I want to add Genuine analogue Tube warmth to my music without shelling out BIG €€ on a summing mixer - Any suggestions?? Would prefer high volt tubes to really give it the welly to see how it effects certain tracks. Correct me if im wrong but the way i want to use it is as an insert - so send my main mix through the analogue circuitry and back into my DAW - Inspired by SOS article last month!

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Behringer BCF2000 x2, Echo LAYLA 3G,Behringer ADA8000, BEHRINGER U-Control UMX 25, Shure SM58 LC SM57 Beta, RODE M3,Behringer Amp 800, SAMSON 7KIT DRUMSET mic,

I bought an Electro Harmonix 2ube Preamp. £95 second hand on ebay. It arrived on the same day as the June SOS did.. haha. I just use the Logic io function on the master fader.

+1 for the EHX Tube Compressors. High voltage and a very low noise floor. I have the Black Finger and use it on (almost) everything in the recording chain. My only complaint is that it doesn't have any stereo features but for £50 quid on fleabay......

Have you tried the PSP Vintage Warmer 2? The tape emulation really sounds amazing.

Combine that with a tube pre/ compressor in the recording chain and you're really getting in the zone.

Much cheaper than strapping an API unit across the stereo buss.


Have a look at the demo.. try the tape emulation setting. Quality.

http://www.pspaudioware.com/plugins/dynamic_processors/psp_vintagewarmer2/ index.html

Depends on the budget. I picked up a TL Audio PA1 for £150 recently. Upgraded the tubes and replaced a few of the ICs with better quality (free samples) versions. Very nice indeed. SPL Goldmike Mk1 (which alas I no longer own) resells for about £250. Again very nice for the money, and with upgraded tubes even better. Do you want 'warm and wooly' sounds, or bright harmonics? You can get both from tubes, and many things in between, depending on the circuitry...

With a lower budget than £200, I really wouldn't bother — you won't get anything that you couldn't do with a decent bit of software.

Also, are you sure it's valves you're after? As Hugh was at great pains to point out in that article, as often as not it's the sound of transformers that people have in mind. A decent stereo preamp with good transformers — or even a nice second-hand desk — can do a similarly good job of 'warmification'. Or there's the 1/4 inch tape option (A77, B77 etc...)

Hi, Please do give Vintage Warmer a go. It does do the business in terms of warmth and getting mix to gel. If the kit list in your signature is what you are using, VW is in proportion. Starting to chase down various bits of hardware in search of that ol' analogue magic isn't necessary.

The Art Pro VLA II is supposed to be an excellent piece of kit. There is a very informative article written about it in Tape Op. Goes for about £250 and is used by Dave Friedmann, who is one of my favourite producers in music so can't be too bad a piece of kit....

PSP make truly excellent plugins. IMO they are one of the best companies around who's plugins are well priced and idiot proof for even someone like me to be able to use! ConsoleQ in particular is one of my favourite, maybe even favourite plugin I use.... The MixSaturator is an excellent tool to add some warmth in addition the Vintage Warmer.

+1 for the Pro VLA II - great sound, great value.

Quote _ Six _:

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+1 for the EHX Tube Compressors. High voltage and a very low noise floor. I have the Black Finger and use it on (almost) everything in the recording chain. My only complaint is that it doesn't have any stereo features but for £50 quid on fleabay......

Have you tried the PSP Vintage Warmer 2? The tape emulation really sounds amazing.

Combine that with a tube pre/ compressor in the recording chain and you're really getting in the zone.

Much cheaper than strapping an API unit across the stereo buss.


Have a look at the demo.. try the tape emulation setting. Quality.

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Thanks Six,Had a listen to the Demo of the black finger and it does sound nice - but definately want something stereo. The plugins - i agree are getting there, but this time i want hardware- something visual for the rack with tangible knobs, VU meters or glowing tubes.

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Behringer BCF2000 x2, Echo LAYLA 3G,Behringer ADA8000, BEHRINGER U-Control UMX 25, Shure SM58 LC SM57 Beta, RODE M3,Behringer Amp 800, SAMSON 7KIT DRUMSET mic,

Quote Mixedup:

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Do you want 'warm and wooly' sounds, or bright harmonics? You can get both from tubes, and many things in between, depending on the circuitry...

With a lower budget than £200, I really wouldn't bother — you won't get anything that you couldn't do with a decent bit of software.

I agree know.

