emperical labs distressor...warmth???

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dmbfan1981

New member
I have seen some people talking about this for a mic chain. What exactly does it do?

I have seen the Emperical Labs FATSO which is supposed to add warmth to digital.

My next question is this....what is the best budget processor to kinda do the same thing ( obviously not as good as a 2500 dollar piece of gear though so I am realistic. )

Just figured I would open it up to discussion. Thanks. :D
 
as someone is bound to point out 'warmth' is really subjective and often marketing-ese, though those fatsos are supposed to rule.
if you have smaller pockets (like me), you could maybe try also try the massey tape plug in if you use protools (free for the 44.1/48k demo version; $70 for the full (up to 192khz version)), or a fmr rnla for about $225
if you just want a pre, some folks swear by the eh 12ay7, though it's not as popular on this board (never tried it).
lots of pres, compressors, or mics with transformer-coupled designs will be said to 'warm' a signal.
 
I have small pockets and was looking for something in the 200 dollar range.

I agree that "WARMTH" is very subjective, but a vocal that is dry and a vocal that has some processing to it, regardless of what you call it, is like night and day. I could try some plugins.

It was more of a question to just throw out there and see what kinda gear and trickery people have to give as advice. I like mixing up my bag of tricks.

I use Sonar 4 and I do have a tapesim plugin and I was going to download the SSL plugin ( although I hear that is best for drums )

I have also heard great things about the RNC products.

Unfortunately, I am in the midst of construction on a house in which I will have a studio. Right now, All of my computer and gear and stuff for it, is packed away, so I cannot try out any plugins at this very moment.

Keep the advice and opinions coming though. Some people definately hate the term "Warmth" and I agree that many budget products abuse that term. thanks guys.
 
$200 probably isn't gonna get you any kind of good "warmth", sorry man. it sounds like what you want is some sort of tape emulator, to apply to an entire mix, right? your best bet would be trying some good compressor plugins and using them on the tracks that need it. maybe something from URS, which individually cost about $250 (but are cheaper if you buy multiple plugins).

the SSL plugin is not good for vocals, at least i certainly don't see it that way.

i really like it on a drum room mic, smash the hell out of it and use it as sort of a "reverb" effect. but that plug sure does have it's own character to it.
 
yeah you get what you pay for, though there are some things out there that don't suck and can help (this is home recording after all :rolleyes: )
a lot of large studios still have dbx 160x's in their racks. those can be nice for certain vocals (paired with the right mic and pre) and on drums and bass. you can generally find them for about $200-225. the 160xt has xlr outs, which is nice and is usually about the same price (same design, but the revision reflects some differences in how the circuit is assembled and country of manufacture)
 
rnc's (the company is actually fmr) will not add any warmth to your signal incidentally-- you probably won't even really notice it so much, except to note that it is reducing the peaks in the signal.
 
kojdogg said:
rnc's (the company is actually fmr) will not add any warmth to your signal incidentally-- you probably won't even really notice it so much, except to note that it is reducing the peaks in the signal.
Click to expand...


yeah the RNC, from what i understand, is not heavily "colored". i have no experience at all with that particular unit though, so don't take my word for it.

i think your best bet for that price range is gonna be using plugins, as opposed to hardware units. that will get you the best "bang for buck" performance IMO. just make sure you get a good clean recording, then try some plugins to help acheive the sound you're looking for. but yeah i'd say start with a URS eq or comp plugin and see what more you are gonna need. plus theres a few decent free VST plugins that can help.
 
...skip the expensive processing and buy yourself a nice dynamic or ribbon for around $200-300...you might just like the vibe...I recommend a clean used Shure SM7/7B...should go for something in that price range...great for vocals...got that "vintage" vibe even before any treatment...I find that I don't need as much (or any, for that matter) compression when using the SM7, as opposed to one of my condenser mics...a touch of 'verb and it's "cooked"...just a thought... ;)
 
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