DDMF 6144 EQ maybe worth testing for a Neve flavor.

 

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For the real Neve-sounding "preamp" he still won't beat the switch on this pluging + the drive knob in the center.
That's what's great about it, not only just an EQ but can be used even for summing & console flavour.

 

I agree, his persona seems fraudulent - too outgoing to be a real mixer lol.

but that didnt stop me from buying his plugins and using the damn leash known as iLok.

ps: CLA looks like a mixer, like if Nick Cage and Gollum had a baby.

 

And the top winners of effectiveness in placebo effect are... Nebula/Acqua/CDSoundmaster.
I've demoed the free R2R Revox B77 and... OMG! nowhere near as the real things that I've used for more than 30 years (still have one in mint condition).

 

Show off !!!

 

Did you gainstaged properly? You can't even hear the effect if the gainstaging doesn't meet that library's requirements. Anyway, Nebula is obsolete IMO.

But you should indeed try the Acustica new VSTs, EQs especially. Stack them up against the algos (including Slate & even UAD) and let me know if you find anything sounding better than Acustica's latest offerings. P.S. make sure you also do the test in a proper monitoring enviroment with revealing-enough monitoring speakers. Cheers!

 

You missed the major thing: If I remember correctly, he ripped off his former partner.

(If I wanted to show off, I would have mentioned my Otari... )

I can hear the effect, but it doesn't match the real deal. Even tape hiss is a miss.
Btw, it's not a Nebula library, it's a VST as the new Acustica products: http://cdsoundmaster.com/site/cds-software-online/r2rpc.html.
Anyway, both are based on the same IR technology, so...
Thanks for your advice, but I will stay with my tools .

 

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"won't beat the switch on this pluging+the drive knob in the center" Did you tested the Slate Pre-Amps already to give a statement like this ?
"summing & console flavour" isnt only about saturation, adding harmonics and sounding like the real deal, its also about things like crosstalk, electronic components, transformers and circuitry which interact with each other in the real hardware domain. The only plugins which try to emulate this behavior are Sknote Strip & Sonimus Satson/Britson, im not sure about Slate VCC & Airwindows Console.

 

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The CDSoundMaster one is old, maybe one of the first Aqua-type plugins ever made. Another aspect you should take in consideration is that the analog units will always sound a bit different depending on the enviroment they were stored in and also the mods/components replacements they suffered over time(if they suffered any). We may never know where CDSoundMaster got their Revox sampled from. Maybe you took a better care of yours.
Anyway, i do respect your choices so at the end of the day, what works best for each of us it's all that matters.

VCC does features crosstalk and all the other imperfections you talk about. Slate also did a blind shootout with a mix ran through each of the modules of VCC and also through an analog summing unit like Phoenix Nicerizer MK2 and the TOP 3 of the overall blind choices were:
1. VCC2 Brit 4K E
2. VCC2 Trident
3. The analog unit.
So summing wise, VCC2 will do. (VMR rack is already optimized for the VCC instances, so if you load it on multiple tracks and group them with the "Group" knob, they will all behave like a real console feauturing crosstalk and all the analog imperfections.
EQ-ing/preamp wise i'll stick to Acustica's plugins.

 

I read about that nicerizer-shootout, very cool. I bought VCC 2 + other Slate Plugins and like it but doesnt VCC just "combine processed tracks digitally into a sum that is processed further via the buss plugin" ? That Group option does leveling only?! Its not like in SKNote Strip or a real console where little amounts of audiosignal from different channels are sent to each other. Real summing also includes the interactions from the DAC. I know, if it sounds good it sounds good - BUT i think everyone would like to have the plugins as much as close to the hardware as possible. Im really interested in these preamp emulations and hope there will be a shootout with people who own the hardware.

 

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Like strumlord said, the Warm Audio TB12 is punching above it's pricetag and delivers the goods in spades. I also vouch for Brice's Warm Audio WA76, it sounds flucking awesome. Great sounding units and great customer service when I needed it.

 

Try and buy the hardware now and see har far you get lol. This I found interesting

 

I wasn't talking just about how good it sounds. The VMR rack aside the grouping functions, it makes all the active instances work as they'd be processed through a console. Why would Slate mention "crosstalk" on a forum lik GS full of studios/engineers which knows what crosstalk on a console is, if there would be no emulated crosstalk in the shared processing of the VMR? Also Steven said from the beginning he ran every track of that blind test mix through both the Channel & Mixbus of each model on the VCC, in the same fashion that he worked with the analog summing unit.

