It looks like alot of the suggestions here are leaning toward heavier distortion, so I'm not exactly sure what you're looking for, but I've had good luck tracking softsynths by running them on a seperate rig through an Apogee Rosetta and then through a FATSO before going into PT. Nothing "over the top" - certainly not what you'd get from a Sansamp or something - but a great deal of character and color to make things sit in the mix.
On a recent rock record I used a LOT of Amp Farm on the synths to help them sit in the "guitar zone", allowing them to be pretty forward in the mix without sounding too over the top "synthesizery".
Quote:
Originally Posted by teknosmoker  I'm looking to beef up the sound of various outboard synths (analog & digital) with some distortion, helping them to cut through a mix. I've played with various digital effects/plugin distortions such as Izotope Trash (not too bad), TC Fireworx, Ensoniq DP4+, etc., but haven't been terribly impressed with any of them.
I've also tried overdriving various analog hardware like: JoeMeek pre's, crappy Mackie pre's, Moogerfooger pedals (OK for some stuff, but can be a little too creamy for other stuff - like leads), Frostwave Resonator (does the trick once in a while).
What good distortion has anyone used for this purpose? I'm not looking to break the bank, but flexibility and the ability to attain an aggresive sound, while retaining the some definition/character of the original are key factors.
Any thoughts or ideas?  |