If You're Using Audio Plug-ins For Recording

[Greg Mein]

This has probably been covered but I hope to someday get away from the constant pull of performing covers and return to doing some of my own originals.

 

What I'm most curious about is when you're using a plug-in channel strip (Waves, UAD, etc. emulating Neve, SSL, UAD, Manley, etc.) and/or compressor on a vocal recording. Do you have your plug-in placed on your channel and active during the recording or do you wait until later and add that when you're mixing down? Perhaps you can have it active during the recording and keep it on the channel for further manipulation during a mix down?

 

Curious about the methods folks here might use, primarily on vocal tracks.

[RABid]

I'm no expert and there is a few hundred people on this forum more knowledgable about recording than me, but....

 

I use UAD. I have and Apollo Twin quad for portable, and an internal card in my desktop DAW. I also still have my old Apollo Twi Duo which comes in handy when the Quad goes down. That happened when a storm surge knocked out a few devices. I have a few of the channel strips and honestly my ear does not hear a lot of difference. I'm happy with all of them. I really like that I can connect the Apollo to a laptop, plug in a decent mic and record anywhere. So in short, I am very happy with what I have, but am in no way an expert.

[RABid]

Oops. Second part of your question. I normally use a channel strip while recording and maybe a bit of compression. I try to keep things flat and neutral when recording and then make adjustments afterwards. The big thing I watch for while recording is recording levels. I also dial in eq if it is brittle or bassey.

[KuruPrionz]

If I use plugins, I put them on after recording - always. Then I have choices.

 

Currently I am experimenting with a new (to me) trick I stumbled onto. Long story short, the vocalist I am recording participated in a mic test to find the best one for her voice.

This is the second time we've done that, I threw up her first choice from last time (Shure KSM8) and some new or different mics for round two.

She still preferred the KSM8 but was drawn to my new Aston Element and asked if we could use both mics. I'm easy to get along with and besides it's fun to try new stuff.

 

So I have them very close together and we've cut a few tracks, with peaks set for -6db. Here's the interesting part: When I play back both tracks at once, they are louder and will drive the output meter into the red even though neither track by itself goes beyond -6db. The quieter passages are also quite a bit louder but they still sound like they were sung more softly, which they were.

 

It's easy to see the peaks, I am in the process of creating automated volume controls that turn the louder parts down so that both combined do not exceed -6db. The softer parts will be left at full volume.

Years ago this was done by "riding the fader" during the recording. It is a way of "compressing" the dynamic range without any of the sound artifacts of compression.

 

At this point, I see no reason why it won't work. I'm using pop filters on both mics and running the KSM8 into a Focusrite ISA One, the Aston Element into a Blue Robbie. Those each go to their own channel line in on a Presonus Quantum Thunderbolt 2 interface. There really isn't much pre-processing at all, no compressor, no EQ. Other than a dab of reverb eventually, I don't hear anything that I need to fix. So, no plugins on the vocal chain, at least for this singer.

 

Granted, I'm working with a singer who has a lovely voice and that always helps. But this is the best I've done so far, I am pleased to keep bumbling about and getting better at this!!!

[Greg Mein]

I find vocals to be tricky because of the dynamic range so I'm pretty certain I've typically used an external compressor when recording in the past. One of my reasons for the thread is that I've sold most my external gear (what I still have is currently packed away) and just wonder if the plug-ins actually make a suitable substitute while recording in. Analog preamps and compressors can be very subtle to my ears so sometimes it's difficult for me to distinguish how much change there is.

[Nowarezman]

I use a UAD Twin X for tracking. It is built with a focus on latency-free processing and monitoring of live tracking. The channel strip and console emulations available to track through are very high quality. Even so, I use just a touch of processing while tracking. I know, for example, I'll be applying compression to vocals, so I see no harm in a little light compression going in as a first-stage sort of thing. Same for acoustic guitar. EQ I use more rarely while tracking - but if I know in advance that I'll be EQing a track in a certain way (hi-pass the vocals and acoustic guitars for example) then I'll just get started with a light EQ application while tracking. I never print reverb while live tracking - but it gets used of course for cue mixes.

 

Past that, I use the plug-ins on DAW tracks for the major sound-shaping tasks.

 

Once in a great while, I'll process heavily while tracking, just for some one-off odd effect. Such as a lo-fi plugin for an odd part here and there - or a distortion or saturator for an overdriven vocal sound. These are special cases, not a regular method.

 

nat

[Anderton]

I find vocals to be tricky because of the dynamic range so I'm pretty certain I've typically used an external compressor when recording in the past. One of my reasons for the thread is that I've sold most my external gear (what I still have is currently packed away) and just wonder if the plug-ins actually make a suitable substitute while recording in. Analog preamps and compressors can be very subtle to my ears so sometimes it's difficult for me to distinguish how much change there is.

 

You're correct that you would need to use external hardware to do what you want. The problem with almost all interfaces that include DSP is they're after A/D conversion, so you can't prevent clipping at the converters. If you were going to add processing before the interface, I'd recommend a limiter over a compressor - it will have less impact on the vocal's sound, and you can use the limiter as a "safety valve" to catch any overloads.

 

Another option is to split a mic pre output and record into two inputs, with one set -10 or so dB below the other one. Then if there's any clipping on your primary input, you have backup on the secondary one.

 

Because you're always recording dry audio on DAW tracks, you can insert any plug-ins you expect to use during mixdown, and monitor through them (assuming low enough latency that it doesn't drive you nuts!). However, I generally prefer not to monitor myself in the headphones, and hear my vocal through one ear, in real-time. Listening to a processed vocal can give you a false sense of security.

 

And of course, the most important aspect is mic technique - move away in the loud parts, come close in the soft ones. Basically, a mechanical compressor I also use a pop filter to that I can run the input level a little hotter without having to worry about overloads.

[Dave Bryce]

If I use plugins, I put them on after recording - always. Then I have choices.

 

dB

[Greg Mein]

Yes, thanks for the feedback, I suppose it's obvious now thinking about it that plug-ins will be post A/D.

 

I don't have high end outboard gear but what I have left is quite adequate for my recording projects. Now it leaves me wondering what is the point of some of these expensive front end type plug-ins if you can't actually use them on the front end?

[Anderton]

Yes, thanks for the feedback, I suppose it's obvious now thinking about it that plug-ins will be post A/D.

 

I don't have high end outboard gear but what I have left is quite adequate for my recording projects. Now it leaves me wondering what is the point of some of these expensive front end type plug-ins if you can't actually use them on the front end?

 

I call it "commitment recording." Just like some people are nostalgic for vinyl or tape, some people are nostalgic for having limitations placed on them so they can move forward with a song instead of agonizing over minutiae. If the guitar track was recorded going through a Vox AC30, then by golly, that's the direction and no, it's not going to be changed to a Fender Twin on mixdown.