I know im gonna get "if it sounds good it is good" or "no rules in audio". But I wanted to hear some experience or opinions. I track to digital with great preamps and mics but little to no outboard gear (eq/compression) on the way in. I really like the slate vcc plugin. I tend always put it first in the plugin chain, except maybe a trim plugin before to get the gain right. Is anyone here using vcc or alike in the middle or end of the plugin chain? Or usually first? I got thinking that if im trying to emulate "mixing on a console"like a professional mixing house would. Then those mixing houses probably receive tracks that have had eq or compression applied/baked to them. So i thought maybe using some eq and compression before a console emulation might yield fairly different results than always placing it first. I will have to experiment I just thought you guys could share some experiences. Cheers.
EQ etc before Console emulation plugin
- Thread starter Studdy
- Start date
UncleBob
Member
- Jul 14, 2010
- 503
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There's nothing stopping you from going that route, technically if it was an old school analogue studio it would have been signal into the desk (through whatever outboard first) then to tape then back off the tape through the console again and then to whatever outboard and then back to tape.....or at least something like that.
So you could have VCC first, then all your normal "mix" plugins, then VCC again last, then all that going to a tape plug.
I started stacking them up (each one doing a little rather than a lot) and the results seem better, kind of like blending drum samples.
So you could have VCC first, then all your normal "mix" plugins, then VCC again last, then all that going to a tape plug.
I started stacking them up (each one doing a little rather than a lot) and the results seem better, kind of like blending drum samples.
wishtheend
clip the apex
It just depends on the effect of the console plug. For example VCC, I might like how the Neve one gives the overall low end hump, but depending on the source, it might be a little too extreme by itself, and maybe the other vcc options don't give the same vibe. Not completely uncommon to do a hpf @ 20-30hz before the console. I've done it on OHs to kill any peaking from the drums and then I can set VCC to around 0db without it jumping around.
botus99
Microphone Assassin
That's what I do, EXCEPT I have additional console saturation AFTER the tape to simulate going into the "mixing board". Correct me if I'm wrong here, but in an all analog environment, isn't everything tracked through a console, to the effects, to tape, and then back into either the same or a different console for mixing? Tracking engineer does his thing through one, then the mixing engineer does his thing through his? To me, it makes sense that the recording would go through 2 processes (tracking and mixing)...
tracking console-> tracking eq's/comps/etc -> tracking console-> tape on individual tracks OR busses (depending on if you're bouncing tracks down for the mixing stage or keeping the original track)
and then...
mixing console-> mxing eq's/comps/etc -> mixing console -> tape on the master fader
It takes a lot of processing, but after I started doing things this way, I need MUCH less eq and compression to get the sound that I'm after. Sometimes, the sound of an API going into a Neve is exactly what's needed, sometimes it's Neve into an SSL, and sometimes I want the added cleanness and separation of tracks and forgo console saturation altogether (but that's pretty rare these days).
wishtheend
clip the apex
I use to run VCC -> eq/comps/other fx -> VTM -> VCC to simulate the full run from console -> outboard fx -> tape -> console return but lately instead of doing that across all tracks, each track will have VCC -> comp/eq/fx and then will go to a group buss where I will hit it with the last VTM and VCC. Just works better for me. On the group buss tho I still use the channel VCC and vtm in 16track and only use the mixbuss vcc and 2track vtm on the 2buss
Machinated
Member
I don't think about it too much. if it benefits the sound, I'll use them. things get a bit squishy if i overuse them so its usually VCC on every track, calibrate the mix buss instance and then VTM at the end of the 2 bus. if I need more VCC/VTM ill do it as I go. ill only really EQ before if I'm doing a lot of cleaning to the tracks.
