ManFromGlass wrote:I am intrigued by these consoles. Of all on offer which one would bring the most colour to the table? The Neve? I have enough plugins for clean.

A console normally doesn't - shouldn't - bring noticeable color by itself. It's only when you sum up the little contributions of many channels that you get an effect. That effect often is described as a kind of separation, of space, around the channels more than color (unless you are overdriving it on purpose, that is, but anything bring distortion when overdriven, it's the definition).

A little depends on how you lay down the mix.

I always start with console emulation on any track or bus (mostly buses, given the way I structure my mixes) that are "source" and "final" product.. so for example I will have typically five or six channels of vox - for example two tracks for doubled vocals, routed to a "vox dry" bus, which in turn has sends to delay, reverb, parallel compression, chorus effects, you name it. several tracks and buses for drums of course and so on.

And I will activate the console emulation (in Cakewalk it comes with the DAW) in the two origin track and final, summed up buses, and see what it does. Then I will try with the intermediate buses to see if it helps bringing that bus a little more out (as opposite to a small fader move). For stuff you want more upfront you increase distortion a bit, for example by driving the console.

It's all very subtle but it helps to the 3D effect in a mix. Not alone, however, not by a mile. All elements must be rightly balanced, high frequencies in the right amount and allocation etc.. the console is just one of the many tiny elements which contribute to the final effect.

desmond wrote:But always wait for a sale with PA products, the full prices are... basically an incentive for sale plugin purchases. Eg the SSL E full (current) price is $349. I bought it for $36 last month (and that last $6 was VAT which is no longer applied as we're not in the EU).

Don't forget that UK VAT will be applied instead of the sellers local VAT so you end up no better off.

They are now back to adding UK VAT on UK online purchases now.

Freebie heads-up for Plugin Alliance customers

Dirk Ulrich of Brainworx has today announced a freebie cut-down Ampeg modeled bass amp plug-in for his customers.



If you go to this Ampeg SVT-VR “Classic” product page: https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/prod ... assic.html

Add it to your basket before February 19th, and then use the voucher AMPEG-FOR-FREE before paying, you'll get it for free 8-)

I've just installed it and it's rather versatile (not got any radical bass amp emulations in my collection, so I suspect this will get used)


Martin

I tried it a few hours ago on the bass part of the song I'm doing now.

I liked what it did, so it stayed there... ;)

Remember though it's a cut-down version of the full version, which has two channels, and a lot more recording setups etc. So they want to upsell you on the full version, rather than just give away a freebie for being cool, but even so...

desmond wrote:I tried it a few hours ago on the bass part of the song I'm doing now.

I liked what it did, so it stayed there... ;)

Remember though it\s a cut-down version of the full version, which has two channels, and a lot more recording setups etc.

Pleased to hear it desmond - even this cut-down version has still got three cab options and enough tone & drive controls for my purposes.

More often than not I tend to use bass synths, or double bass in my tracks, and judging by my Plugin Doctor experiments it may prove a bit too radical and bass-heavy for those sounds. I suspect it will prove more useful for bass guitar, as the hardware was originally designed for.


Martin

Seems the consoles are doing pretty well for Plugin Alliance - here I am, waiting for a good sale on the SSL J (and loving the "E" so far), and although they recently released the API channel, which also sounds great, this one is coming soon too - no idea on the sound character, but it *looks* gorgeous at least!



A nice thing about these is that they all broadly have a similar set of features, so I can set up my hardware controller with the same layout for all of them - then you can switch for different characters, but operate them in the same way. I've found them to be the most useable, practical and good sounding channelstrips I've found, to date. And I really like the consistency. I'll probably pick up more of the channelstrips when they are doing good deals/sales on them, for that reason.

The PA subscription is one that actually makes quite a lot of sense, given that you get the subscription cost back in terms of vouchers for permanent plugin licenses, too. It's like buying a plugin (and waiting for the best time to buy to get it cheapest to make your money go further) but having it now, permanently, plus a bonus of using all the other ones, and the new stuff for a year.

