Hi all;
I really like the sound of tape but, Very narrow format analog wont get you what you want ,{i don't think}. I had a tascam 80-8 that I really liked. These are 1/2" machines that use DBX. I happen to like this sound on most things. These machines are still around and are quite cheap. Having said that, If you dial up a good tone and slap a 57 in front of it,as Harvey has mentioned, you should get a fine sound. I do love tape though.
Note; DBX and NR in general dose leave artifacts on the audio. It just so happens that I like that strange DBX sound. There is nothing pure about it however..