So with the the ongoing... ehm... massive discount of Softube plugins, it reignited my interest in hunting down best legendary gear emulations as, softube recreated a lot of the classics and many other companies as well. What are your absolute favourites if you want to get closer to character of a specific analog gear? Here is my current "best in slot" list of plugins I have and enjoy, I'd be happy to find new tips on plugins from you:
Compressors:
1176 = Softube FET compressor, best fet compressor period.
SSL channel = definitely brainworx_SSL 4000 E (not tried UAD though)
Teletronix LA-2A style of opto-comp = although I hate Waves, so far I liked their CLA-2A the most
VCA comp (in general) = Plugin Alliance Vertigo VSC-2 - got it after disappointing bx_townhouse buss comp, now I use it pretty regularly

Others:
Roland Tape Echo = Arturia Tape 201 (although Audiothing's is probably more accurate, it's too aggressive sounding for me)
Pultec EQ = PSP NobleQ
Preamps = probably Soundtoys Decapitator (as it includes 5 different preamp types), but recently I've been using quite a lot of Arturia 1973

 

Emulations "I like" the Most:

FET (in general): PSP FETpressor
1176: IK Black76
SSL Channel: bx_console SSL 4000 E
LA-2A: IK White 2A
VCA: IK Bus Compressor / Waves Dbx160

 

1176: TimP U76
LA-2A: TimP Opto 32
VCA: TimP L-bus
Vari-mu: Cupwise FX C660 / Flucti-Mew
FET: Cupwise FX Lunchpail
Pultec: TimP Dual Tech
SSL: AlexB 4K Console
Preamps: AlexB Preamp Color Suite

 

1176: UAD
LA-2A: UAD
VCA: Waves
Vari-mu: UAD
Pultec: Acustica Audio
SSL: UAD

 

Nexus 3: ReFx
Sonnox Oxford Inflator: Team AiR
FET Tech-tube Weiss Spring Compressor Fixed: Softube

 

I was in a school last year where we had the privilege to spend multiple days in a studio with a lot of classic gear. I brought my laptop with pretty much all the emulations I could find of those (except UAD, I don't have the cards), and measured them in PluginDoctor with the hardware at the same time. Keep in mind that all the hardware units of one specific model will not sound the same, and some emulations are based on different revisions of the same model. I kept the data and did measurements for every new emulations that came out since and that I could get my hands on. These are the results :

Teletronix LA-2A : Black Rooster VLA-2A/IK White 2A (against Waves, NI/Softube, Slate, Presonus, Overloud, AO)

Urei 1176LN : Arturia Comp FET/Black Rooster VLA-FET (against Waves, IK, NI/Softube, Slate, Overloud, Presonus, AO, Softube) (the hardware measurements was kind of a mix of the two)

SSL 4000 E Rack : bx_console SSL 4000E (against SSL Native (lol), Waves, IK, Slate, Sonimus, AO)

Pultec : Black Rooster VEQ-1P (against Waves, IK, NoiseAsh, Overtone, Presonus, AO, Kuassa)

Distressor : Slate FG-Stress (against Empirical Labs, SKnote)

I guess the UAD should be very good too but didn't have the opportunity to measure them, even though the studio had all of them.

 

Last edited: Jan 6, 2021

API EQs: Red Rock Audio

 

This is going to be a never ending list. So many great plugins, so little time. Even plugins that don't come out as authentic can end up awesome

 

Ableton's EQ Three does Soundcraft EPM6's EQ pretty spot on.

 

massive discount ???

 

What? Man, you should definitely try new plugins.

Best 1176= Arturia Fet 76
Best Fairchild= Overloud 670
Best LA-2A= New slate FG-2A (this one beat ALL LA2A for far, even i hate LA-2A i LOVE the new FG-2A)
Best
Best BUS compressor= Bx Townhouse
Best SSL 4000= SSL Channelstrip / Bx SSL 4000
Best Tape= Black Rooster Magnetite/Softube tape/Acustica audio tapw
Best Saturator= SSL Saturator X/ Softube Saturation Knob
Best Pultec= Softube Tech Tube/Noise Ash Ruletec
Best Neve Pre Amp= Arturia 1973 / Lindell 80

 

I have a thing for 1176s. Generally i would use Arturia FET-76 on everything. Waves black and IK tends to give you a fatter bottom end. The one i like the most so far is Purple Audio MC77, which just squashes everything to death.

For pultecs IK again gives you a much fatter bottom end. Softube sounds pretty clean also. I would personally avoid Waves because it lacks some highs. I can see that their just emulating that analog lofi texture.

I would recommend Overloud's 2A over other 2A plugins for the amount of control it gives you.

Edit: from what i tested, Overloud's 2A tends to focus more on the mid range and has a overall softer tone. Waves and IK again happens to be similar, with a crispy strong high mid focus poking through. Black rooster and FG2A are somewhat of a tamed down version that also sounds very nice.

When testing these plugins you should really be careful and do gain matching. for example FG2A prolly does the trick to turn your gain up even when you do nothing. Whereas the Waves CLA2A actually turns down your volume after compression. It really blinds you and confuse your opinion when comparing without gain match.

