Processing Digital With Analog Questions

[AKAI_STUDIO]

I need to resample many sounds and recorded tracks to 96khz from 44.1khz and and want to know the best way to improve or fatten up the sound on the way. I am thinking I should use analog compressors, analog filters or maybe an analog mixer to get a sound that is digitally higher quallity from one that was digitally lower quality. I just want to fill in the blanks of a lower sampling frequency without to much change in color or character. I can possibly re-record with and without analog processing and afterwards combine the two.

So what kind of processor can I use to do this best?
I'm using an AKAI DPS24 AND MPC4000 and am producing is a crossover of live and electronic music, thanks!

 

[SonicAlbert]

You can't process anything that's not there in the original sample. So you won't be adding any information above your original sample's frequency range.

Which is not to say that doing some additional analog processing on them won't improve the samples, it very well might.

The first thing you would want to do is make sure you are using very high quality converters, both DA and AD. This is probably the most important thing you can do for the transfer.

After the converters, you then would need good quality compressors and eq. A lot depends on the sound you are going after, so it's a bit hard to make recommendations. It's also hard not recommend gear that costs thousands and thousands, because that is what is going to do the best for this kind of job.

Another option is to run your samples through a DI and preamp. This might be the quickest and most affordable way to get the sound you are looking for. Like pick up a high quality DI and then run your samples through a Neve Portico. There are tons of different preamps that would be useful for this kind of thing, and each will add it's own unique sound to your samples.

 

[AKAI_STUDIO]

So you think that a quality compressor is the way to go I see.
I could not pay more than $2000 all together unless it was perfect for drums and on bass and I would never want anything els for that.

I would want my sound to be no different than the original sound except much more rich, thick and constant than 44.1khz and maybe a little more boomy or punchy.

I read that 44.1 means that the sound is recorded and plays back 44.1 times per second.
If thats so then how much compression will I need to tern 44.1 back into a constant sound by multiplying, thickening, stretching or widening each little sound spec in the signal so that the sound quality will become so rich and constant that it can no longer sound like 44.1khz except for the frequency range as you mentioned?

I have never used an analog compressor and have not got around to buying one yet, which is probably why I did not know one could do this, am I right?

If so, will you recommend a few that are less likely to change my sound that are under $2000 and maybe 1 or 2 that are just the all around best ever for post-industrial music which is sort of like punkrock and or techno combined?

I care alot more about the sound of drums and bass sound than anything els and think I will use different compressors on different sounds/tracks. live and electronic drums is where I need quality and power the most.
Thanks for any suggestions and for responding.

 

[TexRoadkill]

I would want my sound to be no different than the original sound except much more rich, thick and constant than 44.1khz and maybe a little more boomy or punchy.

Wouldn't we all.

Why do you need to resample the sounds? While it will enable higher accuracy when processing it won't really improve the sound. A compressor may help some things but the overall process of making things sound better is much more involved then just running them through a magic box.

Your $2k budget may be better spent on a UAD-1 or Waves plug-in based system to give you more tools to work with.

 

[AKAI_STUDIO]

To be honest you TexRoadkill,
I have or have in mind allmost everything I need to change or improve the sound I want, or at least believe.
Expensive mastering, effects, and dynamics processors all outside of the computer for portability and my own personal convenience.
I hate working with a not so user-friendly system because to me PCs are not so user friendly 90% of the time.

I have a 24-bit 48khz module that I would like to use in my music if the sound could be made to be as rich and constant as an analog module without having to record it to analog tape before audio to digital conversion.
Then, all the digital processing can be much more simplistic when I need to put all my extra time and complexity into the music I am creating.

 

[SonicAlbert]

I think analog processing will help you get the sound you want, but I don't think 96k is going to make any difference. You can get the sound you want at 48k, especially since the sounds are originally 48k to begin with.