Console Emulation - first impressions

Frank first impressions of the Console Emulation.

1. S type feels great on busses
2. I prefer N type for content with highs- cymbals, vocals/keys I want to sound open, etc
3. I prefer the A type for content with low end (kick, toms, bass), vocals/keys I want to sound smooth, snare, etc
4. If I had a scale ranging from smooth to punchy this console emulation leans more toward smooth, which makes it less applicable for material where I really want clarity and punch, but great for making things sound warmer, smoother, etc. (which tends to be my preference in general.)

Whether or not I like the Console Emulation on a project is a matter of taste and how much previous UAD processing I've already done. If I want more clarity I tend to turn it off. If I want more warmth or excitement I like it turned on.

Generally if I start out with the Console Emulation on with the modules I prefer selected I find mixing a lot easier, and I find my normal insane amount of UAD processing isn't necessary. Now I feel more like I'm mixing with a console and using the UAD processing like outboard gear (a lot less than usual.)

I tend to like using both the track and bus modules at once, but if I've done a lot of UAD processing I sometimes prefer the mix with track or bus turned off, and will always toggle to get the desired feel.

We'll see what things are like as I continue to use it, but I'm loving it so far. For those that don't really hear a difference I'm not sure what to say. It's meant to be subtle with the drive near 0, but can be fun with the drive turned up, too. It can be really subtle when applied to a single track, but when used on everything the affect is very nice. I find the overall sound feels more glued together with less work.

For those that compared this to the BBE Sonic Maximizer I feel it's definitely a different animal. The BBE is about phase aligning frequencies and boosting at 50 Hz (Lo Contour) or 10kHz (Process/High.) Real consoles aren't phase aligned and actually smear the phase a bit in euphonic ways. The Console Emulation in X2 feels more like the latter. There is a bit of low end going on with the Console Emulation, so in that they can be similar. There is also definitely some hyping if you crank the drive up, so in that way they are similar, too. I would caution folks not to overdo it and be thoughtful when turning up the gain; as with the BBE it can be easy to hype it as it keeps sound "better", but after about 5 minutes of listening your ears will try to secede from your head. 


Peace,


Tunes



Peace,

Tunes