softening digital

[sheeptuf]

I am looking for an affordable way to soften the sterility (is that a word?) of a digital recording - give it the warmth of analog. I am using a Black Lion modded digi 002 rack. PT 8. Waves Platinum bundle.

Is there a plug in you know of that does this?

Or an affordable piece of gear I can run a mix through that would do it?


Thanks -

tuf

[A.David.MacKinnon]

Ribbon mics, tubes, transformers. Get it right on the way in.

[MASSIVE Mastering]

Don't track too hot and use decent preamps and you probably won't notice that you're using digital.

[Bro Shark]

Try Massey's Tape-Head plugin on certain tracks. Be judicious.

[jgimbel]

tarblackvomit's on the money, I've seen a few threads with people going nuts about the Tapehead plugin.

There are other tape saturation plugins that can help, and are free. Some are compressors that when you "drive" them are supposed to behave like analog compressors, which can help. Others are just meant to add saturation and often have high-end rolloff controls and things like that.

I don't use/haven't used PT so I don't know if these are compatible, but maybe:

THD analog-style saturator:
http://www.digitalfishphones.com/main.p ... &subItem=2

endorphin dual-band stereo compressor:
http://www.digitalfishphones.com/main.p ... &subItem=3

There's one called JS Magneto that I use sometimes but the link I got it from isn't work. Maybe search for it. I remember the page was in spanish, and there were a bunch of plugins on it. PSP Vintage Warmer's supposed to be decent too. I have others at home, if they'll help I'll get a list/links for you.

[kayagum]

Get good dynamic mics, especially large diaphragm types.

[chris harris]

Or an affordable piece of gear I can run a mix through that would do it?

uh... a tape machine? They're quite affordable these days!

[Dave-H]

Try a EV RE-20 to warm up your vocals & just about anyother thing you care to use it on!

[Nick Sevilla]

I am looking for an affordable way to soften the sterility (is that a word?) of a digital recording - give it the warmth of analog. I am using a Black Lion modded digi 002 rack. PT 8. Waves Platinum bundle.

Is there a plug in you know of that does this?

Or an affordable piece of gear I can run a mix through that would do it?


Thanks -

tuf

The input signal chain (mics, compressors, EQs) is where you need to look, in order to get what you're after.

As to plugins, there are many that add harmonic distortion emulating tape machines. Try them all out, and see which one you like best.

But, really, how you record it will mostly determine the final result more than a plugin will.

Cheers

[JES]

I am looking for an affordable way to soften the sterility (is that a word?) of a digital recording - give it the warmth of analog. I am using a Black Lion modded digi 002 rack. PT 8. Waves Platinum bundle.

Is there a plug in you know of that does this?

Or an affordable piece of gear I can run a mix through that would do it?


Thanks -

tuf

The tape plugins are nice but I would have to agree that it's gain staging and front end that you should be after. BLA gets rid of a lot of the sterility of digital to begin with (the problem is often the analog circuitry, not the converters) , and the Waves plugs are certainly good. So mics and pres and compressors will make the most difference, gain staging will also make a HUGE difference (there's a thread here about that somewhere--I learned back in the day when 16 bits was all you had and you wanted to print hot to DAT; once I stopped doing that in 24 bit my recordings opened WAY up).

Best,
--JES

[farview]

Digital doesn't create the sterility, it preserves it. If you were using an ribbon mic through a Neve preamp, you wouldn't hear any 'harsh, sterile digital' sound.

The better your analog chain is, the better the resulting audio will be. It really isn't (most of the time) the converters or the software making it sound 'digital'.

[@?,*???&?]

Don't record digital then. Why change it? It's what it sounds like. Change your master recording medium to tape.

Quantitatively, your track-by-track experience in analog will be much more musical.

No longer loose and uncontained, you'll be amazed how much more 'musical' everything sounds.

Now, off you go, get yourself a tape machine then.

[ott0bot]

Definately the incoming signal chain. Buy some decent outboard gear and mics and get the signal to sound the way you want before it even hits the 002. Now as far as moderately priced convertors the BLA 002's sound great, so you have a slight advantage right there.

If you can afford it, a decent analog console is the way to go. I went the other route with rack gear and ended up spending more and having less routing options. The pre's will still be useful when I finally can afford the console, though. And a console takes alot of maintenance, so if you're not prepared for that a few choice outboard pre's can work wonders. Also having "actual" compressors did wonders for me.

You can find moderately priced outboard gear, but it's a slippery slope. If you can live without it, than I suggest doing so for as long as possible. You can always rent a studio with the desired gear and save yourself the cash just to own it.

That being said, I think mic choice and style of micing is also a huge factor. Like using a rooms natural reverb instead of plug-ins, but you gotta have the space for that.

[rwc]

It's a myth.

The best way to get what you want is by using good digital. plugins and other gear to fix the lack of "warmth" caused by the "digital clinical accuracy" is really a way of saying "you need this stuff to filter out the shit that gets ruined by poor analog front end and poor power supplies in these digital devices"

good digital doesn't sound strident. just one reporter's opinion.

I am still of the belief 90% of the world has not heard good digital.

[dsw]

90% of the world doesn't have a stereo good enough to tell the difference.
MP3's on ear buds are what sound truly horrible to me.