Best way to make softsynths sound warmer

[nebulae]

I think that it is useless for me to buy a new synth as long as I do not master Analog or Operator. But perhaps it will be very difficult (but not impossible) to get massive sounds with Analog or Operator when with a Nord Lead or a Virus it is easier. Is it true? Or is it just a matter of the user's competence?

Definitely user competence. Talented people can usually get a good software synth to sound as massive as hardware synths. But don't ask me...I'm not one of those fancy sound designer types

(although I did do a few patches for Sylenth1 that is included in the latest version...but Sylenth1 is one of those synths that are just so simple to program)

[Moody]

I'm actually quite glad I switched to Mac. I can def. hear the difference in the warmth of my midi compared to XP.

Major factor for me every time I think of switching platforms.

[nebulae]

I'm actually quite glad I switched to Mac. I can def. hear the difference in the warmth of my midi compared to XP.

Major factor for me every time I think of switching platforms.

Fuck that...you just don't find vintage operating systems like XP any more. The new OSX is just so digital, what with all those fancy windows. XP is dirty and grainy and warm, just like a classic compressor or a vintage amp. You can't recreate that kind of sound.

[forge]

I'm actually quite glad I switched to Mac. I can def. hear the difference in the warmth of my midi compared to XP.

Major factor for me every time I think of switching platforms.

Fuck that...you just don't find vintage operating systems like XP any more. The new OSX is just so digital, what with all those fancy windows. XP is dirty and grainy and warm, just like a classic compressor or a vintage amp. You can't recreate that kind of sound.

bullshit you don;t know what you're talking about

NOTHING is as grainy and lo-fi as OS9

[nebulae]

bullshit you don;t know what you're talking about

NOTHING is as grainy and lo-fi as OS9

aah yes, that old Time Bomb icon...how I miss it. Not.

[forge]

bullshit you don;t know what you're talking about

NOTHING is as grainy and lo-fi as OS9

aah yes, that old Time Bomb icon...how I miss it. Not.

grainy mutha fucka GRAINY

[lunabass]

NOTHING is as grainy and lo-fi as OS9

OS9 is great for adding that gritty 8 bit kind of vibe to my emails...they literally jump off the screen and rip your eyes out.

PS. great thread (regardless of the wreckage towards the end). look forward to trying a few of these ideas myself.

i was at a local studio here in adelaide the other week and they were playing me a recent recording they did of a local funk band called the transatlantics. the band really wanted a very lo-fi dirty 70's kind of sound so they tracked everything to 24 track 2" tape. even though they used some vintage mics and some old mic techniques they told me that a large majority of the sound was from running very hot signal to tape.
if you're interested, go to http://www.myspace.com/transatlantics and listen to "save me from your love" to hear what i mean

i'm really lucky that my work still has a 2" 24 track otari mx80 tape machine. at some point i'll run a few loops through it and post up some examples. i've been meaning to do this for a while

[Darwinist]

On that note, is there any kind of second-hand analog tape system that is small enough for a home producer to have hanging around, like an entry-level tape system that an analog noob could wrap his head around? I assume that an analog mixer would be required as well...

As for my lo-fi needs, I always turn to Voxengo Boogex first, run through the impulse responses and then mix in pre and post cab to taste. I use that shit like salt, on just about anything from drumloops to synths and anything in between.

Really powerful for a freeware program IMO, but then again I haven't really played with the expensive stuff.

[nebulae]

As for my lo-fi needs, I always turn to Voxengo Boogex first, run through the impulse responses and then mix in pre and post cab to taste. I use that shit like salt, on just about anything from drumloops to synths and anything in between.

Really powerful for a freeware program IMO, but then again I haven't really played with the expensive stuff.

Martyn says that he uses Boogex for guitar amping as well. It's a very useful tool.

[lunabass]

On that note, is there any kind of second-hand analog tape system that is small enough for a home producer to have hanging around, like an entry-level tape system that an analog noob could wrap his head around?

perhaps look out for a revox 1/4" tape machine. we've still got a revox b77 here but i think their 2nd hand prices have sky rocketed. we had a pile of old machines we used for tape editing that we couldn't give away a few years ago...i fear they may have gone in the skip

[madhattared]

im sure it phattened up those midi msgs real nice

i downloaded this midi phattener plugin called midikrunk

its the best shizzle i've ever heard

[roby]

i just EQ a synth to be honest. that's when i care about it being too cold, warm, phat or thin. normally i don't, as long as it sits well on the mix. but when i do need to subtract some ice out of a synth, a simple EQ does the trick.

if i want to get a bit more elaborate, then i'll route the VSTi to a separate channel on the Mackie, crank up the gain until it almost distorts, bring the gain down a bit, then record back to the sound card.

i always hear people say "run the synth through a guitar amp", but wouldn't a keyboard or bass amp or even a PA system be better? i mean, a guitar amp i set to only "process" (for lack of better word) a certain range of frequencies, usually not in the range of 'warmth', right??? while a bass or keyboard amp does... i mean, not that i'm against running things through a guitar amp, but when i do, i go for that 'lo-fi', bass-lacking sound...

[knotkranky]

Ya'll better be putting that warmer on a good idea.

Don't chase fidelity, chase good writing.

[nebulae]

Update: The Tung-Sols arrived today, and I just installed them into my Presonus TubePre (x2). The installation took about 30 minutes (15 minutes each). I wore latex gloves to make sure no oils touched the tubes.

Before switching the second tube, I compared the first switch with the original tube pre (the second one still had the OEM tube in it). On first blush, the Tung-Sol sounded crisper and didn't distort as quickly with higher gain...further, when distorted, the Tung-Sol sounded more together.

Then I switched out the second tube. Mind you, I ordered from Tubedepot.com with the matched and balanced option which cost an additional $4 per tube. This ensures the quietest and most balanced set of tubes. So after putting in the second, and doing some initial tests, I'm pretty happy with the switch. The signal has more "air" to it, and if I push the signal, there's some nice crunch too. But there isn't a lot of noise, and it seems that the Tung-Sols have less noise then the OEM tubes.

The real test is when I do a full song, so I'll do a mix of with tube treatments and pure softsynth for your benefit, and you can judge for yourself.

[deva]

thanks for updating your efforts on the subject... it is interesting to follow