A Console Emulator Tip for You - Now with Meaningful Audio Example

There's been some controversy about whether the Console Emulator actually does anything, and the usual (true) response is that it's cumulative when you add it to all the tracks in a project.
 
However, when bouncing down to a final two-track mix, insert the channel (not bus) A-Type Console Emulator in the master bus, set the Trim to around +1 to +2 depending on how the level going into the main output bus, and set drive to 2.5. This gives the audio a useful lift and some extra definition.
 

 
To test, position your mouse over the CE power button, close your eyes, and click so many times you don't know if it's bypassed or not. Then click a couple times, still with your eyes closed. It should be obvious which version has the enabled CE - I was able to identify it 100% of the time, and the audio definitely sounded better with the CE in place.
 
I recommend against using the bus version of the CE because it doesn't have a Trim control, and you need to turn it up a bit to obtain the desired result.

Anderton
There's been some controversy about whether the Console Emulator actually does anything, and the usual (true) response is that it's cumulative when you add it to all the tracks in a project.
 
However, when bouncing down to a final two-track mix, insert the channel (not bus) A-Type Console Emulator in the master bus, set the Trim to around +1 to +2 depending on how the level going into the main output bus, and set drive to 2.5. This gives the audio a useful lift and some extra definition.
 

 
To test, position your mouse over the CE power button, close your eyes, and click so many times you don't know if it's bypassed or not. Then click a couple times, still with your eyes closed. It should be obvious which version has the enabled CE - I was able to identify it 100% of the time, and the audio definitely sounded better with the CE in place.
 
I recommend against using the bus version of the CE because it doesn't have a Trim control, and you need to turn it up a bit to obtain the desired result.

Craig, 
 
I remember you were saying you like to put Waves L3 limiter on the master bus. Would that be before or after Console Emulator ?   
 
P.S. BTW, I only recently discovered how wonderful is ProChannel Tape Emulator on master bus

Afrodrum
Craig, 
 
I remember you were saying you like to put Waves L3 limiter on the master bus. Would that be before or after Console Emulator ?  

After, because I use it not just for limiting, but also to make sure that nothing hits 0.

Rasure
I always use the CA2A on the master, its not compressing, just playing through it. Opens the mix up a bit :-)
 

Do you leave the R37 screw at 50%? This could explain the "magic".

I found that I used the Sat Knob far less when the La2a (whatever it was first called) came out. It seemed to add that certain "analogue" something.

So, Cakewalk originally designed the Console Emulator to utilize the Console Emulator "Bus version" on the Master Bus. OK, it's all about the cumulative effect. Then, Craig suggested in an earlier thread that he did not use any emulator on the master bus.
 
Now, we're shown to use the "Channel" Emulator on the Master Bus.
I'm trying to follow these leads, but my ears tell me it's very subtle (unless you crank the outputs)
 
So, I guess what I'm getting from this is to follow your ears and experiment, but I'm not sure I have that kind of time to dedicate to experimentation. I have Console emulator project template presets that I'm using less and less over time, because they add an unpredictable warmth and low + mid range content that I have to compensate in my mixes elsewhere. Craig, your tips are always valued here . . . but I'm just not getting this one.

@noynekker The reason I used the channel CE on the bus was so I could bump up the trim, and therefore add some of the transformer saturation the CE emulates.
 
As to Mister Happy's test, yes, the CE as shown in the tip will add level (I saw less than 2.5 dB, but whatever - maybe the controls were turned up a bit higher). However, if you think the only differences are from the level increase then you're missing what the CE is adding.
 
Although I greatly appreciate anyone making the effort to try and come up with a test to determine whether the tip has merit or not (and I wish more people would try things out for themselves!), unfortunately the test is flawed in three fundamental ways so it's impossible to draw any meaningful conclusions - see the screen shot showing spectral energy and correlation.
 

 
1. The material is pretty much mono, so the CE can't affect the stereo imaging because there isn't really any stereo imaging to affect.
 
2. Compared to most mixes, the highs are way down compared to the lower frequencies. Like imaging, the CE influences the high frequencies but there aren't enough highs for the CE to "chew on."
 
3. Most importantly, the source material isn't the same for the two of them. Do a null test, and you'll hear that one appears to have reverb or other ambience, while the other doesn't.
 
As a result, the test is meaningless. For a more meaningful test, I took a short clip of music, copied it, processed one with the settings shown in the tip and rendered it, then normalized both clips to -0.1 dB. I then combined them to a single clip that you can listen to at the following URL.
 
https://1drv.ms/u/s!Am5TdLYuWxQOkhw2n1E5Mj5BWRSm
 
I think the difference is subtle, but nonetheless pretty obvious. If you don't think so, listen carefully to the difference in the snare's attack transient, the cymbal at the end, the imaging for the guitar sound, and the high-hat that appears around the middle of each clip. I'm not only quite sure you'll hear a difference, but will prefer one of the clips over the other. That's the one with the CE.
 
 

.

.

Anderton

mister happy
Oh, and I would not suggest normalizing to peak but rather match to the average RMS or perhaps the LUFS levels.

Yes, but Sonar doesn't have the option to measure those so it wouldn't help those who wanted to check things for themselves. I checked the LUFS in Studio One for the two clips and they were really close.
 
A quick and dirty way to A/B test in Sonar is to create two tracks, get everything matched up properly, and group each track's solo buttons when one solo is on and the other off. Then you can hit either solo button repeatedly with your eyes closed until you don't know which is which, and then compare the two sounds without being influenced by what you see.
 
The bottom line for me is the CE is subtle when used as intended, but it can make a positive difference. And if you turn the Trim control up all the way on bass tracks, it's really cool 

Oh cool, I need to try that on Bass!

The second one has the CE added; listen to the various elements I pointed out and you'll hear the difference. Probably the reason for the higher average RMS level in the second one is because the Trim is introducing distortion.
 
Not sure why there would be a difference in DC offset given that the clip was cloned, unless the CE reduces DC offset.