Analogue warmth (Valves, tubes, compressors, saturation)

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Barfunkel
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Re: Analogue warmth (Valves, tubes, compressors, saturation)

Post by Barfunkel »

Mattias wrote:
You reckon they're inaudible with electronic sources? What sources then, sounds odd to me. Just because its electronic doesn't need they have to be "heavily compressed, distorted and stuff".
Naturally it was just a generalization, as not all electronic (or acoustic) music is the same. The Satson effect is more audible with, say, acoustic guitar or singing. If you put it on a distorted 909 kick you got to either have golden ears or insanely accurate monitoring to hear the effect. I definitely can't hear the difference, particularly if you put it on just one track.
Of course they're subtle, it's the whole idea behind console emulations.
I've never used a high end console, but from what I've heard it's not that subtle. I don't think anyone would buy, say, a 100k Wunderbar console if they could barely hear the difference.
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Re: Analogue warmth (Valves, tubes, compressors, saturation)

Post by Mattias »

Exactly man! The idea is to put in on all your channels, on just one track it doesn't do much. I dunno how the Satsons work but for example with Stripbus you can Bypass all of the units you have in your project at the same time from the "main" unit and then it strikes you there is a nice difference.

Some high-end consoles, just like with any gear, either have character, subtle or very colorful, or is trying to be as transparent as possible. If I'm not mistaken Wunderbar gear is well-known for it's "wideness" and makes things ran through it sound "bigger" so thats their thing. Others pays those 100k for a transparency, function or whatever suits their needs best. Just saying because its a highly expensive console or piece of gear doesn't always mean it have to make it's own colorful sound.
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Lost to the Void
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Re: Analogue warmth (Valves, tubes, compressors, saturation)

Post by Lost to the Void »

Planar wrote:Thanks Mattias. How is Stripbus? Having read around it last night, it seems Satson and Stripbus seem to be rated fairly highly and they're both very inexpensive.

Stripbus is slightly more appealing as it seems to have more features and each instance interacts with its peers. People rate Satsons filters (I can hear why), but I have that covered with Satson CM for free. The only concern is CPU usage, Satson CM was about 4% usage with 6 instances and there is no demo to try out Stripbus.
Satson is interactive also, this is why you have 2 plugins one for channel one for buss
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Re: Analogue warmth (Valves, tubes, compressors, saturation)

Post by Lost to the Void »

Yeah with the satsons the effect is cumulative.
Once your whole mix is mixed IN to the plugs then you get the difference.
Deeper sound field, nice open, round lows, a little more presence.

I can't live without them now. And it works fine on grungy fucked up stuff as it does on more orchestral stuff.
In fact I have found on my more crunchy fucked up stuff, the depth stops the mixes from getting too close and messy.
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Re: Analogue warmth (Valves, tubes, compressors, saturation)

Post by Planar »

Lost to the Void wrote:Satson is interactive also, this is why you have 2 plugins one for channel one for buss
Ah, is it, the documentation was a little unclear. Anyway, I've gone with Stripbus, mainly for the global bypass and it can also do ducking. I'll be using Satson CM a bit as well, even if its just for the filters.

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Re: Analogue warmth (Valves, tubes, compressors, saturation)

Post by Lost to the Void »

Ah yeah stripbus is good, not the same thing though, that is a channel strip plug, whereas Satson is purely a gain path emulator. I prefer to use my own choice of compression etc in combination with satson
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Re: Analogue warmth (Valves, tubes, compressors, saturation)

Post by s-tek »

I prefer a way like dynamic impulse responses like nebula presets or other impulse responses of old gear if I try to do this digital(in example when im in vacation or on the way with notebook). Sometimes also with dynamic automation of self recorded Tape Hiss which I mix under and/or parallel to the other instruments in the track. In other moments I prefer to record all again through my hardware. This can be my studio mixer(vca and opamp based), compressors and EQs(Tube, Opto, VCA, Opamp based), Tape(magnetic), any kind of synthesizer with an input option(in my studio evolver, modular system, dark energy, access virus etc), any kind of efx unit or all together. :D

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Re: Analogue warmth (Valves, tubes, compressors, saturation)

Post by Lost to the Void »

But let me know how stripbus performs, I like SKnote plugs a lot
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Re: Analogue warmth (Valves, tubes, compressors, saturation)

Post by willemb »

I like stripbus a lot, bought that and some other sknote plugins a while back. For me it helps to gently colour/tone tracks and to help separate tracks nicely as relevant. I love the way how it can accentuate high transients on lower frequency parts when driven and set right as well.

