Warming plugins

[ONDRAY]

generally I don't use any "warming" plugs like vintage warmer or anything, but I have a mix that I think really could use some. The powercore tube tech did I nice job, but the trial ran out. Thinking of picking up, but want to hear out my options first.

[Whitecat]

Sonnox Inflator
Massey TapeHead
A few of the PSP plug-ins (Vintage Warmer & MixSaturator from the MixPack 2 come to mind)
DUY Valve or Tape
VirSyn VTAPE

[macc]

Originally Posted by ONDRAY

generally I don't use any "warming" plugs like vintage warmer or anything, but I have a mix that I think really could use some. The powercore tube tech did I nice job, but the trial ran out. Thinking of picking up, but want to hear out my options first.

Voxengo VariSaturator

[ONDRAY]

Originally Posted by macc

Voxengo VariSaturator

hey mac, is this tested and true? I mean I've tried some of the plugs 'terminal3' has listed, but not this one.

[24-96 Mastering]

Crane Song Phoenix. I wish I was on Pro Tools just for that.

[ONDRAY]

Originally Posted by 24-96 Mastering

Crane Song Phoenix. I wish I was on Pro Tools just for that.

I have pro tools Le, but I'm not mastering in it, the none delay compensation throws me off when fine tuning the eq. Can use Peak Pro, bought it and hate it, (buggy) so using cubase 4 right now.

[macc]

Originally Posted by ONDRAY

hey mac, is this tested and true? I mean I've tried some of the plugs 'terminal3' has listed, but not this one.

It does alright for certain duties, yes

It depends what sort of warming you need to do though I suppose. There's the smoothing off tape thing, the quasi tube harmonic enrichment inflator thing, blah blah... VariSaturator does subtle warming well IMHO.

Don't use it that often here, but it is a nice one

[E-Irizarry]

Voxengo Lampthruster and Voxengo Warmifier.

[MattGray]

If I'm looking for warmth the last place I'd look is to a plug-in... try real analog tape, real transformers &/or valves. Compared to plug-ins there is no comparison imho

Matt

[Doc Mixwell]

Originally Posted by MattGray

If I'm looking for warmth the last place I'd look is to a plug-in... try real analog tape, real transformers &/or valves. Compared to plug-ins there is no comparison imho

Matt

I agree, but I don't think they want to hear that!! The answer to finding "warmth" inside the software, [whatever the hell that means], is to record it into your DAW in the first place.

[Pr.tiouz]

It is a very subtle effect but i love what the Tg mastering pack do on the signal just by inserting it. No need to says you get a wonderfull eq for the price.
go get the demo and buy it from tony at highprofile audio he haves a promo going on.

[Nordenstam]

Christian Budde's Christortion VST have selectable level and polarity of the ten first harmonics: KVR: Released as donationware: "Christortion" Get whatever warmth or dirt your desire!

[macleodgrant]

the best ones for is definitely CL1b, TG Limiter, DUY Valve

but one real great plug is the Sonnox Dynamics and it includes a warmth section

[Cellotron]

When I hear the word "warmer" I think of softer transients, which an analog compressor can do nicely for, and with upper mids and highs shaped to be less edgy and forward while still leaving some air on top, which an analog equalizer can do as well. So these are the tools I go to when given this request.

In general I find mixes sound much "warmer" when plugins are taken off of the 2-bus - rather than adding more!!

I do still have loaded into my DAW's an old plugin by AIPL called "Warmtone" that does the subtle overdrive / transient softening thing in a way I kind of have an affection for - AIPL WarmTone - but it's extremely rare that I would ever use it on a master (although for one track I did use it to add distortion to the Side channel only in order to give some energy to an otherwise limp rock mix).

Otherwise - I generally avoid any plugin that claims to be "analog, tube" or "warm."

