I am running all my tracks through Waves SSL EQ plugins?  that's already my analog console emulation, right?
 
Thank you!

Console emulation is just a fancy eq anyway,  but it's different from a specific module from a console.  Your waves SSL eq will be emulating the response curves of the SSL eq section, not the input preamps, bus drivers, etc.  unless it specifically says it does that.

oh ok.  Well im running a 606 kick drum through it, and it sounds so much thicker and fuller with the console emulation OFF!  the emulation makes it hollow and boxy a litttle. :(

Is this the console emulator in the PC?  It doesn't really make enough difference to make that sort of judgement on a single track/instrument.   Console emulation comes into it's own when applied to every track and bus.  It's a cumulative effect that gives an overall colour to the final output.

Karyn
Is this the console emulator in the PC?  It doesn't really make enough difference to make that sort of judgement on a single track/instrument.   Console emulation comes into it's own when applied to every track and bus.  It's a cumulative effect that gives an overall colour to the final output.

Yes this is the PC console emulation.  I put it on a Kick 606 track and it immediately sounded bad.
 
 

ALWAYS REMEMBER....
the more crap you pile on top of the original signal,
whether it is simple EQ or routing to other busses for fx,
 
it causes degradation of the signal with every pass of math.
 
in a perfect world,
we would just get exactly the sound we wanted going into a mic,
captured perfectly as we want to hear it,
and blend the tracks together in perfect harmony.
 
ahhhh....
 
 
LOL

My rule ot thumb for any hardware or software has always been, if it doesn't sound good, don't use it. 😃

Don't forget that the Drive parameter could potentially give it a more exaggerated effect. You could definitely hear a difference driving a single channel +6 dB with the CEC. That could be useful in some cases. In your case, try setting it between -6 dB and +2 dB and see how that works for you. Again, you won't necessarily hear the effect when used subtly on one channel but the cumulative effect of using the CEC and CEB on every channel definitely becomes a bit more noticeable.