This is a section I would like to see personal experiences of people who own analogue equipment such as compressors, and EQs and who compared it with vst plugins (either a vst thats meant to be for the same model or in general comparison to vst plugins)

have you come across analogue signal processors that simply can't be reproduced with vsts in terms of audio quality

 

No.

 

can you expand? do you own/have you owned analogue sound processors? have you compared it?

 

The crux is the " Digital Audio Workstation " (DAW), when you work with it, the signals from the Analog hardware devices, are sent through a converter to convert them Digital (Analog to Digital). It is best to look at the professionals in the recording studios, what they work with.

Many hardware devices are taken as a model to recreate them purely virtually, the result is then a digital Virtual Studio Instrument (VST), which then sounds cleaner than the analog model.

It was found that when everything is digital, it sounds a bit too clean, so they invented tools/ VST like Tape Warmer or Saturation plugins to add a bit more analog warmth. In the end, almost everything will go digital because of the lack of expensive raw materials and the high retail prices. In short, welcome to the digital age.

 

Yes, I can.

Every audio professional should ask himself one very important question at a time.
"What are the fundamental audio quality influencing components of my equipment?"

Ethan Winer for example answered this question 2005 in a journal. http://ethanwiner.com/audiophoolery.html

Jitter, frequency response, THD, +N

The great thing about this is, every one of those components is measurable and therefore reproducable.


The unfortunate thing is, that there are still a lot of grown up men that talk about audio processing like little children do in a sandpit.
Like if they would be produce audio with peter pan in no mans land, where magic happens and all that stuff.
It really is somewhat emberassing.

I really do not think that it is advisable to self-realize in how my THD behaves.

 

Guys unless you can refer to specific models you owned/experienced and comparing to vst plugins..and mentioning these, this topic will be of no use to anyone

i am not looking for people who made listening comparisons on youtube and such i am looking for people who were actually in a decent acoustically treated room with hardware and who also tested vst plugins

 

I don't think there's any comparison to be made outside of a controlled environment. Yeah I've worked with high quality outboard gear, but in different rooms on different monitors than in the box processing... I don't see the point of obsessing over such things.

 

Only for recording vocals/instruments i'm using analog Pream+Compressor+Limiter.
In other cases, i don't need analog gear

 

have you tested vsts and found that they don't meet your requirements/audio quality? can you mention models of hardware if so thanks

 

can you be specific if you performed comparison tests, and some examples of models you found out that they didn't make any difference

 

No, I've not made a direct comparison, that's the point.

 

The difference between hardware and software:

Hardware: Millennia NSEQ-2 - 4.533,00 €
Software: Brainworx - Millennia NSEQ-2 - 149 €

Revered for its startling realism and transparent musicality, the Millennia NSEQ-2 is a go-to parametric EQ for many of the world’s leading studios and mastering houses. Its unique Twin Topology design and pure Class A transformer-less circuitry offers a simplicity which yields a powerful, sonically neutral, analog EQ.

A key to the Millennia sound is their Twin Topology™ technology that makes the NSEQ-2 like two world-class EQs in one. By faithfully emulating Millennia’s circuits, the Millennia NSEQ-2 plugin provides the sonic soul of the original.

The Millennia NSEQ-2 plugin also includes features not found in the hardware version, including M/S processing. Link mode speeds up your workflow, allowing you to adjust the left and right channels simultaneously, while the addition of an Output Trim control brings another level of usefulness to an already stellar EQ. Push the Millennia NSEQ-2 plugin’s front-end hard for a little extra color, and then back down the Output Trim so you don’t overload plugins further down your signal chain.

 

A long time ago I dropped my Alesis Microverb on the top of my bare foot. An edge landed right on the 3rg and 4th metatarsal bones, and even though it was of diminutive nature it bruised me very badly and hurt like a mutherfuker for over a week. That couldn't happen with the plugin, so there's the difference.

https://freevstplugins.net/wp-content/uploads/get-it/microverb-vst.zip

 

How do I apply for the audiosex.pro traffic booster job?

