Take the Sweetjesus Duende vs Waves SSL blind test

dom · Post by **dom** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 2:34 pm

sure, the bassline is obviousely sounding filtered and there's still a breathing hiss where the snare sits. i was just surprised that some elements cancelled out nearly completely while others clearly stay. but i also don't have a lot of experience in phase cancelling different mixes against each other. what i didn't notice are the subs, just gave it a listen using the cheap onboard sound and my akg office headphones... will try it on my monitors on the weekend....

sweetjesus · Post by **sweetjesus** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 2:35 pm

itook4lefts wrote:to me, mix sounded more, i dunno "detailed". but i'm an unrepentant hobbyist, so youmight not want to take my word for anything (and my soundcard's a heap of steaming turd).

which mix?

u left it out man!!~! fuckn suspense

zsazsa · Post by **zsazsa** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 2:42 pm

B sounds better to me.
It´s a bit punchier and clearer.
I do have the feeling that B has a longer attack time so transients come through more.
But that might be subjective.

sweetjesus · Post by **sweetjesus** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 2:42 pm

b0unce wrote: it might be like comparing chalk and cheese, but if you get a moment can you post an A/B of the eq's on similar settings, just out of curiosity ?

ok it may be like chalk and cheese and i had to match some levels by ear again but here's 3 stems with the bass knob cranked to +15 db on the waves, duende and URS pultec clone on another system.

i do feel that this 'chalk and cheese' comparison does reveal how the different eq's behave when pushed a little.. althought this is just the low register.

www.fridge.net.au/duende/eq

microlive · Post by **microlive** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 2:47 pm

sweetjesus wrote:@microlive, just read u mixed on Rockit 8's, i used rokit 6's and bluesky mediadesk 2.1 and the differences are more noticable on the bluesky's as opposed to the rokits.

Fair enough... I just gave my opinion on which i thought sounded best. I've had the Rokits for a while now & my ears are used to them... I'm guessing mix B was the one on the Duende? Or is that still classified information?

b0unce · Post by **b0unce** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 2:57 pm

sweetjesus wrote:waves, duende and URS pultec clone

the waves sounds just as 'punchy' as the duende, but the duende maintains clarity in the higher ranges....to my ears anyway, and with these sony headphones which are bass-centric

I'm not hearing $2k worth of a difference tho....hard to gauge the creative possibilities of either EQ with the test, but....at any rate, I'm not so sure the duende is worth the dough, when the waves comes so close....anyways, I would prefer a variety of EQ's...

great to hear some a/b tests of the duende at last.
thanks for posting.

sweetjesus · Post by **sweetjesus** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 3:08 pm

@microlive - not dissin rokits, love them, i use the blueskys for technical reference and then switch to rockit when arranging, havin fun and general production.

my jaw did drop when they sounded so similar on the rokits yet the difference was noticable on the blueskys.

the blueskys are more detailed in the high's & mids so i can use that knowledge on my next mixdown or production work on the krk's.

@b0unce

you don't think having something that's closer to a mastered product is worth a $1k difference between the waves and duende?

the urs aint cheap either.

the waves stuff added about 25% cpu whereas the same SSL setup took up about hm.. 10%.. cpu is cpu

b0unce · Post by **b0unce** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 3:15 pm

sweetjesus wrote: you don't think having something that's closer to a mastered product is worth a $1k difference between the waves and duende?

if its giving you the results you want, its worth the $1k - no doubt.

I'm more into sound design, and creative use of EQ.....to clarify I should have said for me, its not worth the money. (a variety of) Native stuff would do me for now, until I really know what I'm doing re: mastering. Maybe then the value of the duende would be much more apparent to me...

sweetjesus · Post by **sweetjesus** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 3:23 pm

b0unce wrote:
sweetjesus wrote: you don't think having something that's closer to a mastered product is worth a $1k difference between the waves and duende?
if its giving you the results you want, its worth the $1k - no doubt.

I'm more into sound design, and creative use of EQ.....to clarify I should have said for me, its not worth the money. (a variety of) Native stuff would do me for now, until I really know what I'm doing re: mastering. Maybe then the value of the duende would be much more apparent to me...

yeah that's a whole different ballgame where i would say the waves one has more to offer.

i just felt like i wanted to have the tools to give me that polished final sound while i'm producing. it really puts me off when i produce with a shitty/temp sound while im tryin to put feeling into a piece of work.

i end up spending as much time on the realtime mixdown as i do production and with this setup i feel that would be out of the way.

kind of like eliminating excuses for not pushing the music side of things.

i do have another bit of GAS and that is a Moog. I don't want the lil phatty watty .. the Voyager or bust.

Jesus Christ · Post by **Jesus Christ** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 4:09 pm

sweetjesus wrote:Voyager or bust.

amen.

Pinetree Jones · Post by **Pinetree Jones** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 4:12 pm

On my headphones and KRK's mix B sounded better. Tighter kick and bass. The tom sound cut through the mix better as well. Highs slightly brighter.

sweetjesus · Post by **sweetjesus** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 6:17 pm

well shit aye folks the B mix was done with the SSL Duende on the mixbus.

A was done with Waves SSL 4000.

in the EQ folder, the A is the duende, b is the URS Pulteq and C is the Waves SSL eq's.

i found the duende's eq's to be magnificent like nothing i have come across before and this is where its power is.

b0unce · Post by **b0unce** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 6:22 pm

wtf...

sweetjesus wrote:waves, duende and URS pultec clone

I thought that was the sequence, a b c

I much preferred A & B and thought C sucked a fat one...

Zerobae · Post by **Zerobae** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 6:24 pm

Wow, the URS thingy sounds very good, too!
Have you played with their Channel Strip by any chance?

(I also didn't like C at all.)

sweetjesus · Post by **sweetjesus** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 6:27 pm

Zerobae wrote:Wow, the URS thingy sounds very good, too!
Have you played with their Channel Strip by any chance?

(I also didn't like C at all.)

no .. its RTAS onli right?

i feel the URS sounds in between the 2.

ill say that the SSL eq is the only one which does just what it should 'add more bass' without changing the integrity and / or dynamics of the rest of the music.

Take the Sweetjesus Duende vs Waves SSL blind test

Which sounds better?