Best regards,
Steve Berson

[Doc Mixwell]

Originally Posted by cellotron

when i hear the word "warmer" i think of softer transients, which an analog compressor can do nicely for, and with upper mids and highs shaped to be less edgy and forward while still leaving some air on top, which an analog equalizer can do as well. So these are the tools i go to when given this request.

in general i find mixes sound much "warmer" when plugins are taken off of the 2-bus - rather than adding more!!

best regards,
steve berson

+1 Amen Steve!!!

[ONDRAY]

Originally Posted by Cellotron

When I hear the word "warmer" I think of softer transients, which an analog compressor can do nicely for, and with upper mids and highs shaped to be less edgy and forward while still leaving some air on top, which an analog equalizer can do as well. So these are the tools I go to when given this request. . . .

That's the kind of warm I'm talking about. The powercore CL1b is so far the one, but I have to try a few other recomendations before coming to a conclusion.

[Tubefreak]

Originally Posted by ONDRAY

That's the kind of warm I'm talking about. The powercore CL1b is so far the one, but I have to try a few other recomendations before coming to a conclusion.

Although I do like some Voxengo plugs, I too was/am searching for a plug that does something only analog does (which should be a hint!). After trying the VariSaturator I couldn't find any use of it. I find it harsh/flat and to me it just sounds like a bit crusher with fancy controls. Even the UAD Fairchild doesn't warm up things and haven't found anything that does it in a way an analog Sebatron VEQC-2000 compressor does with Mullard tubes.

So if someone finds a plug that does warming like the above description, please let me know too.

Maarten

[macc]

I think the whole world is looking for a plugin like that

[chopstickkk]

i find the samplitude vst plugin (i.e not just for samplitude/seq) am-track to be okay for simulating tape used sparingly. i believe it's programmed by sascha of digitalfishphones fame...

Samplitude, Sequoia, Sam for Rent

anybody else have opinions on this plugin?

[Alécio Costa]

The Process section of the Hedd192 is unbeatable, but it is hardware.
Plug-ins:
1) Crane Phoenix
2) PSP Vintage Warmer II, Saturator II
3) Mc DSP AC1, AC2

[MattGray]

Originally Posted by Alécio Costa

The Process section of the Hedd192 is unbeatable, but it is hardware.
Plug-ins:
1) Crane Phoenix
2) PSP Vintage Warmer II, Saturator II
3) Mc DSP AC1, AC2

It maybe unbeatable amongst digital or software emulations but I'm hearing the downside of using it more & more these days especially compared to good analog hardware. If you're going to use the HEDD, 96kHz is noticeably better than running it at 44.1 or 48kHz.

Matt

[bob katz]

Originally Posted by MattGray

It maybe unbeatable amongst digital or software emulations but I'm hearing the downside of using it more & more these days especially compared to good analog hardware. If you're going to use the HEDD, 96kHz is noticeably better than running it at 44.1 or 48kHz.

Matt

Guys, the HEDD is still highly respected around here, but as Matt says, run it at 96 kHz. I probably will not run its "tape" emulation mode much anymore as I got the Anamod ATS-1, which is uncanny---- I'm going to call it my "tape machine". I could honestly say, "there's nothing quite like analog tape", until I got my ATS-1. If you consider the characteristics of analog tape as multidimensional, you could rate a simulator based on how well it captures each of the dimensions: depth and dimensionality, presence (not a boost in the upper mids per se, but the contribution, probably of distortion, which can be identified as an increase in presence, saturation (ability to saturate), purity of tone, soundstage improvement, warmth, lack of digital artifacts, headroom, noise (lack of noise, or no more noise than tape), and so on.

I gave the HEDD high grades for: lack of digital artifacts (at 96K), warmth (it does a nice warming), medium grades for dimensionality (it doesn't have the palpable holographic quality of real tape, but it does add something nice in tape mode. In Pentode mode it does add even more dimensionality, but that's another story). Purity of tone---not bad for a digital device, a little bit does not hurt. Saturation: Fair. Noise: Very quiet, not noisy at all.