If his summing results were great, is there STILL anything else to complain about? He just proved a practical summing world scenario of a whole song, what else is needed?? If you still consider that there's still something extra on a real console that Fabriel Gabrice forgot to model in the VCC then you should request them that feature for a future update.

 

It's Fabrice Gabriel, Eravox!

 

I'm laughing hard... wasn't aware about it at all! First i thought you was trolling me but then i realised i completely twisted his name. Thanks brother! p.s. i'm not gonna edit my post because i like the twist.

 

That's why I love Airwindows so much - 100% innovation - 0% GUI.

 

Evorax: Why? Because he wants to sell his stuff. Ah and the airwindows guy wrote something interesting here: https://www.gearslutz.com/board/6813196-post25.html In the end its a matter of taste, how clean or dirty/realistic you want it?

 

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It wasn't Slate that had to choose/decide which sum sounded best, it was up to the GS users. Also a lot of GS users in that shootout admited they already bought VCC before the reveal of the results, so Slate had to sell/advertise the product to who? The existing customers? On Gearslutz there's not only honey everywhere, you'll actually see a lot of users bashing products they don't like, just like we do here on AudioSex.

 

Absolutely beautiful plugin, that NAVY thing is. I just never understood why people use plugins that mimick the sound of antique gear. It does nothing. And then they say "Well, if you dont hear the effects, you didnt gainstage right" or "You have to have a really good monitor setup to hear the subtleness"... I think we are all using much better monitors than your average person uses in their car to listen to the music you are making with plugins you can only hear with $3,000 monitors. These old console emulation plugins are nothing but placebo. Then they say "Well, when you use them on every track, and on your busses is where it starts to make a difference". I say Bull. Everyone here has tried it, and everyone here has struggled to hear the effect it has. You wouldnt be able to tell what was used on what when you are listening to a finished track on speakers that end users listen to. If someone time traveled back to the 70's with a modem PC DAW and VST effects, those old engineeers would have dropped their stoneaged technology immediately and used the Modern PC DAW. The only reason those old outboard gear bricks sounded the way they do is because they couldnt get them to sound any better.lol. They used tape because they had to, not because it added magic. I used to own Nebula stuff back in the day, around 9 years ago (before they had their technology to do the compressors right) and have used all their aquavox plugins as well, since. I am glad I didnt give Giancarlo any more of my money, because I feel he screwed me over as an early adopter, but thats another story. It is all Placebo. I am glad they are making beautiful interfaces like this NAVY plugin, its gorgeous. But its just an EQ and you can can get the same if not better sound out of countless other plugins. There is no such thing as "Summing effect" or "Good crosstalk" when you are ITB mixing. Its all gimmick. I have tried every summing plugins (Waves NLS, Sonimus summing plugins, etc) and they make no difference to the sound of your music at all. This Acoustica stuff is so subtle that it doesnt even matter. Its all fairy dust that does nothing. Granted, its a pretty enough plugin for me to want to use, sadly, all the Acoustica plugins I have tried add so much latency it becomes a pain in the ass to use them. When I look at my playback timeline, I want to see where my playback curser is, not where it was 2 seconds ago.

One thing I have learned in over 15 years of making music is that I am less musical and more technical. Another thing I have learned is that you can make a great track with stock DAW plugins. That is fact. With the exception of 'creative' effect plugins, you only need your DAW's plugins for your processing needs. And another thing is that, sometimes Placebo effect helps people do a better job, and gives them more confidence. More power to you. I love GUI's now. I like Beautiful plugins with great layouts. An EQ is an EQ and a compressor is a compressor, etc,etc.

I am still on the 15 year hunt for the perfect, creamy, non-harsh, crispy yet sexual saturation plugin that I dont think will ever exist.

 

fleschdnb you have no clue, thats for sure.
Dont you wonder why this vintage gear is so famous and expensive, even the reissues? There must be a reason, like with vintage-synths, microphones, guitars whatever.. or all the people who believe in that must be deaf and youre the one who's right.
Not everyone here has tried it and not everyone here has struggled to hear the effect. Lol, how would you know? "nothing but placebo" Fail.
I guess youre one of those who expect instant-grammy hits when adding plugins without knowing what these tools are made for or how to use them.
Not even Pro-Engineers could tell what gear was used to most of the tracks they dont know so how should we do? It doesnt mather if it sounds good. What i need is also a matter of my taste so how can you judge ? Saturation Plugin? Try Fielding DSP Reviver or SSL X-Saturator.
Of course you can do anything with stock plugins but it takes waay more time, depending what youre after.
Not everyone like it super-clean, i prefer vibe + character.