Vibe Devices Across Your Whole Mix

[nowaysj]

Hey ch'all,

anybody using any vibe devices over their whole mix? Like processors just for flavor? Vst, hardware? Interested in what the state of the art is.

Thoughts on using something like Sound Toys' Decapitator, or Fabfilter's Saturn, or Fxpansion's Maul, Spl's Twin Tube, or Vitalizer, URS' Saturation? Others?

Anybody using this stuff subtly, on the mix level?

As always, thank you and god bless.

[knobgoblin]

You know I'm all about this. If you have any preamps in your studio, try running entire mixes thru them if you have a pair. Hell, you could even do left and right separately if you only have one. Not all preamps can accept line level, so if yours don't there are lots of commercial and diy solutions to allow you to do so. Also sometimes running thru compressors while they are not compressing (analog domain)

[legend4ry]

Since I bought the FabFilter bundle i've been using Saturn a lot on buses's and bleeding sounds into it to give a subtle 2nd harmonic to everything.

I also use amplitube in the same fashion a lot too.

I think its an easy way to add a 'bigger' sound.

[knobgoblin]

Also, in plugin land, I love the various AirWindow plugs for subtle saturation. My favorite is called density, and it's free. Very good for vibe

[nowaysj]

And it is Mac only...

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kg - I've got an Art Pro MPA II, for the track I'm working on, I think most everything came in through the MPA. But I've never upgraded the tubes, so... it's already got some funkiness on it. But am looking to bring some sparkle and zing to the whole affair.

Leg, you ever use Saturn on the whole mix, and not just busses?

Anyone still using Vintage Warmer 2 for this kind of duty? Remember when it was all the rage?

[knobgoblin]

I've heard good stuff about the ART stuff once the tubes are upgraded. Maybe new JJ tubes will bring the sparkle you are looking for? I've got a tech here in oakland who's pretty reasonable if you want someone else to swap and calibrate for you.

[knobgoblin]

Sorry, double post

[nowaysj]

I'd do the swap myself, but what in the heck is this calibration you speak of?

And I never really decided what type of tubes I'd like to put in there. I'd really like to hear for myself, but have only encountered the vaguest artful descriptions of the various nos tubes.

[knobgoblin]

Not sure if preamps need it. the only gear I've had to swap tubes on was a compressor , which needed precise matching between channels, so some calibration of internal trimpots was required to match the voltages of the internal sidechain. May not apply

[nowaysj]

hmm... how do you calibrate? Send a test signal, and match it across both channels? I do have an issue. The MPA has indented knobs, but one channel is a half indent off. Drives me nutzo. One of those things you live with for no real reason, it'd be a small project to fix it...

So maybe I should swap those tubes, and fix the balance at the same time.

[knobgoblin]

Guess not:
http://www.gearslutz.com/board/low-end- ... a-2-a.html
And this:
http://www.gearslutz.com/board/so-much- ... reamp.html

[fragments]

I record all my out of the box sounds through my SoundCraft mixer and then through my MOTU preamps. I don't push either of them too hard generally. I'm not yet tried it, but have been meaning to run whole mixes through a JoeMeek MC2 or Really Nice Compressor, guess I should give the MOTU preamps a shot too.

In the box, Slate VTM pretty much lives on my 2bus. I also use Slate VCC depending on the vibe I am going for. But a yea...a ton of U-he Satin and VTM all over my mixes usually. VTM is especially nice on kick drums and bass. You can really push the signal into this plug in and get some nice results.

[nowaysj]

@kg: Yeah, easy to swap... As you can see, it is this set of tubes sounds like this, this set sounds like this... well, I want all that shit! Would be crazy to rig something where you could switch between tubes. Like have a 4 position switch to send current to four different sets of tubes...

Dreamin!

[legend4ry]

Leg, you ever use Saturn on the whole mix, and not just busses?

Anyone still using Vintage Warmer 2 for this kind of duty? Remember when it was all the rage?

I can't believe I bought Vintage Warmer only to never touch it again once I got Satson Channel : http://sonimus.com/products/satson/

I've used saturn on a whole mix before, yeah. It rarely sounds decent though.

[cyclopian]

Dang Satson looks quite nice. Do you still use it regularly? Care to elaborate on pros/cons?

[legend4ry]

Pros

It pretty much replaces your mixers volume slider so keeps it at 0, good for resolution purposes.
Adds very slight saturation to the start of the chain.
Has a great filter which cuts without making things feel surgically ripped apart.
Glues things together when using the bus.
I personally find it lets you drive things a bit more than without using it.

Its forty bucks!


Cons

32 channels all with that plugin on, then 4 buses with the bus plugin on makes my base CPU around 10-15% using a Gen 4 top end i5.

It can be a bit fiddly with that many instances open too.

Can make a mix feel flat.




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Honestly? I formatted a nd forgot to install it so been without for 6ish months, might be why my mixes are not as strong as they was 6 months ago as it goes!

You don't notice what its doing till you take it away, if that makes sense? Its so subtle but actually has an impact on the sound of your whole mix.


Computer Music gave out a special version - if you can't find it i'll upload it when i'm home.

[Aufnahmewindwuschel]

i like glitchgirl

[nowaysj]

Can make a mix feel flat.

There is the rub, how to make a mix sound open, but still gelled.

[nowaysj]

i like glitchgirl

neo?

[legend4ry]

Can make a mix feel flat.

There is the rub, how to make a mix sound open, but still gelled.

Glue > exciter > compressor.