Looking for that Magical Electronic buzz/aliveness

[Entrainer]

Hello all-

I'm new to gearslutz, but have been spending a month reading archives that have led to a few purchases, including a H8000FW, Duende, and Liquid Mix-

I'm an electronic musician and the majority of my sounds are produced using synthesizers and high end sample libraries.

I'm going to describe a quality in tone and texture that is not often referenced, but many of you professionals have experienced on a daily basis. I am extremely grateful for your honest guidance.

What I'm looking for I can describe with these words- electric aliveness, presence, buzz, harmonics, energy.

I have not found it in analog tape or eq, as these process that inherent quality. I have also not found it in reverb. The best example I can give is an electric or amped guitar, and the quality of electric sheen that feels emotional rather than technical. I have heard this in a few recordings, but it's rare that this quality is captured.

Perhaps a certain preamp can give this quality to an sampled instrument?

[mark714]

I don't really listen to or record electronic music, but I get the feeling you describe from the "zing" in some old transformer based stuff.

Put a Crane Song HEDD and something like a pair of Neve 1272's or modern knock-off on your wish list. Pump your computer generated sounds through those and you'll get closer to where you want to be.

[Aaron Miller]

Sounds like harmonic distortion. Plug-ins can do this but not as well as a nice preamp. Especially the 'alive' part.

[PlugHead]

It might seem crazy, but - throw a 10Khz tone (i.e. from a console's oscillator) across the mix. To many, that sounds like 'money' or to A&R types a "HIT"!

Otherwise, you could cut a track of just guitar/amp buzz and mix it in.

Quite often in digital, the thing we miss the most is noise. Without any, sounds can be very sterile, and lacking in dimension/perspective.

[Nantho]

take a look at the Thermionic Culture Vulture, it might fit your needs

[Entrainer]

Great suggestions! I'm going to take a look into all of them, or preferably, a listen.

[u b k]

Originally Posted by Entrainer

I have heard this in a few recordings, but it's rare that this quality is captured.

such as?

i'm thinking overdrive, as in tubes, trafos, and amps; but if you could provide a reference, we could all be more accurate with our guesses.


gregoire
del
ubk
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[Unknown soldier]

I think it's tough to get that "live" sound in digital, as the process of digitizing a signal kills that liveness, even with great conversion. The only converter I've heard that perserves the live sound well enough is the Burl B2 Bomber. Not cheap though....

[yeloocproducer]

+1 for culture vulture. Just used one on a CS-60 and it was awesome.