Out of curiosity, what controller do you use?

blinddrew wrote:Out of curiosity, what controller do you use?

That's a more complicated question to answer than you'd think :lol:

Apart from the Mackie Controls, which I'm not using currently due to size reasons, I wanted a small, portable controller to hand that works the way *I* need it to work.

The hardware as such isn't that important - it's my custom controller setup/config that's important, and it can be mapped to any such suitable controller. I'm currently using a Novation Launch Control XL for this, but it's the customised Logic bit that's important.

In short, I can flip the controller at the press of a button between a mixer surface with all the usual stuff (volume, pan, sends 1-5, mute, solo, rec enable, bank switching etc), and plugin control, where I can control any instrument with a consistent layout (eg, osc controls on the first row of controls, filters on the second row, misc on third row and amp/filter envelopes on the sliders), and control any plugin on any insert and flip between them, again mapped for consistency where I need it. (It doesn't require any actual parameter mapping, this is all automatic so works with any plugin. You can just easily re-order parameters if you want a particular control layout for a given plugin).

It also does other things I need - preset switching up and down, plugin insert bypassing and other functions (it's an evolving setup of course).

And while the hardware could be better (the forthcoming Behringer one might also be a good candidate), how it *works* is the most important thing, and it's the best controller setup I've ever had, by far. The XL is well suited for this and has been brilliant in the main, but anything with a suitable complement of controls and layout will work.

Plus, I also have something in development to make this even cooler, but that's something I'm working on in the background that I don't really want to talk about yet. It's working great, but needs a fair amount of work to build out into a more general solution.

So in short, I just wanted a way to easily control the mixer, any instrument, and any plugin on any insert slot, they way I think any controller should, in a consistent manner, but very few actually do. You don't get this behaviour out of the box. It makes plugins come alive... :thumbup:

desmond wrote:Seems the consoles are doing pretty well for Plugin Alliance

Ohhh that looks nice! All the knobs!

desmond wrote:

blinddrew wrote:Out of curiosity, what controller do you use?

That's a more complicated question to answer than you'd think :lol:

Tell me about it! I have 3 control surfaces that allow me to do basic transport and fader stuff but also a channel strip and some other gubbins. But I've not gone as far as you with the configuration.

The SSL 4000G for sale today, 50 bucks

ore_terra wrote:The SSL 4000G for sale today, 50 bucks

Where is it on sale at?

Plugin Alliance.

Voucher code: SSL-4000G-4999

If it was the 9K for that price I'd be all over it...! :lol:

(They did it a few weeks ago for $99 and I passed then as it's not something I *need* right now...)

Note - if you sign up for their mailing list you'll get sent sale offers like these, and once you start buying stuff, you'll also get occasional money off vouchers too.

Oho, just got a PluginAlliance email this morning. Let the good times roll! Any plugin $29.99 (with a few exceptions, notably the SSL 9000J, Desmond :( )

I think I might have everything I need or that I can justify now though. But if you don't then fill your boots. Code valid till 27th, then there'll be another, and another after that. Each one invalidates the earlier one, so use 'em or lose 'em. Damn them, they're good at this nudge marketing.

Email text pasted here:

1/3 - ROUND ONE!

YOUR 1st CODE:

LYS1-2999

This is for you!
As a special THANK YOU, we decided that this year is also a Leap Year – crazy times, crazy offers.

You will receive your 2nd code on February 28
The first code will be expired by then!

Use this voucher code during checkout!
Code expires February 27 - 11:59 PM California Time
* VAT will be applied to purchases made in the EU, only if applicable.


This voucher code is only valid 1x (once)
Choose ONE of our plugins and get it for $29.99, except for the subscription bundles and the products below. Please share this code with your friends!

* Products NOT included in this promotion:
ADPTR AUDIO Streamliner, bx_console SSL 9000 J, AMEK EQ200, Bettermaker EQ232D, Gig Performer 3, Shadow Hills Class A, dearVR PRO, dearVR MONITOR, Neold BIG AL, Lindell Audio 50 Series, Gallien-Krueger 800RB