Kazrog True 252
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- čas přidán 19. 07. 2024
- Check the Kazrog True 252 here: kazrog.com/products/true-252
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INDEX:
00:00 - Intro
00:35 - Should I go omni?
00:54 - What is it?
02:43 - Disclosure
03:17 - Affiliate
03:35 - The U.I.
04:02 - Testing
07:26 - AB
08:31 - Harrison
10:49 - Conclusion
11:41 - Support me! - Jak na to + styl
Thanks for trying this out! You're absolutely right to be skeptical about EQ plugins, especially analog modeled ones, as there have been some highly suspect ones coming out in recent years.
With True 252, we worked hard to get many things right where others have failed - namely - True 252 has no cramping, accurately models the gain/Q interaction of the hardware on a per-control basis (each slider has unique behavior), and it models the saturation of the hardware (rather than being purely linear as so many "analog modeled" EQ plugins are.)
I also wanted to say, that piano piece is beautiful!
Sounds great !!! Is there a possibility to add a linked input output or headroom knob to hit the sweet spot without having to add pre & post gain plugins?
@@echodream according to the marketing materials, there's an overall gain match function in the release version, so that's a help
@@whome3911 - We've offered loyalty discounts on many of our releases. At the moment, we're running introductory pricing on True 252 for a limited time, and it's already priced quite low compared with competing plugins. That said, there will definitely be some cool loyalty coupons coming up very soon, and we have more new plugins on the way in the Winter.
@@echodream - True 252 already has internal gain compensation, so it maintains the same apparent loudness irrespective of the settings on the EQ itself.
@@KazrogPlugins Oh that's a great feature!
I'm really appreciative that Kazrog has not gone the iLok route, or subscriptions, other phone home routines. In fact, this simple purchase/license approach that so many great plugin makers use increases my loyalty to them.
Thanks! Also rest assured, we have no plans to ever use a dongle, challenge/response, or subscription based model. 😎
@@KazrogPlugins I think we should all understand any company's need to protect their products, profits, and ownerships, and be creative about how they do so... I just don't think they should make that the customer's problem. iLok and other phone home requirements have literally prevented me from work, more than once, and the installation/registration/troubleshooting processes become beyond tedious. Great products and policies, thank you. True Iron is on everything here, and I just got KClip
@@tylerboley1786 Agree 100%, and thank you for your support! I'd never want to introduce anything into our products that makes them unusable for mission critical work, and I've seen (and experienced personally, as a musician and producer) FAR too many instances where dongles have failed at the absolute worst times.
Same here. I refuse to buy anything that requires iLok. I loath iLok. I much prefer the drag and drop, put in my password, restart the computer and it’s done method. Takes less than 2 minutes. The last thing I purchased that required iLok took several hours and some help from a friend. Nope! Never again!
Anyway, thanks, kazrog, for being an awesome company that seems to be doing everything right. 🙂
it’s amazing how subtle good eqs are once there is proper gain compensation happening.
You are an honest CZcams sound analyst. When you don't know, you simply say it. Keep the good job going on!
The big advantage for an analog eq plugin for me is that I can outsource my decision-making about which frequencies to select to someone else. Pro-Q is great for someone who REALLY knows EXACTLY what they want to do as soon as they hear it, but for me it's option paralysis. A nice little fixed-freq, fixed-q setup that I can just wiggle a little bit to get more sheen or less mud is just what the doctor ordered.
That's my approach as well. Pro-Q3 is great for fixing problems, but it's too overwhelming for a go-to EQ.
Great that you mentioned that! And yes, so for the last few months I've been fiddling around with all sorts of (to me) new plugins. Some I instantly didn't like and some got all sorts of sounds thrown at them. I didn't create anything substantial, just small bits and 2 bar pieces until I got fed up with fiddling around. And now, when I have a certain sound in mind I know exactly where to grab and that's all I need and with WAY less plugins that I used to have. Take your time, figure it out and knowing what you have on the shelf has proven to be far more productive than 'the next' plugin.
I like proportional Q Eq designs just for this reason. The curves are gentle and are great for mixing. Two knobs per band and the song is mixed in no time.
Exactly!! Start with the sound source first.
Kazrog is an absolute S tier company for me. They don't have many plugins yet, but every single one of them are outstanding, even their amp sim is the best modelling that amp, out of the 100 others. I tried almost them all.
So that's why they don't crank out plugins like a machine: they take their sweet time, quality over quantity, with every single release. And it shows, it's also absolutely rare these days and we have to support that.
Thanks! While we do favor quality over quantity, we do have some more plugins coming out sooner than later, and are picking up the pace a bit without sacrificing quality.
Absolutely agree
I agree! And customer service is as good as their products. Love Kazrog!
@@KazrogPlugins Create an update with a gain pot please !
When I read the description of the plugin I immediately thought they watched all the Harrison controversy and tried to deliver exactly what Harrison are missing.
My name is Harrison and that lil cutaway scared the crap out of me 😂
The big trouble Harrison is getting into is that their plugin and DAW is not modeling the transformer saturation that their marketing claims are saying. The 32C plugin has zero saturation anywhere. The EQ curves claim to model the hardware but the bell curves cramp. I think the key to modeling analog properly is 1. Saturation 2. Tolerance modeling 3. No cramping bell curves 4. Oversampling 5. Anti aliasing. 6. Gain staging. Not in that order. I like Hornet analog stage for this reason, and also Brainworx products as well. Not so much their AMEK channel because of a cramping high mid bell, but the SSL emulations are spot on and don't cramp. Then there is something about FIR mode EQ which I don't know much about, which might help get better Analog emulations.
