What do you prefer?

[Ihsahn1981]

What do you prefer?


Plugins that was designed from scratch and often has "infinite" possibilites?

or...

Plugins that are emulations of analog gear and is sometimes more "limited"


Now I know that not all plugins can divided into categories like this but I think you know what I mean.

Ever since I started using UAD plugins I have come to appreciate the apparent simplicity of many of the plugins. Like the LA-2A that sounds fantastic and only has two knobs!
In the past I was very visual when I used eq's. You know, looking too much at the curves and not listening to the actual sound. Now with the UAD plugs I am forced to listen more.


What are your views on this?

 

[006]

I don't see how plug-ins that are based on hardware versions are any more or less limited compared to ones that are original and made from "scratch."

That out of the way, both of them have their uses. Ones modeled after vintage analog equipment, like the Neve comps, etc. has it's uses when somebody wants that coloring on the source and, of course, the type of compression or EQ that the particular model offers. Sometimes I may want to EQ or compress something, but I want it to be really transparent for whatever reason...maybe adding a Neve modeled comp will add too much of a certain color to the sound that detracts from the direction I'm trying to go with it.

Like so many other things, it all comes down to the fact that every situation, source and project is different and will call for different things. Which is why it's good to have a huge collection of plug-ins, just in case

As far as being forced to listen more, that's nothing but good man. I think a lot of people go through that in the beginning, relying on what they see on the screen rather than hearing how it affects the sound, etc. The more time you spend listening to the effects of the changes you make, the more you will be able to hear things that you didn't notice before.

~006

 

[Soundlurker]

I like using both, depending on what I have to achieve. I use the emulation plugins mainly and add the other type for very fine adjustments.

 

[ahjteam]

I like hardware

 

[Torniojaws]

Unlimited. I hate it when you get a nice bass synth emulator and you simply can't coerce that extra bit of modulation, oomph or crazy filtering out of it.