Analog summing

[Marco Raaphorst]

I am very much interested in analog sound. I love many of the artefacts like saturation, compression (tape), noise (a little) and I love trying to recreate them in digital.

Summing for example imo can be done by introducing a very low level copy of some other channels and add a little but of distortion to it. But in the end I always end up thinking: with a tiny bit of EQ and overdrive you get the same results. In other words: I am trying to reproduce it in a far too complex way while you can achieve the same results much easier.

This has lots to do with perfectionism and looking to much at just One sound. When you put stuff in context things change.

Hard to explain but I feel digital needs to a different approach than analog. And rebuilding analog artefacts, the good ones, needs a different approach too. Probably not difficult at all since it's only compressor, and/or EQ, and/or saturation and/or noise.

Ok I forgot this thing: phase...

[dana]

Driving mixer channels into the red with a good mixer sounds really nice.

The reason all those 90s dance classics sound so good is because of driving hard some channels on a mackie or soundcraft mixer, and having an analog signal path.

When the kick drum clips, its great. Real analog valves sound nothing like digital emulations, the same with compressors or eqs.

You won't get a sterile sound, something more hearty with soul.

Even just running one channel sounds great.

I recommend allen and heath or soundcraft mixers. Alesis mictube solo x2 sounds great as well.

In the box, those ART presets are good in combination, reason does have a lot to offer, but as you say, if you want an analog sound its easier to just use analog. The biggest problem is getting a good soundcard with plenty of outputs, don't bother with any of the solutions where the mixer has built-in audio, its just too limiting in terms of the routing / gain - i've got 4 mixers sitting here with built-in soundcards i never use.

Also, have a plan, i have one channel for kick bottom, another for the top, one for subby bass, and two sets of stereo - for my reason rig alone, then i sync to my maschine studio computer and ableton live setup as well. I usually have the first two outputs uneffected then the rest have certain eq/compression/usage that i try not to change.

[Marco Raaphorst]

I love the total recall way of working in digital. So I am thinking of reproducing all these artifacts in digital. Even if you won't be able to get it sounding 100% the same, it might be interesting. I believe the power of digital is control and think beyond the limits of analog.

A creative way to get some of the old stuff into the new. I wouldn't call digital sterile, I would call it uncoloured.

[O1B]

Don't forget Feedback: The beast the needs to be tamed, then put to work for you.

Ok I forgot this thing: phase...

[Marco Raaphorst]

Don't forget Feedback: The beast the needs to be tamed, then put to work for you.

Ok I forgot this thing: phase...

Scream4 has cool Feedback

Thanks!

[8cros]

C.R.A.P.R.E. very cool.
I also enjoy resampler.
A lot of dirt.
Softube AMP connected in parallel adds a very interesting analog effect.

[O1B]

No. Thank you for the Scream Reminder.
Scream is Perfect for that. That EQ section Bites. And, the Body Section: Game ON.

Scream4 has cool Feedback

Thanks!

Keep em coming:

C.R.A.P.R.E. very cool.
I also enjoy resampler.
A lot of dirt.
Softube AMP connected in parallel adds a very interesting analog effect.

[gak]

Analog summing? Please, that's SO 2009!

I have no idea.

[Marco Raaphorst]

Scream4 Warp on very low settings is very nice also. It can remove the fundamental from audio. Put it on a parallel channel for great effect!

[O1B]

I'm in the Business of adding the fundamental - or maybe one lower - these days:

Scream4 Warp on very low settings is very nice also. It can remove the fundamental from audio. Put it on a parallel channel for great effect!