Best way to make softsynths sound warmer

Moody · Post by **Moody** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 4:57 pm

Definetly try the amp sims on a return track and mixing the signals. Good stuff!

3dot... · Post by **3dot...** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 5:20 pm

if you're lazy...Izotope trash is very good...

Superchibisan · Post by **Superchibisan** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 5:48 pm

izotope trash and ohmicide get my votes. i use ohm on all my tracks...

deva · Post by **deva** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 6:12 pm

I don't know what the word warm means. I hear people use it in all sorts of ways, even contradictory.

On softsynths I use eq, compression, saturation, filtering. I do so for various reasons. I quite like Live's Dynamic Tube effect.

djsynchro · Post by **djsynchro** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 6:28 pm

The best way to make softsynths sound warmer is to replace them with real analogue hardware.

nebulae · Post by **nebulae** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 6:34 pm

djsynchro wrote:The best way to make softsynths sound warmer is to replace them with real analogue hardware.

Yeah, I saw this coming...let me reference you to the first post...

(but let me put a limit on this by saying a preemptive fuck off to anyone who wants to provide the "hardware is better" argument...put that on another thread, byatch. *hugs*)

djsynchro · Post by **djsynchro** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 6:58 pm

But I never said hardware was better

I have a DX-11 which is a 4-OP FM synth and it sounds really grungey I actually like Operator better. Also I have no problem with Operator sounding cold or whatever it's really good. The only other softsynth I really like is Sylenth.

I do know this: Real analogue synths are a lot harder to use they tend to do all this clicking and thumping which is really not good to have in a mix.
My favourite way of making anything better is UAD plug-ins they really model a lot of stuff in their EQs like the Helios 69 or the Neve 1073 that gives it that musical lush polish which could be called warm.

nebulae · Post by **nebulae** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 7:02 pm

^ lotsa support for UAD...nice

kechambe · Post by **kechambe** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 7:55 pm

nebulae wrote:^ lotsa support for UAD...nice

The UAD plugins are great. I own them all and run them on 2 UAD-1 cards and a UAD-2 Quad. That said, Universal Audio has not impressed me as a company at all.

The UAD-1 never worked correctly with 8-core Macs. I found this out after I dropped $3500 on the platform/plugins. Universal Audio said they were working on a fix and knowing that many people bought anyway assuming it work work soon. Turns out there was no fix in the works for the UAD-1. The "fix" is to buy a UAD-2. Had they been up front with me I would have returned everything and waited.

And now the UAD-2 is going through serious teething pain on OSX. (Not sure about Windows.) Tons of Mac users are reporting total machine lock ups where you get the spinning beach ball of hell and have to hard power cycle the machine. Universal is taking their sweet time on releasing a fix. It's so easy to reproduce that you have to wonder if it's a hardware problem, or they just don't care enough to make it a development priority.

So yes, UAD plugins are great when they work and they can warm things up. But do your homework so you don't end up bitter like me.

djsynchro · Post by **djsynchro** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 8:01 pm

It's because Macs suck
PCs just work and they're cheaper too.

Best EQ ever though not always suitable for everything:

Moody · Post by **Moody** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 8:12 pm

djsynchro wrote:It's because Macs suck
PCs just work and they're cheaper too.

Best EQ ever though not always suitable for everything:

Is that UAD?

Crash · Post by **Crash** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 8:12 pm

Try burning the CPU, should add lots of warmth!

djadonis206 · Post by **djadonis206** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 8:24 pm

nebulae wrote:I'm looking for suggestions on how to make softsynths sound warm - I've got my own methods, but I'm wondering what works for you guys. Is it as simple as inserting a Saturator after a softsynth? Is there a better plugin that you use? How about Voxengo's warming plugs? How about Ohmicide?

Or is it as complicated as taking a softsynth output, routing it through hardware preamps/mixers and recording the output back into the computer? That's essentially creating the same hardware feel as a hardware synth.

Let's discuss.

(but let me put a limit on this by saying a preemptive fuck off to anyone who wants to provide the "hardware is better" argument...put that on another thread, byatch. *hugs*)

you spelted biatch wrong

djsynchro · Post by **djsynchro** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 8:47 pm

Moody wrote: Is that UAD?

Yes

nebulae · Post by **nebulae** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 8:50 pm

djadonis206 wrote: you spelted biatch wrong

\

I'll spell byatch any way I like, BYATCH!

*hugs* - how're wedding plans coming?

Best way to make softsynths sound warmer

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