For preamps i cant say for sure, but Soundtoys Decapitator and Radiator are very good. Also Arturia tends to have a higher headroom. (which means harder to get a distortion mess)

Im looking forward to see everyone's choice on API and Neve EQs.

 

Last edited: Jan 8, 2021

Pertinent, of interest, might help, etc---
hardware emulations list


https://ahe.penny.cool

 

Black Rooster >>> all.

 

I agree that measurements don't tell the whole story, but when comparing plugins and hardware, which is the point of this thread, there's nothing better. Our ears are not very objective in those kinds of tests.

Like you say, we should choose plugins for their sound, not for their closeness to the original hardware they emulate. But the point of analog emulation plugins is not only for people that don't have the hardware to have the chance to have a taste of it, but also for people that are used to working with the hardware to have them in a plugin format.

I worked in a mastering studio that had a Curve Bender, Alpha Compressor, Vari-Mu, Weiss EQ and DS1, and the engineer used their plugin alternatives when doing small revisions. Because he knows the sound of his hardware by heart, using an emulation that nailed it gives him a very consistent mastering experience. He also had an Avalon AD2055, but found that the Acustica emulation had some differences, so he's not using it just for this reason.

Anyway my personal take on hardware emulations is that nobody gives a shit about that analog sound when listening to your music, while they will absolutely hear the difference if you spend more time choosing the compressor than adjusting a basic one and doing automation.

 

Last edited: Jan 6, 2021

Disclaimer - I, like many of us, have never touched or even seen in real life the real hardware equivalents of any of this vintage hardware.
I still like what I like. That being said:
- Big fan of CLA-76. Just love what it does on vocals. I like it using it in serial with whatever LA-2A emulation I have on hand.
- Soundtoys stuff in general for analog mojo and attitude/excitation, or analog softening. Favorites in the that bunch is the Sie-Q EQ (so much analog mojo,) Echoboy, Decapitator and Radiator. Decapitator is a cheat code for dialing in subtle saturation. Plugin Alliance Black Box Saturator should also be mentioned.
- Nobody ever mentions Softube's Drawmer Multiband Compressor emulation, and I won't stand for it. Maybe a lot of us are scared of multiband compressors (for good reason), but I try to be careful and judicious with it, and the mix knob makes that a lot easier. It basically lives on my 2-bus.
- Slates Virtual Buss Compressors are awesome. Very good SSL mixbus compressor emulation. Also lives on my 2-bus
- Been recently demo-ing Kush audio stuff. I plan on picking up Clariophonic and the Red DI. Clariophonic is a really fun way to add too much analog vibe-y High mids to stuff. It sounds great, but in my experience a LITTLE dab will do you with that one.
- I own and use Studio One, and their State Space Technology is actually a vibe. Their Console Shaper/CTC-1 Mix FX module is worth a listen. I usually turn off the noise and crosstalk and turn up the character setting. Actually does a very audible "something" that gives the sound some depth.

 

Never worked on or even seen the corresponding hardware in real life, but...

Compressors:
1176 = Purple Audio MC77 / Overloud Comp76 - for their versatility
Console channel strip = Brainworx bx_console N / bx_console SSL 4000
Teletronix LA-2A = Overloud Comp LA - again for its versatility
VCA comp (in general) = SSL Native Bus Compressor, but most of them sound decent enough, except for Waves one, it's too outdated

Others:
Tape = Waves Kramer Master Tape to heavily saturate individual tracks (if need be) & Softube Tape for subtle "gluey" saturation on a master bus
Pultec EQ = Acustica Audio Purple - everything else I compared it with sounded artificial and thin, especially on high frequencies
Preamps = there's just too many of them, and most of them give good results if you know what to listen for

 

The answers are not simple,e.g. I like Timp U76, absolute great sonic quality, but N4 is shit.
UAD has good 1176, but UAD Box is shit too.
If you have UAD-2, UAD's emulation is absolutely best imo, struggling out of N4.
And...

I really like Waves dbx 160, but I hate WUP.

It is difficult for me to give an exact answer. If you want to know, here are my answers. They strike a balance between workflow, performance, and sound:
Best 1176: Arturia 1176
1176 which not really 1176: Purple Audio MC 77 (very...IMO,transparent much more. Airy)
Best 2A: FG-2A or Overloud 2A
Best Vari-mu:SPL Iron/Magenta
Best SSL:bx townhouse & SSL Native (not sound exactly same)
Best API-550:FG-A & Waves API-550 (Not same,but so cool.)
Best Distressor: FG-Stress.
Best Vocal Compressor: Waves Rvox & Tube-tech CL1B (I am not really like MKII,but MKII is useful too.)
Best 33609: Not too much choice, so the conclusion is UAD 33609.
Best SSL 4000 EQ:Waves SSL
Best SSL 4000 Channel Strip:Bx 4000E/G

 

I think this is all highly subjective as all audio tbh. But i love those people who check plugins on plugin doctor and do null tests etc and i find A LOT of times those vintage emulatons all get exposed to be snake oil with some dirty tricks inside (like hf boost or little volume boost) to trick you into believing its iso much better when in fact its iot much different code (if at all) than your stock daw plugins..