OUTBOARD. As wonderful as some plugs have become, especially since the UAD collection (my personal favorite), there still is no substitute (IMHO) for a big aircraft-aluminum box full o' tubes.

As much as I wish there were... These boxes get mighty hot and require fairly expensive maintenance. Plugs don't...

But until that day comes (if it ever actually does)...

Well John,

What you are describing is the age-old digital vs. analog question- something that I'm sure we don't need to hit again. :P

I think the day has been fast approaching that plugins are as good as their stand-alone counterpart. Listening to something like the new Algorithmix Linear Phase EQs for a moment will show you that... If you think about it, your outboard digital box is just a stand alone processor- there isn't any difference between doing it inside the box and outside...

As for analog, they are trying to model them, but it still ain't here yet. Although gear like Sintefex is making a pretty good try at it...

In the end, they are all flavors of sound to deal with in mastering...

And to answer the original poster, I do most of my work in the box, but on occasion, I will rent a good EQ or comp to insert in my mastering chain for a special project... I use Sequoia here, but there isn't any reason why you can't do similar work in other programs...

--Ben

FifthCircle wrote: Well John,

What you are describing is the age-old digital vs. analog question- something that I'm sure we don't need to hit again. :P

Well yeah, but that was the question...

And I'm not sure I understand your comment on the outobard digital box - We are talking about outboard analog boxes.

Although I have to agree to a point about some digital EQ's... Many of them are getting pretty good. But as of yet, nothing is hitting me like an NSEQ2 or my personal favorite, the GML-8200.**

Believe me - I wish they did. After exhaustive trials of plug after plug and program after program, I ended up blowing around $15k on upgrading my analog chain this year. And I love digital! Really!

**I have to give gigantic props to UAD on their Pultec plug - That thing sounds like the real deal - In stereo - and without the dirty pots. 8-) There's a plug I woud've dropped "analog" cash on in a heartbeat. Although admittedly, I'm glad it had the "digital" price tag!

And I'm not sure I understand your comment on the outobard digital box - We are talking about outboard analog boxes.

Sorry... my incoherent ramblings when I write when I'm tired...

I was simply mentioning that some insert quality digital devices (a la a Weiss EQ for example) and devices of that quality are coming out in plugin form... When looking at the technology, it is just different ways of computing numbers.

While I don't believe that the analog equivalent has quite hit yet, there are some pretty good tries out there and I think it is just a matter of time before they are available.

As for your analog chain... Sounds really nice.... I love the NSEQ-2, especially with the ability to switch in the tubes to give it the sound that extra color that is sometimes needed. I'm wishing that my cheap @$%! clientelle could pay for me to have tools like that instead of my having to run into Hollywood to rent for the occasional "special" project.

--Ben