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Re: Analogue warmth (Valves, tubes, compressors, saturation)

Post by gavisthename »

What about the Waves NLS plugin? Is that better than satson?

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Re: Analogue warmth (Valves, tubes, compressors, saturation)

Post by Lost to the Void »

gavisthename wrote:What about the Waves NLS plugin? Is that better than satson?
That's a debate in itself. Some people complain the waves stuff is a little too much, so i would say it is simply an issue of taste.
Try them and make your own mind up.
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Re: Analogue warmth (Valves, tubes, compressors, saturation)

Post by s-tek »

I Thing also good are the Bootsy/Variety Of Sound plugins like nasty vcs, tessla, rescue or ferric tds.
Im a waves customer since years, but I dont like the newer Waves plugins. In example the SSL4000 series sounds shit(to many bad distortion). If you know how the hardware sounds and how uad modelled their plugins you will never use waves again.

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Re: Analogue warmth (Valves, tubes, compressors, saturation)

Post by Lost to the Void »

I don't think the modelling in waves is bad, I just think the way they are now presenting stuff is too hyped.

They make plugins that emulate very subtle nuances, but to sell them they ramp up the effect so it is more obvious. Because who wants a plugin that costs a lot but only achieves subtle effect? It's like a loudness war. The console emulation must be OBVIOUS
The compression saturation must be OBVIOUS
It is a terrible habit they have formed.
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Re: Analogue warmth (Valves, tubes, compressors, saturation)

Post by Lost to the Void »

Also for console emulation there is slate digital VCS. Really good plugs, I just hate Steven slate, the man is a total dick.
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Re: Analogue warmth (Valves, tubes, compressors, saturation)

Post by blnn »

Well, now I dont believe so much in these kind of faith called "warmth".
I can't hear the differences that many experts tell in forums or reviews... and for me is hard to understand people talking about "clear pristine warm sound" of really expensive gear (EQ, Comp...), when they are using distorted guitars or stuff like that and all is sounding dirty... I think there is too much hype with this gear things.
As said before, I think also most of people will hear the warmth when all has been singed, so i think it's a matter of faith.
I must confess that... the warmth of my productions really comes from using crappy compressors (must be, because are no expensive, you know) and crappy grooveboxes as electribes with crappy (as some people say) tubes...

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Re: Analogue warmth (Valves, tubes, compressors, saturation)

Post by gavisthename »

Lost to the Void wrote:
gavisthename wrote:What about the Waves NLS plugin? Is that better than satson?
That's a debate in itself. Some people complain the waves stuff is a little too much, so i would say it is simply an issue of taste.
Try them and make your own mind up.

Well I tend to go with what you say Steve! lol! The etymotic earphones that I bought on your recommendation are the tits! :lol:

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Re: Analogue warmth (Valves, tubes, compressors, saturation)

Post by arc »

blnn wrote:Well, now I dont believe so much in these kind of faith called "warmth".
I can't hear the differences that many experts tell in forums or reviews... and for me is hard to understand people talking about "clear pristine warm sound" of really expensive gear (EQ, Comp...), when they are using distorted guitars or stuff like that and all is sounding dirty... I think there is too much hype with this gear things.
As said before, I think also most of people will hear the warmth when all has been singed, so i think it's a matter of faith.
I must confess that... the warmth of my productions really comes from using crappy compressors (must be, because are no expensive, you know) and crappy grooveboxes as electribes with crappy (as some people say) tubes...
I agree.

Voidloss's post about audio myths explains that most people truly can't tell the difference between one saturation unit versus another.

Just go with what you think sounds good and forget what other people say. (Oddly enough however, what people say can have a huge effect on you think sounds 'good', "Well the guys at Subsekt said this VST is the best, so I agree!")

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Re: Analogue warmth (Valves, tubes, compressors, saturation)

Post by gavisthename »

Yeah to save time can Steve just give us a list of what plugins to use and what equipment to use ... save a lot of thread energy! :lol:

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Re: Analogue warmth (Valves, tubes, compressors, saturation)

Post by Lost to the Void »

hehe I always recommend trying it out for yourself. There is stuff I like, but my ear-taste is not for everyone.
If I do recommend a plugin it`s generally something I have used a hell of a lot.

Personally I would say the best console emulation is the Slate digital stuff. IT has lots of features, and the sound it subtle and not overhyped.

For me though, the quality of the Satson at that price, just can`t be beat.
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Re: Analogue warmth (Valves, tubes, compressors, saturation)

Post by gavisthename »

Anyone know of a demo of Satson floating about anywhere? Need to try before I buy


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