Make digital recordings sound vintage/analogue?

[qwertyuio]

How can I with a mid-to-low-level equipment create a recording that sounds vintage or analog, like the music of the 60's or 70's? I have access to all kinds of software, I know it is probably a matter of EQ and compression, but I don't really know where to start.

 

[baker_]

Honestly? Record in the analog domain rather than the digital domain.

There are many many threads in this forum arguing the nature of analog vs digital. I suggest searching for one and reading it, there's a lot of great information to be learned.

 

[Farview]

It has more to do with the methods used to record in the 60's and 70's than it does the equipment.

For example, in the 60's basic tracks tended to be tracked live with everyone playing in the same room. Drums were not close mic'd. The types of instruments and the sounds of those instruments was very different too.

 

[Bobby Darko]

It has to do with methods, and equipment as well for sure. Let's not forget techniques, the accoustics of those studio's, the engineers, the musicians and the mood they were in depending on the daily drug (ab)use. And vision, the main thing most studio people are missing these days and why everything sounds the same on the radio. BTW you don't sound 60's when you go analog, it's just a medium (well mabe a little).

 

[WhiteStrat]

Also the clothes. Lots of polyester shirts with big pointy collars and plaid pants with tent like bell bottoms. I've got an outfit just for recording 70's style music.

Never mind...


...back to your originally scheduled thread.

 

[dothead]

In all seriousness play with some analog equipment, I have had some success "cheating" but the best was when I bounced tracks to an analog machine and then back to the computer. I make sure that the levels were close to the red so i got that nice break up. It was pretty amateurish but I liked the effect.

 

[tojo]

download vinyl by isotope, they make a plugin that makes your tracks sound like they are a vinyl record