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Hello experts,

I own a project studio, dont have outboard gear, everything is done from the DAW but I want to incorporate a little of warmth and headroom to the sound of my mixing and tracking. Also, can you give me some recommendations regarding VST analog summing plugins? What options do I have? A friend recommended me the green one from McDSP but it only works in Pro Tools.

Besides the analog summing emulation, what do you suggest for my set up that can create this analog-like warmth/headroom?

I have yet to buy high end preamps. Bellow you'll find my setup. Thank you!

Interface: Focusrite Liquid Saffire 56
Preamps: Focusrite OctoPre Dynamic
Mics:
Telefunken AR51
Telefunken M80
MXL 2010
MXL V88
Monitoring: Quested SR8 Active monitors
DAW: Cubase 6

Comments

RemyRAD Sun, 07/31/2011 - 22:50

Well do you want the sound of analog summing or, do you want the sound of analog saturation? You already have a nice system. Nice enough to produce warm quality tones. A lot of this may have to do with what kind of microphones you are using on what particular instruments. The time software manufacturer IK multimedia, features a mastering suite they referred to as T-Racks. It was designed as a mastering tool although I use it, individually on separate tracks as well. It was designed to emulate classic sounding tube equipment. It features a soft output clipper that has adjustable saturation. It also features a limiter that has the ability to dial in or reduce, musical sounding distortion components. There are plenty of others out there that try to emulate tape saturation and its associated harmonic related distortion. What you really are talking about is a lack of engineering expertise that is preventing you from obtaining what you want with what you currently have.

I'm approaching saturation
Mx. Remy Ann David

RemyRAD Sun, 01/08/2012 - 18:24

We can all credit analog summing to the fact that everything is summed together at the speed of light. That is simply not the case when all done strictly ITB which still sounds remarkably good when done correctly. As evidence by the amount of folks that work strictly in ProTools without any external consoles or external summing. However those in the know, know you just can't beat the sound of analog summing. With myself in particular, I cannot work under fluorescent lighting. Because while fluorescent lighting seems to be a steady stream of light, it's actually light that is being modulated 60 times per second. So it has the effects of continuous strobe lights on people like myself. It drives me crazy. And there are those of us that cannot tolerate that.Whereas analog summing would be analogous to an incandescent bulb with a filament. And that is continuous with out flicker because of the nature of the beast. So until digital can operate at 186,000 mi./s we prefer analog summing at the speed of light and not fluorescent lighting at the speed of digital.

There is already SUM thing better going on.
Mx. Remy Ann David