I think this is a pretty good description from the Waves NLS plug-in manual available from their website:

Session Setup

Since analog console coloration is created by the console’s individual channel and buss amplifiers, the NLS includes both Channel and Buss components. To faithfully reproduce the DAW to analog console (and back again) signal chain and workflow, we recommend using the NLS in one of two following session setup configurations.

1. As a virtual summing box or summing console: The NLS Channel is inserted on the last insert of the DAW audio tracks, like a direct out routed to an analog console. The NLS Buss is placed on the first insert of the master track (or any other buss), just as the stereo return would be routed from the analog console back to the DAW.

 

2. To simulate console preamp coloration: The NLS Channel is placed on the first insert of your DAW audio tracks, and the NLS Buss can then be inserted at any point on the buss or master track.

Here, copied from an older thread, is a reply from Thomas Serafini, DSP Developer at Overloud (Who developed the Console Emulations in X2):
 
"I'm going to answer your questions from our DSP development perspective which is not related to the parameter naming. The Console Emulator module emulates the summing circuitry of the mix bus. Its natural position is at the end of the chain (last module in the channel) because in a real console the summing happens after all the channel processing. The Trim control is not related to the "Input Trim" control of a real mixer; it is something which controls the amount of these "summing effects". The Console Emulator module is not a channel strip plugin; it only simulates the mix bus summing effects. It also has a Drive control in case you do not have any preamp simulation modules and you want to boost the channel gain and increase the amount of nonlinear processing. This is more like to the "Input Gain" control on the preamp of a real mixer.
 
"You can also experiment some creative use of the Console Emulation module by putting it at the beginning of the chain: with this configuration you can use the summing circuit effects to create harmonics for your next processors. This is a creative use and it is not intended to simulate how a real console behaves."
 
 
Any comments?

Anyone?

HarBal "air effect" ?

I thought I could hear a difference on the laptop speakers so then checked through the Roland soundcard with headphones for much greater accuracy and couldn't hear a difference.  In my case I think it's psychological with the banner telling me Emulation Now On.

One thing though, when I upgraded to X2 and listened to some old tracks, I did think "these sound better".  Again could be psychological because I want X2 to be better.

Final thought - after I get my ears syringed tomorrow, maybe I should have another listen!

sharke


I can definitely hear the difference through my Grado headphones - more so on my own tracks than on the video of course. I don't consider my ears to be very well trained at all, and sometimes have a lot of trouble hearing subtle effects like compression. Yet I can hear the CE. It adds a little more presence, especially in the high end. 

With regard to placement in the PC, I mentioned in another post that the CE seems to add quite a lot of extra frequencies in the low to mid region as well. You can see this if you put a strong high pass filter on a track so that only the highest frequencies are coming through, then put the console emulation AFTER the EQ. With the CE turned off, there are no low frequencies at all. Turned on, you can see exactly where the CE is adding frequencies and how much, by looking at a frequency analyzer. The different types of CE behave differently - the S-Type seems only to add very low frequencies, whereas the other two add frequencies all the way into the mids. 

What this means is, if you're using a high pass filter to control mud in your track, then the console emulation is going to add some of the frequencies that the filter has removed. So if you use HPF's to this end and you don't want any new lows added, you might consider putting an EQ with a HPF after the console emulation on the track. 

Sharke you raise some important points and something that needs to be clarified. I definitely hear a difference when I use console emulation on my own music. I have run a few tests already when I first got X2. I got to run more tests.


I just don't hear the same thing in the video. I can not detect the difference in the video at all. Maybe You Tube is doing something to it. At least that is my guess. I do hear it when I insert it on my projects and use it myself. It is subtle. 

The only way I get a noticeable difference is by really cranking up the gain/drive - and that (for me) sort of defeats the whole purpose.

"The only "authoritative" source I've come across to put it first is the manual" How's this for a Authoritative Source: The Developer: I'm going to answer your questions from our DSP development perspective which is not related to the parameter naming. The Console Emulator module emulates the summing circuitry of the mix bus. Its natural position is at the end of the chain (last module in the channel) because in a real console the summing happens after all the channel processing. The Trim control is not related to the "Input Trim" control of a real mixer; it is something which controls the amount of these "summing effects". The Console Emulator module is not a channel strip plugin; it only simulates the mix bus summing effects. It also has a Drive control in case you do not have any preamp simulation modules and you want to boost the channel gain and increase the amount of nonlinear processing. This is more like to the "Input Gain" control on the preamp of a real mixer. You can also experiment some creative use of the Console Emulation module by putting it at the beginning of the chain: with this configuration you can use the summing circuit effects to create harmonics for your next processors. This is a creative use and it is not intended to simulate how a real console behaves. Best Regards, Thomas Serafini DSP Developer - Overloud

I would have made that better but I cannot for the life of me figure out how to use quotes in this forum

Marcus Curtis

sharke


I can definitely hear the difference through my Grado headphones - more so on my own tracks than on the video of course. I don't consider my ears to be very well trained at all, and sometimes have a lot of trouble hearing subtle effects like compression. Yet I can hear the CE. It adds a little more presence, especially in the high end. 

With regard to placement in the PC, I mentioned in another post that the CE seems to add quite a lot of extra frequencies in the low to mid region as well. You can see this if you put a strong high pass filter on a track so that only the highest frequencies are coming through, then put the console emulation AFTER the EQ. With the CE turned off, there are no low frequencies at all. Turned on, you can see exactly where the CE is adding frequencies and how much, by looking at a frequency analyzer. The different types of CE behave differently - the S-Type seems only to add very low frequencies, whereas the other two add frequencies all the way into the mids. 

What this means is, if you're using a high pass filter to control mud in your track, then the console emulation is going to add some of the frequencies that the filter has removed. So if you use HPF's to this end and you don't want any new lows added, you might consider putting an EQ with a HPF after the console emulation on the track. 

Sharke you raise some important points and something that needs to be clarified. I definitely hear a difference when I use console emulation on my own music. I have run a few tests already when I first got X2. I got to run more tests.


I just don't hear the same thing in the video. I can not detect the difference in the video at all. Maybe You Tube is doing something to it. At least that is my guess. I do hear it when I insert it on my projects and use it myself. It is subtle. 

Your post sums up what I'm experiencing as well. In the video I "did" hear the difference but not in a way that would have me reaching for my wallet to purchase a vst to get that sound. However, I think a lot might have been lost in the youtube video. I hear a very nice difference that would have me reaching for my wallet for working inside of X2 here. The sound is so good, I could see people "on the fence" leaving other daws just to have this sound available in such a convenient way. It's a deal maker imo.