Also, are you sure it's valves you're after? As Hugh was at great pains to point out in that article, as often as not it's the sound of transformers that people have in mind. A decent stereo preamp with good transformers — or even a nice second-hand desk — can do a similarly good job of 'warmification'. Or there's the 1/4 inch tape option (A77, B77 etc...)

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on some of my recordings im thinking 'Warm and wooly' might do a better job of seating it all together without the need for reverb and compression so much (and whatever other wizardery)Warm and wooly may be the reason why every couple of months ill reach for my Fleetwood Mac Rumours album over the last 15 years!

And your question regarding Valves or good transformers?
TBH im not sure yet - having access to both would be nice!

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Behringer BCF2000 x2, Echo LAYLA 3G,Behringer ADA8000, BEHRINGER U-Control UMX 25, Shure SM58 LC SM57 Beta, RODE M3,Behringer Amp 800, SAMSON 7KIT DRUMSET mic,

Quote caveman82:

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The Art Pro VLA II is supposed to be an excellent piece of kit. There is a very informative article written about it in Tape Op. Goes for about £250 and is used by Dave Friedmann, who is one of my favourite producers in music so can't be too bad a piece of kit....

PSP make truly excellent plugins. IMO they are one of the best companies around who's plugins are well priced and idiot proof for even someone like me to be able to use! ConsoleQ in particular is one of my favourite, maybe even favourite plugin I use.... The MixSaturator is an excellent tool to add some warmth in addition the Vintage Warmer.

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Just read the article and watched a couple of vids on facetube - and like what i see/hear whata beutifull piece of hardware and just might be what ill go for, in the meantime (while im saving the extra) im gonna demo some of those plugins everyones recommending - However im pretty hellbent on getting a piece of hardware for my money this time round! Appreciate the input all!

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Behringer BCF2000 x2, Echo LAYLA 3G,Behringer ADA8000, BEHRINGER U-Control UMX 25, Shure SM58 LC SM57 Beta, RODE M3,Behringer Amp 800, SAMSON 7KIT DRUMSET mic,

It's up to you what you choose, and the best hardware still sounds a little different... but if you don't already know quite what you mean by warming, I fear you'll be wasting moey on cheap hardware that doesn't do what you need/want; you get much better value from plug-ins and there are some excellent ones out there...

Speaking of which, I didn't really get on all that well with Vintage Warmer - and I usually love the PSP stuff (delays in particular) - though I know plenty of people who rave about it. I often use the UAD Fairchild 670 emulation as a stereo buss compressor mixing into it), with only a dB or 2 of gain reduction so you get the tone rather than loads of compression: dial a preset, tweak threshold and bingo - instant 'warmth'. If you really want 'tube' try out the demo of the SPL TwinTube plug-in.

Also, if you have the processing power available, try a little tape emulation (Ferox or Ferric, for example, to name two freebies) on some of the channels or, for example group busses. Ferox is a little too warm for the buss; Ferric can be really nice.

I could go on with recommendations, but it's really each to their own and you need to try some demos out - there are plenty of threads recommending 'warm'/'analogue' sounding plug-ins.

I never liked Vintage Warmer either, and I tried really hard on more than one occasion, because it seemed like I was the only person who didn't get on with it... ymmv

I think the Art Pro VLA II is really excellent value. If you think it's roughly the same price as the Fatso Plugin (if you kind of equate the value of the UAD2 card too) and if Dave Friedmann (who is a modern genius in music) uses one to give his recordings some warmth on mixdown then if you have an appreciation for music then you'd think it has an excellent place in production.

Also, I never really got on with using the Vintage Warmer to add warmth. Not a bad compressor mind, but not a tool I was able to use to add warmth. The Saturator was a little better but I quite enjoyed using it to 'dirge' my recordings, well I love a lot of 80's music and it was to make my otherwise clean recordings sound more 80's!

I'll join the not-convinced with vintage warmer, too. Never got past the demo.

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Perhaps they should rename it "Vintage Marmite Warmer - You Either Love It Or Your Hate It"...

I love Marmite, lightly dabbed on fresh white bread and butter. Also in some cooking; again the subtle approach.
Subtle is the key with these warmth plug-ins, and the key to the good 'new-vintage' (and real vintage) bits of gear.

PS. There was a trend when I was 10 (ish) at (boarding) school breakfast to have fried bread — with Marmite and marmalade. Yum!

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