Best way to make softsynths sound warmer

chrisedmo · Post by **chrisedmo** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 4:27 pm

Yeah routing out to a guitar / bass amp and re recording (nice to get a little bit of the room - sound dependent)

Or even run it out and overload an analogue mixer as well ?

3dot... · Post by **3dot...** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 4:27 pm

send it out...guitar/bass amp...mic...back in...

3dot... · Post by **3dot...** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 4:28 pm

chrisedmo wrote:Yeah routing out to a guitar / bass amp and re recording (nice to get a little bit of the room - sound dependent)

Or even run it out and overload an analogue mixer as well ?

hehe ...synchronized....

nebulae · Post by **nebulae** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 4:30 pm

I might just try this with my lappie as an external VSTi module, run the outputs from my NI Audio Kontrol into my 10-year-old Behringer Eurorack, then back into my RME in my workstation. Will report back results...on the face of it, it feels a bit too much of a pain in the ass and I might just stick a Vintage Warmer or Voxengo Warmifier in the chain and call it a day

ChiDJ · Post by **ChiDJ** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 4:31 pm

Dude,

Why haven't you gotten a UAD card yet?

So many of those plugs do a great job of "warming" things up:

La2a Comp
Pultec Pro
Neve 88rs are a few of my go to goodies.

I also run a lot of stuff through various tube amps, sans amps and stomp boxes. Even my A+H DJ mixer has a great sound.

also simple doubling and micro pitch (.1 or .2 1/2 steps can create some harmonics that warm those up).

nebulae · Post by **nebulae** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 4:34 pm

^yeah, I've flirted with UAD for years...might have to stop the foreplay and get down to the sex...

glitchrock-buddha · Post by **glitchrock-buddha** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 4:36 pm

nebulae wrote:
glitchrock-buddha wrote:Just for kicks, go and try out Vogue by Sugar Bytes.

Yeah, I saw the demo video of that - I thought it was just a channel strip...does it have a saturator in it?

yes, a saturator, compressor, dynamic eq (like multiband comp) and some effects.

Download the demo, stick it on a synth track. Add mild settings of everything and then compare to the original. You may be surprised. And it definitely doesn't sound muddy. Works better on some things than others.

nebulae · Post by **nebulae** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 4:38 pm

^ ok, good suggestions to experiment...

also, just read that Voxengo Lampthruster has zero latency, which is critical for live playing.

mr.adl · Post by **mr.adl** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 4:41 pm

Dude!!
Get a UAD! I have 3xUAD1 and 1xUAD2 Quad.

It´s an amazing card and you get a UAD1 REALLY cheap these days, as everybody (including me) buys an UAD2.

But be aware....these plugin are highly addictive

Superchibisan · Post by **Superchibisan** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 4:43 pm

uh, saturators, filters, compressors. dunno. its all about the sound design in the first place. i get tons of warmth, and i never use a hardware unit.

Moody · Post by **Moody** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 4:43 pm

Try out some amp simulations or build your own racks. For example if I have a nice bass sound in Operator I am working with I will usually run it through FreeAmp or something simular. You can also run the dry signal along with a signal to one of your returns. Adding an EQ before, after or both on the return can allow for some good shaping before mixing it back into the main signal. I plan on getting the Puremagnetik Amp Pack in the near future for some more go to stuff in this department. Since I was just introduced to the AdrenaLinn 3, I plan to get one of these for some outboard processing. Of course, I primarily use the computer for sketching out ideas that I may want to pursue with band mates. So I don't get to worried if it is not sounding exactly how I would expect my bass to be on all outboard gear. Good Luck!

glitchrock-buddha · Post by **glitchrock-buddha** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 4:46 pm

oh yeah, I'll add that izotope trash has given me the best results for this kind of thing. People think of it as just a hard distortion unit, but it has many different overdrives as well as filters and multi-band compression and when those components are used well together, it sounds fantastic.

nebulae · Post by **nebulae** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 4:47 pm

^ I've got the Amp Pack, and it's pretty cool. I've also got GR3, so I'm gonna run synths through those amps in there and see what happens.

nebulae · Post by **nebulae** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 4:47 pm

glitchrock-buddha wrote:oh yeah, I'll add that izotope trash has given me the best results for this kind of thing. People think of it as just a hard distortion unit, but it has many different overdrives as well as filters and multi-band compression and when those components are used well together, it sounds fantastic.

I've got Ohmicide, so I'll give that a shot too.

nebulae · Post by **nebulae** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 4:48 pm

ok lotsa great ideas, thanks everyone. Gonna get back to work, but by no means should y'all stop discussing