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Post by studio54 on Sept 8, 2021 8:58:56 GMT -6
Howdy fellow gear-lovers,
This is my first post on this forum. I'm slowly building a hybrid home studio set-up. Looking for key pieces that can be used for tracking and mixing on multiple instruments. In particular, I'm looking for something to help tame the higher frequencies and add some "weight" to various tracks.
I have a LTL Silver Bullet, which is super helpful for this purpose. This gets me part of the way there, but I still find myself adding plugins for HF limiting, transformer emulation, and tape effect on things like drums or guitars. I'm looking for something more ... definitive.
I'm leaning towards a UBK Fatso. I think I'd get a lot of use out of the saturation, warm, and tranny modes. I'm just not sure how useful the compressor with its preset attack/releases would be (I know I'd need to control the comp separate from the saturation via the sidechain). I've used the UBK-1 plugin quite a bit. I sometimes like the HF limiter on it. The comp can be super useful on drums, but seems really finicky on other stuff. Having never used a Fatso, I'm not sure how close the UBK-1 comp section is compared with the real thing.
Anyone with a Fatso who cares to weigh in on the usefulness of the compressor section?
I'd love some other to ideas (either HW or SW) that might help in this regard. Maybe a HW tape emulation like a Bereich03 Density or RND 542 would help more than a tape plugin?
Thanks in advance.
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Post by ragan on Sept 8, 2021 9:09:45 GMT -6
Welcome to the forum. I've got nothing of value to add, really, just chiming in to say that I loved the UAD Fatso when I was on that platform and have always considered picking up the hardware. Over here, the Zulu sees a lot of use for this kind of purpose. There's also the DIYRE Colour format to consider. I've also considered building a couple of these: www.soundskulptor.com/en/proddetail.php?prod=TS500A lot of the time, though, I just use FF Saturn2. In my blind ABs with the Colour modules, it was about 50/50 picking the Colour or Saturn2. |
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Post by bgrotto on Sept 8, 2021 9:18:54 GMT -6
I own and love my Fatso. EL7X model from Empirical, not the Kush modded one. The compression is extremely useful, particularly on drums. The 'warmth' and transformer features are super cool, though i am not sure i would use your word 'definitive'. They tend to be pretty subtle. The LTL Silver Bullet provides a LOT more *obvious* coloration, and is way more flexible in its control, with a considerably wider range of options.
The Zulu is cool, but being passive, it's very picky about what you connect it to, so I'm a bit reluctant to recommend it.
Another darn fine color box is the Audioscape V-Comp. Big, fat, tubey goodness with that one. And tasty compression, to boot.
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Post by notneeson on Sept 8, 2021 9:51:10 GMT -6
What’s your tracking chain like, typically?
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Post by EmRR on Sept 8, 2021 10:09:44 GMT -6
^
I'm all for starting to slowly modify the tracking chain if possible to get the desired result, mics and preamps.
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Post by Tbone81 on Sept 8, 2021 10:10:56 GMT -6
Look at the Portico 542’s, they fit that description almost exactly. Great for adding saturation and weight. Great for tracking and mixing.
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Post by studio54 on Sept 8, 2021 10:42:47 GMT -6
I live track electric and acoustic guitar using the LTL Silver Bullet pre-amps. Bass is DI, elec guitar is either a SM57 or Roswell condenser on my Fender combo amp. I typically track bass and acoustic gtr through a hardware tube comp, which gets use elsewhere, as well.
All other tracks are coming from ITB and get "re-amped" through my Silver Bullet. Often I'll run an electric or acoustic guitar track through the SB for a 2nd pass (first pass was at initial tracking). Sometimes I'll run tracks through the tube compressor without the comp engaged, so just using it as a line amp for flavor.
I'll look into the RND 542s. Anyone with experience comparing these with other HW tape emulations (Bereich03 Density, for example)?
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Also curious as to whether anyone with experience w/ UBK Fatso can speak to the comp section in terms of versatility.
Thanks to everyone who has replied. Super helpful info.
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Post by sagefields on Sept 8, 2021 16:09:51 GMT -6
I live track electric and acoustic guitar using the LTL Silver Bullet pre-amps. Bass is DI, elec guitar is either a SM57 or Roswell condenser on my Fender combo amp. I typically track bass and acoustic gtr through a hardware tube comp, which gets use elsewhere, as well. All other tracks are coming from ITB and get "re-amped" through my Silver Bullet. Often I'll run an electric or acoustic guitar track through the SB for a 2nd pass (first pass was at initial tracking). Sometimes I'll run tracks through the tube compressor without the comp engaged, so just using it as a line amp for flavor. I'll look into the RND 542s. Anyone with experience comparing these with other HW tape emulations (Bereich03 Density, for example)? . Also curious as to whether anyone with experience w/ UBK Fatso can speak to the comp section in terms of versatility. Thanks to everyone who has replied. Super helpful info. I have the UBK Fatso, and one thing you can do that will really increase the versatility of the comps is to insert a mixer or board channel with EQs into the Fatso's sidechain. Not only can you control how much compression gets applied to the signal (using your board's fader) independent of the Fatso's master input, but you can highlight the frequencies that you want to get the most compression. For example, by INCREASING the high and high-mid frequencies on my board channel's EQs, I can get the Fatso to really clamp down on those frequencies. I find it works great for taming peaky electric guitars, for one. (Greg Scott suggests getting a cheap hardware EQ for the sidechain; that would work too). Having sidechain inserts is a real plus for the Fatso. |
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Post by wiz on Sept 8, 2021 16:54:36 GMT -6
Western Electric 111C Transformer
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