Hardware vs. Software

[Hobbs_Won]

I say #1 is hardware and #2 is the software chain

[MrFingerDrums]

I like the raw file best

[Below Zero]

70/30

[jrides]

The answer is 12

[tdot]

Originally Posted by MrFingerDrums

I like the raw file best

the effect is a little overblown. But if you can't hear the verbs/echos how can you tell which sounds better

Actually I only noticed afterwards the verb sounds a lot thicker in the lower end on hssample1.mp3, even though I matched the decay time and blend %, almost seems like the other one is high passing it a little or something... then again, different verb algorithms, I doubt its possible to get an exact match.

[suchenderxxx]

Originally Posted by MrFingerDrums

I like the raw file best

best answer

[tdot]

Originally Posted by suchenderxxx

best answer

hating on reverb???

the raw file would never fit in a mix...theres wayyyy too much variation in the levels
though, the other 2 would sound ugly too, as the compression only normalizes the levels ... you can still tell some parts have wayyy more top end, when they were actually talking into the mic

would probably need a heavy de-esser before the compressor and a top end boost afterwards to make the whole thing consistent, but i dont have a hardware de-esser :(

as for the verb/echo, who says it wouldnt work in a really verby track????

[suchenderxxx]

no this is nothing against you but i liked his answer. made my laugh. Nothing against you dont understand it wrong...

[Azamat Bagatov]

Why don't you put on something normal not some dumbass shit that you have to put headphones on to listen to? Dumb as HELL!. I turned that off in 10 seconds. Nobody wants to listen to that shit bro.

[tdot]

Originally Posted by Azamat Bagatov

Why don't you put on something normal not some dumbass shit that you have to put headphones on to listen to? Dumb as HELL!. I turned that off in 10 seconds. Nobody wants to listen to that shit bro.

I thought it was pretty funny tbh
What exactly is 'normal'?
If you're not listening to the tonal differences you're missing the point

[fallingawake]

I've been lurking here forever and seeing some of the responses to this thread made me register just to say LOL. Sorry the clowns showed up tdot. lmao

I have very little experience in mastering/engineering so I'm just going to say my opinion for the fun of it:

The first recording sounds better, and I also think it is the hardware recording. The verb and the delay feel much smoother and has a much warmer sound. There's something else going on there then whats in the chain so that's why I think that I guess.

[tdot]

this is why I ended up putting the test here ....
4 people think sample 1 was through hardware, and 2 think sample 2 was through hardware.... I probably would have came to the same conclusion too

hssample1 is actually the software sample! I think I would have naturally assumed something along the lines of 'hssample1 seems darker and thicker and that must be due to running it through hardware and back', yet that wasn't the case! the hardware processed sample actually sounds more transparent to me ....

the software chain was tube-tec cl-1b (which probably explains some of the darkness) -> soundtoys echoboy -> lexicon plate verb

the hardware chain was symetrix cl-150 -> digitech studio 400 multi efx unit

i set them both to a long attack and a short release, but I couldn't match the compression level i got with hardware in software. the tube tec plugin started to sound 'pumpy' while the symetrix almost sounded like it was being driven into limiting mode

i liked the sound of the hardware verb better than the software, but that was very likely a settings issue. on the digitech i used a preset, which sounds almost like it has a high pass filter (i liked the lighter sound better, hssample1 sounded a little too muddy)

as for the compression ... i don't know. they both affected the tone of the vocals quite a bit. the symetrix made the vox sound more present but also squashed the esses in your face, the tube tec ate the top end but made everything sound warmer. i guess which sounds better would depend highly on the context of the mix.

though i do find hssample2 to have more ... 'depth'? to it - maybe thats just because its tonally higher, and has nothing to do with hardware vs software at all.

but the best part is - there was no huge difference or clues as to which was which - most people got it wrong