 

Listeners really do care about if drums were compressed with a real Distressor or a plugin… they do… really… that's all they care about… it has never been about rhythm, melodies or harmonics but the used equipment… :D

 

I don't post often as my little home studio is mainly hardware. The PC is used mainly for downloading and converting samples (for the Akai MPC1000, which is the main sequencer, an Akai Z4, and an EMU E6400 Ultra). I have a second PC which is Windows XP, Rev3, running the "ASPI stack" so it can read sampler libraries. Other than that, computers aren't used at all.
I prefer analog effects as digital ones often have the drawback of volume drops, due to the digital sampling process putting limits on the dynamics. I like the hearty volume boost I get when engaging the chorus on my Kiwi'd JX3P, which is a contrast to the digital effects on my Prophet Rev2, which seem a bit feeble in direct comparison, despite their quality and functionality. Recording is ultimately done on a Yamaha AW16G, and I have a Lexicon MX400 doing the main duties for reverb. I have, however, tried to accumulate analog/non-digital gear which are STEREO configured for my humble studio. See pic included:
Pigtronix Rototron Leslie pedal
Walrus Audio Julianna chorus
EHX Overlord
Monacor EEM-2000ST BBD delay
Boss RBF-10 Flangers, X2 (second flanger is slaved to the first one, output is sent to the dedicated jack socket with negative feedback, making the setup true stereo).
BOSS RPH-10 Phasers, X2, set up as the flangers above, for stereo...

...not pictured is my Fostex 3180 stereo spring reverb, which is currently sitting on top of my guitar amp. I have a load of mono effects for the guitars and bass too. The amp is a Randall RD40 combo and I can plug straight into my desk (Soundcraft Spirit M8) using the MESA Cab Clone. Compression is done with a Klark-Teknik SQ1D ( 8 compressors in one rack unit) and a Palmer PAN16 is the DI.
Recently I have been using the Gate & CV outputs from my Waldorf Pulse2 to get the mod effects running in sync with the tracks - analog gear with MIDI timing control!
I'm managing fine without computers, and think that the Ibanez FL9 Flanger is my benchmark for modulation effects, despite it not having true bypass.

 

Last edited: May 3, 2022

Wait, all that and then a Leslie pedal??

(j/k)

 

right now i have a lot of top end hardware (lot of money) my console is always turned off (lot of electric consum and lot of constant and not cheap reparations/maintenance ) but nice for pic for instagram and nice for table to put an akai mpk mini over and a trackball . . . all my hardware and some monitors are always off or not conected . . . my favorite hardware, some from 70s - 80s , are routed to external devices on nuendo, good spl passeq in master chain, avalon on inputs, and most used, TC reverbs, delays on auxiliary channels on my default template (never need use plugins for delays or reverbs) and is very nice to obtain a correct sound (no better ) and free computer resources . . . i have a cheap and old bbe sonic in a aux, because i like to send things to reinforce mono (bass or kick) in some situations with lot of things open field and make all difuse . . .
My 7.1 setup for dolby atmos always is off, sometimes using my 20 inch subwoofer in a cue to check (very ocasionally) . Guitar cabs and guitar pre (fan of mesa booguie formula pre) not conected neither, only in rack . . . for guitars using avalon to neural amp . . .

is good hardware?
of course , give a different color, give more air (and hishhh) a litlle 3d sound because you never check all these butons and always are different on left and side . . .and most most important . . . more free resources for computer.

 

Last edited: May 3, 2022

I think that generally people with amazing analogue hardware usually have amazing multi million dollar rooms and monitors that cost as much as a car, and amplifiers that weigh 2 tons. So if you go there with your little laptop your plugins will sound amazing.

 

lets put it this way
what really really makes a certain analog processor cool is in every case super hard if not impossible to be reproduced as software
that being said
what makes a certain software cool is unique in itself
its faults its too much of this or that or the combination of certain things

so no a convincing ... ive not heard in the box but... does it matter? sometimes a d-verb is way cooler used the right way than a emt 250 could ever be or a cla76 better than 6 of the wrong bluestripes

its the driver... no excuses