I give the ATS-1 extraordinary grades for: lack of digital artifacts (none---this works totally in the analog domain and has high quality analog stages), warmth (unbeatable--- nicely sweetens the sound in a cuddly, warm, enveloping way, from "very subtle and transparent" all the way up to "very warm and quite softening"), dimensionality (adds a palpable third dimension), saturation (not very good... it doesn't do extreme saturation at all, but I don't miss that), analog headroom (acceptable, about 14-15, sometimes 16 db at best above its internal 0 VU, it must be run very carefully and by someone who understands gain staging. Noise ("tolerable", its SNR is no worse than many 1/2" analog tapes, it is audible, and with proper gain staging can be made "acceptable".)

Compared to boxes which use a compressor as their basis rather than a distortion emulator: Such as a high-frequency sensitive compressor. The above two beat the pants off of those as they do not suffer from attack/release time artifacts. But when used delicately, not as a simulator, but as an aid to getting where you are going, 1 dB of high frequency compression from, for example, one band of the MD4, or the Weiss DS1 Mk3 can sound very nice and not "digital."

I've tried other warmers, like the PSP, and was not that happy, too "thick and obvious", not enough subtlety.

Another superb warmer, is the TC MD4 in parallel compression mode, with a low to mid-frequency bias in its return sliders. It can sound extraordinarily "analog", with no digital artifacts. The new Weiss DS1-Mk3 in RMS sensistivity (new to ver 3), and parallel mode, working in a particular frequency range, now also joins the community of good warming tools.

BK

[aivoryuk]

I normally find a combination of a decent EQ with the right settings and perhaps the right compressor warms up tracks better than any 'warmer' type effect

[Alécio Costa]

Hi, Matt
Hedd here used in conjunction with the OCL2, IBIS EQ and a few shaping plugins.

What did you hear at 44k/48k that is better at 96k or 88.2k?

I play and load from the same daw, so I keep original Fs at PT HD rig.

I have a Mix Plus here too but...

[E-Irizarry]

OH yeah! Give Crysonic's nXtasy a whirl too. It's emulation is pretty tight too.

[bob katz]

Originally Posted by Alécio Costa

Hi, Matt
Hedd here used in conjunction with the OCL2, IBIS EQ and a few shaping plugins.

What did you hear at 44k/48k that is better at 96k or 88.2k?

I play and load from the same daw, so I keep original Fs at PT HD rig.

I have a Mix Plus here too but...

See the HEDD measurements in my book. Like most non-linear digital processors that do not oversample, the HEDD process DSP suffers from alias distortion when used at lower sample rates. It causes an edginess and harshness (what I call "digititus") that is mitigated significantly at 96K.

BK

[MattGray]

Alécio... As Bob K has pointed out there sounds like less aliasing distortion with the Hedd when running at 96kHz, meaning that it sounds less digital & more natural to my ears.

However, I still find (even at 96kHz) that engaging the HEDD processing even with small amounts added can reduce the clarity, detail & depth a little especially when engaged on the D/A side or if it's added prior to the processing chain. It works best on the A/D after processing or as a digital insert prior to limiting ime. These days I tend to use it more on poorly recorded material where the harmonic distortion can cover up some of the problems with the original recording/mix. I also use a little bit of pentode on rock or metal tracks where I want to bring the guitars out a bit more. The tape knob is rarely used these days as I'm spoilt for choice with a real Ampex ATR-102 half inch with ARIA electronics or if I want an older sound I'll often go through a Studer A807 quarter inch deck at 15ips with RMGI 911 tape.

Matt

[Bob Olhsson]

The secret to "warm" is often not doing anything that makes things sound "cold" such as over driving cheap A to D and D to A converters or DSP at low sample rates.

I've gotten stuff that was recorded and mixed with nothing but a digi 001 by a complete beginner that sounded warmer than stuff from multi-million dollar analog rooms. The difference was that nothing was peaking above -15 in the 001!

[jdg]

with digital, yellow is the new red!

[Alécio Costa]

Yes, in some specific material I was able to listen to this somewhat edginess.
So, it is worth upsampling all the 44k 24 files here to 96k 24 or 88.2k 24 and later do the BTD, right?

Thanks