement or storage unit.
I love the work of iterating, but I especially love when ideas start to take shape. I love making things that scratch that itch in a new way that I haven’t been able to find anywhere else. fifteen years of software development gave me the tools and mettle to persist here.