Console Emulation Comparisons ?

Crowned One


Hi Trancending, Really appreciate the response!
 
I tried NLS when it first came out but waited to see what X2 would look like.
 
Out of curiosity which is your favourite and why?
 
 

mike_mccue


I'd be interested in seeing a comparison with an actual console.

I don't think very many consoles added nearly as much THD as the emulations seem to be entertaining folks with.

It'd be easy to figure out just how little THD they add... but that might spoil the fun.


best regards,
mike

Crowned One


Thanks again Trancending,

I have been using satson and stripbus for a few months getting used to them.
Have you ever tried them?

I have never tried Nebula but have been looking at waves for $100 at the moment.
The Ilok is the main thing that puts me off VCC but it also looks good.

Razorwit

mike_mccue


I'd be interested in seeing a comparison with an actual console.

I don't think very many consoles added nearly as much THD as the emulations seem to be entertaining folks with.

It'd be easy to figure out just how little THD they add... but that might spoil the fun.


best regards,
mike

Hi Mike,
I currently run all my mixes through a 16 channel SSL x-rack where they get summed and passed to a bus comp and stereo eq before going back into the box. I don't have anything I can readily post for you to A/B just now, but to my ears my hardware SSL doesn't add anywhere near as much sonic change as any of the console emulators I've tried out do. The SSL itself is pretty subtle and the console emulators, again to my ears, really aren't. For that matter, I don't know that I've really heard any of the consoles I've used change the sound as much as the emulators do.


If you're interested I'll see if I can round up something to post in a day or two so you can A/B.


Dean

frequency 'circuit soaking',

Transcending Music

rabeach

frequency 'circuit soaking',

Care to explain what you mean by this.

Hiya rabeach,


It's just my dumb lol descriptive way of expressing the high peak responses of frequencies that are affected running through a particular circuit. It could also be the effect of the interplay of the components that lends itself to gear having "a sound" or character if you will. Slew rate could be considered part of this category such as tube pres which are a good example of manipulating slew rate to create euphonic distortion and limited ("soaked") high frequency. Here's another good analogy: like how the magnetism in tape creates soft limiting effects on transients that sound pleasing to us. This aspect relating to high end frequencies and how a processor or circuit affects them are a dead give away in emulated stuff. In these X2 emu's the high end to me sounds hyped. Where as let's say on another emu mentioned in this thread the high end is clear but not in a obvious "EQ'ed" sense but more along the lines of these circuit interactions. Incidentally, the UAD 1176 updated versions, they friggin nailed the high frequency pleasantry of its analog counterpart. 

Razorwit


Hi Mike (and others),
Here's a quick comparison I threw together on a mix I'm working on. The mix itself isn't done yet, so don't necessarily listen for production mastery :). 

There are three files, one raw, on ITB with Sonars console emu, one OTB through my SSL. It's kinda big...didn't want to do dithering or MP3 encoding.

www.fade.net/Somewhere_God_SSL.zip


Oh, also didn't have time to volume match...I think the OTB file is a bit quieter...bump it up a db or two.

Dean

Transcending Music


Cool, thanks Dean...

I want to say right off the bat, the OTB version needs about +2.3 dB
And the X2 Console emu version needs about -.15 dB 

Using of course RMS level matching.

I prefer the "ITB" version for this particular song. The "Cake SSL" one had the thing going on with the high's that I experienced in my own comparison sessions. But oddly, here I heard a closing off of clarity on top of it. But I don't dislike it here as much as I did on the metal and rock examples I've tested. Go figure. I'm sure it has a lot to do with there being more high energy in metal and rock genres. The OTB sounds cool, but it is so different; so affected. The drums sound nice, but compressed and altered. Like more "pang" coming off of them and less "stick". It definitely sounds cool. Did you use outboard on that one as well? So I preferred the ITB one for the control. But the OTB did have a cool thing going on. But the ITB, every time I go back to it, has the most open sound. I did find it interesting that the phase responses of the transient hits of "Cake SSL" and "OTB" were very similiar (with the "Cake SSL" transient being limited however). Almost like the "SSL Cake" one went the same route through your DAC! Odd but may be it is part of what Cake was trying to do in some respects.