Ableton Forum

It is a matter of price. I don't see the utility of spending a lot of money on plug-ins, unless they are synth/sampler type. I've generally stuck with the PSP, Voxengo and Elemental Audio stuff for effect.

Hardware if more expensive in general and is better in my opinion.
Lexicon has worked many years in reverb units. They are not putting their investment into plug-ins probably because of potential for theft.

The cheaper Lexicon units (MPX-1, 550) are not superior to plug-ins because you have to go through reconversion A/D and D/A for the use. If you run digital i/o to the reverb unit, I'd say that the 550 is as good if not better than the ArtsAcoustic and RoomVerb plug-ins.

I don't think it is either/or. You need both if you want quality (hardware) and convenience (plug-in). If you're going to spend some big time money, better to have a hardware unit than a plug-in. You can sell it easier.

The greatest investment as far as sound quality is on the front end (mic, preamp and converters).

there are certain things i simply don't feel software is up to snuff with emulating 100%.

Compression is one of them. There is no software in the world that sounds as smooth yet as aggressive on bass as my 1176.

EQ emulation on software is exceptional, however. Reverbs are typically digital these days anyways, so there's no emulation debate. Its all 1's and 0's there. But i do give credit to Kurzweil's Rumour reverb. its about $400 and i think it sounds better than Altiverb.

There will always be a hardware mic preamp, and compressor market.
at least in our lifetime.

Adam, have you tried the UAD-1 1176LN in comparison by any chance?

Tarekith wrote:Adam, have you tried the UAD-1 1176LN in comparison by any chance?

yes, and it was nothing alike on source material below 400hz.
i use my 1176 primarily as a bass compressor, so for me, if it were nothing alike ABOVE 400hz, i wouldn't mind so much. but you can't win them all.

the UAD-1 plug is as faithful a recreation one could make in software.
i've got another hardware compressor that emulates the 1176 with an optical element, its called the TFPRO P10. it has different optical switching modes for 1176, la2a, and joemeek SC2. the man behind it designed the original joemeek SC2 (not these chinese made knockoffs we see labeled joemeek today). Its la2a and 1176 definitely have the "vibe" the original Urei's have.

You can't recreate an 1176 100%, not even with hardware. There were so many revisions, and even within a given revision no two units sounded alike. But once you've nailed the smoothness in the attack and release characteristics, you've got yourself a great 1176 emulation. The smoothness has eluded all software compressors i have used.

How about a Creamware SCOPE DSP audio system - integration of hardware and software in one - excellent sound - excellent value.

If you run your $3000 hardware synth through a $100 mixer then I would say stick with Soft Synths. More bang for your buck. Although the Virus TI Polar looks butter.