EQ software plugin VS hardware units..

[Jerry Kahn]

Do you think, in general, an EQ plugin can at all compete with a good piece of hardware?

[tubedude]

Yep.
Sony Oxford, McDSP, etc, as good if not better, depending... the Waves plugs sound better than the cheaper hardware eq's though... and better than alot of them that are more expensive than the Waves itself...

[Jerry Kahn]

tube, R U talkin Waves Gold Native Bundle @ $1300 ?

[Jerry Kahn]

whoops -- hey tube, those others are Mac only right? I went with a PC/Saw DAW.

[tubedude]

Yep.
And the other are all Mac only. Imagine that.
Try the TCworks EQ if you're strapped for cash.

[Jerry Kahn]

I recall your sentiments on audio finance... have to say I agree that if quality is the goal than it always pays to save up for something really good.

It sounds like you're hinting that a TDM Mac PT plugin is the only way to approach, say a $5000 Tube Tech, but Waves 'Native' could perhaps approach a $2000 Manley EQ, or $1000 Focusrite. Ya?

[zip]

Sonic Timeworks EQ (not the mastering EQ)...

$279 US and it ROCKS!! Has both a traditional parametric view and a graphic view I use quite a bit as it has a built in before and after frequency analyzer. It also has vintage and clean global settings.

Nice plug in!

You can try a demo free for 14 days (I believe)

www.sonictimeworks.com

[tubedude]

Check out reverbX while you're there, too..

[zip]

Try em all. STW makes some damn good plugins! I talked with one of the designers and when I complimented him he said...

"Thanks man. It's all in the math."

I always sucked at math.

[Scott Tansley]

Yeh, Sonic Timeworks plugins are awsome. They really do sound good. That reverbx by them is just beutiful sounding reverb for a pluggin.
Little has been said about timeworks pluging.

[CyanJaguar]

I have heard pro studios that use expensive plugins and for some reason they dont sound anywhere near as good as hardware.

I guess you can get away with a plugin on one or two tracks, but when you start thinking about the cumulative effect, it starts to blow really bad while hardware actually makes the sound better.

[zip]

True...

But I would imagine most studios use very expensive hardware - not the hardware most homewreckers can afford...

I've been in small studios that have compressors that cost more than my entire system.

[Gidge]

Plugins can definitely compete with hardware....as a matter of fact, plugins have the advantage.....

if you buy one reverb unit, you can use 1 reverb....buy 1 good reverb plugin and you can use as many reverbs as your CPU will allow.....

[tubedude]

I've never had my hands on a hardware verb that was any better than ReverbX is, but that doesnt mean anything... try it, man, try it...
another advantage is, you dont ahve to pass through converters all the extra times that you would if you were going in and out of digital to analog and back again to get your effects. That has an ugly cumulative effect too.

[Gidge]

thats another advantage...if you are working with a PC based DAW and mixing in software (no mixing board), its virtually impossible to have 2 reverbs,2 compressors,2 delays,etc all hooked up.....

[CyanJaguar]

Originally posted by Gidge
Plugins can definitely compete with hardware....as a matter of fact, plugins have the advantage.....

if you buy one reverb unit, you can use 1 reverb....buy 1 good reverb plugin and you can use as many reverbs as your CPU will allow.....

I was just thinking this to myself and it made me giggle. If you buy one good hardware reverb, you can only use one instance of it. If you buy good software reverb, you dont use it at all because it makes you want to puke everytime you invoke it.

Tubedude, forget reverbx. I dont have the power nor the will. Also, a rackmount box will always look better. How do you think that reverb compares to a $650 Lexicon pcm 70 or an m2000. Now imagine having both boxes. I dont think any amount of plugins can touch that.

gidge again,

Its entirely possible to have two of everything in the studio- if you are using logic. All you have to do is send it to any of the 16 busses .THis is assuming that one has enough outputs and inputs

Another sweet thing about logic is that I can use one reverb box as two and use two reverb boxes for four different rooms, which is usually more than enough.
The way is that you can tweak the reverb, and record the return as a file. Then when it comes time to bounce, you can tweak another room and set logic to mix the realtime audio coming from the inputs with the already recorded tracks and voila

[Gidge]

you are assumin' wrong...i have a Delta Audiophile......

[zip]

"Tubedude, forget reverbx. I dont have the power nor the will. Also, a rackmount box will always look better. How do you think that reverb compares to a $650 Lexicon pcm 70 or an m2000. Now imagine having both boxes. I dont think any amount of plugins can touch that."

LOOK BETTER??? LOL

I've not done a direct comparison of the two but I would imagine with the level of control in my Logic Platinum Verb I could touch it.

I was thinking more of the new digital Sony unit...It's $$$$$$$ and I'm certain better than plugins.

zip >>

[CyanJaguar]

Zip,

really? I think not. Have you tried turning the diffusion on platinum verb below 70? Whats that nasty tinny feedback.

PLatinum verb is quite good, but it is still a dog. The control between reverb and early reflections makes it quite unuseable.

[zip]

Too bad I don't have a Lexicon to compare to...

....I guess I'll have to take your word for it.

[RWhite]

Its true, hardware reverbs do LOOK better..

(in Homer Simpson voice) "rows of shiney lights.... pretty... must have BIGGER rack of lights...."

[tvaillan]

The Rocktron Intellifex is one sweetest processors i'v seen and I wouldn't replace it by soft verbs.

It does wonders for just about any instrument and acts as a multiple fx processor with hush, delay, pitch shift .. whatever. It's sweet. .. 24 bit triple converter with 64x oversampling ..

I wouldn't use my cpu cycles on reverb since my rackmount does it all.

Granted you have to take it one track at a time .. so the advantage lies in the plugin's court on that one .. but this particular rackmount unit is so reliable and flexible that i wouldn't trade it for 5000$ worth of plugins.

[zip]

"(in Homer Simpson voice) "rows of shiney lights.... pretty... must have BIGGER rack of lights...."

Mmmmmmmm.......lights.......

Shiney lights........... LOL