Processing ITB and OTB combo

[ONDRAY]

How are you processing your analog chain. Right now I’m all ITB, but I’ve been playing around with OTB processing for mastering and was wondering how you guys process your analog chain. I’ve seen guys run the source audio through their analog chain, record it back into the DAW and then add their plugins. I’ve seen guys add corrective ITB processing and then send it through the analog chain, record it back in before adding further ITB processing. And I assume, some guys just do it all in real time. I wonder though, would the little delay that’s introduced cause phasing issues when EQing etc…

For example, say I add a plugin to surgically EQ some bad Freq. on the original source audio, now I want to run it through an analog EQ and Compressor and then add a plugin limiter to wrap it up. Would you just add the plugin EQ play it and run it through the analog gear while recording the audio back into the DAW, then add the plugin limiter to the recorded audio? Or do some just do it all realtime, how?

[Strobian]

Usually I do something like:

Digital EQ correction - analog compressor - Hedd tape - Record. Apply any boost EQ or limiter digitally to the recorded stereo track, and bounce that.

[MASSIVE Master]

I tend to make any obvious corrections that might be best done before the chain digitally (certain corrective EQ adjustments, de-essing if that's a factor, snap, crackle, pop, etc., etc.) then out to the analog chain for shaping and everything else. Very rarely any additional processing back in the DAW...

[Cellotron]

I use 2 separate DAW's - one for playback of the source files and one for capture/assembly - with my analog process chain placed in between these two. Usually eq and broadband compression are done primarily in the analog realm - but if the track warrants it I'll do eq at either the playback or capture DAW. I like digital eq's for things like M/S tweaks, corrective notch filtering, broad shelf tilts either brighter or darker by say a 1/4 or 1/2dB, narrow low frequency corrections, and tweaks automated per section, phrase or even note if necessary - but usually use analog eq's for the "heavy lifting" and "musical" reshaping. I greatly prefer analog compression for general transient shaping and "glue" and almost never use digital broadband compressors.

Generally I'll do any initial "corrective" digital processing - including click and crackle removal, occasionally de-essing (which I often use DerrEssers for in the analog realm), once in a blue moon transient "design", on even rarer occasions multiband compression - at the playback DAW. In general if I do any additional digital eq in the capture DAW it's just a 1/4 or 1/2 dB here or there - or a small broad shelf to tilt the mix - or perhaps an HPF - to get things a little more to my liking after capture from the analog chain.

I do any final limiting using various plugins loaded in the capture DAW - which I find is infinitely preferable to using hardware for this - as it allows me to do tweaks to the level set or the settings in an instant - and without having to load in new versions in real time - so that revisions and tweaks are extremely painless and very quick to do. It also allows me to use a number of processors that are not available as hardware - and lets me use offline upsampling for the final version so that there is less anti-aliasing distortion in the results. Since my DAW app (SAWStudio) allows me to have realtime monitoring of its thru processing - I can monitor the total of all processing including any limiting during either it being in "record ready", during record or during playback - the same as if you were using hardware.

Hope that helps.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

[t_d]

i'm like the first 2 posters... process digitally in the DAW for correction.. usually subtractive EQ or MS stuff... then it goes out of the DAW thru a HEDD into my analog chain and back thru the HEDD into the DAW again.

the times when i add widening effects outside of MS (like with waves S1) sometimes i'll do that to the track that's been recorded back into the DAW as a final effect.

the HEDD for me was key in being able to do this because it has the DA and AD.. also, it has replaced all of my "tape" plug ins, pretty much.