Loved your take on this. Are you familiar with the Lindell Neve emulations?
Thanks. Bought. I can assure you that even from your a/b with Pro Q on whatver weirdness CZcams codecs do,, the legendary analogue sweetness is there (on my mastering monitors in the studio )The softening it has on the inherent harshness of the strings when boosted is a clear indicator. It's right there. After 30 years commercial mixing & mastering one's ear attunes - far better than any fft etc measurements are capable of . I've tried that too over the years as adjunct lecturer supervising theses etc. BUT it does take a while doing this day in day out to really hear this kind of sublte differences and trust what we're listening for. One of my undergrads once tried a simple listening test on good 320mp3s vs 24bit wavs. Only myself and the other mastering engineer attached to the uni ( DMU) could reliably tell the difference. But we needed GOOD cans or our mastering monitors to be sure every time. Sometimes it seems so subtle you have to close your eyes and click till you've forgotten which is which, then select with just ears to prove you can get it everytime. Try the listeing test in Apple's roundtrip. BTW I've no assoc with Kazrog but Ture iron and Trye Dynamics are SUPERB. Use them all the time in mixing, occasiobnally True iron on a master. Thanks for the informative and honest review 🙂
That’s how I make sure my processing is better. I close my eyes and click the bypass button a bunch of times, then press play and start turning it on and off again. Eyes stay closed the whole time. It’s amazing how often I actually prefer the plug-in turned off. 😂
Sounds a little more natural and round on the Kazrog and it would be better with a THD knob to control those. This plugins seems to be useful for a fast workflow when you need to change the tone slightly in the bus chain.
The piano piece is absolutely beautiful!
the orchand - jakob ahlbom
It sounded quite nice to me, but I haven't heared a significant difference in the comparison with Pro-Q3.
For my part, I realized that when it comes to software EQs there's only a very limited need.
A serial one (Pro-Q3), a parallel one (Nova), a Pultec emulation and perhaps one or two plugins that have a unique, useful feature or which are "fun" to use (special tone shaping and/or coloration) is all that seems necessary to be flexible enough.
'I don't know' is sometimes the best answer.
Doubt is a form of intelligence
My favorite part. "Are you taking notes, Harrison?" 😂😂😂😂 I love it!
Exactly, THIS!!! 👆
I love that you state your opinions on things so fearlessly. So many youtubers and influencers now a days are afraid to have any opinion at all because they don’t want to hurt anybody feelings or step on anybody’s toes, but then that actually hurts whatever community it is that’s trying to have high quality whatever’s. I don’t trust people that don’t have opinions on things. Keep being badass.
That piano piece was so beautiful!
Stellar composition... It is cinematic
the orchand - jakob ahlbom
In the highs, I hear musical 'harmonics'; and it is in the mojo (subjective) realm; that is, it affects the music in a way that 'I' prefer. Other folk may not be so impressed ... but I LOVE it!!
Right
Thank you! I’ve always liked the ease-of-use that graphic EQs offer. Interested in trying this out as with other things you give a 👍🏻. Thanks again!
Super Great Video as usual, one of the best thing, learning in a good mood!
This sounds absolutely great!
This last theme takes us to the beginning of time. Beautiful sound! Congratulations!
Thanks for a review! True Dynamics and True Iron from Kazrog are amazing plugins
To me this sounds yummi yummi. I hear the motown spirit there.
So what they do is just old proven formulas (Nyquist and Fourier already did most of the work ) + whatever sauce on top. OTOH the analog sound thingy are mainly the inductors in the circuit..... they act like "springs" giving the current some "inertia", thus reacting in a program-dependant way.
I put sauce over hamburgers, but not over good fresh fish.
I like Kazrog plugins (True Iron). I'm intrigued by this but frankly I rarely use graphic EQs.
Love the subtle dig at Harrison 😂
O🫰
you could say Kazrog included every "resistor and capacitor in the model" to stay away from any scrutiny but if you look at Kazrog's marketing it implies they modeled the circuit as close as they could which would be measuring all the components and tailoring the response of the sliders to match. Did they match the exact amount of distortion in the circuit or do they have some leeway to add way more just for the fun of it? It either has to be exact or they are allowed to "push the limits" a bit. I don't think anyone would fault them for "pushing the limits" as that is their prerogative to do so. If you can't have a little fun then what the fun is that :) My "go to" plugins for saturation are the Arturia Pre collection that models the Neve, Trident and V76 consoles. Use different tools for different jobs. If you like the "clean EQ" of the Harrison then use it but if you want to destroy, or gently caress, the signal with distortion then pick the right tool for the job.
-Nathan
Switching a multimembrane microphone to omni will not help with the proximity effect. It’s still 2 cardioid capsules (pressuregradient mics) just summed together.
I finally know why i often don't hear subtle differences, I just have my volume too low to hear it...
Anything Kazrog does is brilliant.
This sounds super smooth, like it!
To me this sounds very good. I didn't think I would buy it, but I love the True Iron and the Valve EQ from Kazrog. I may try this one
I like what I hear and the density that this EQ provides
FWIW, in British English we don't pronounce the R in "iron" (the metallic element). It sounds like "EYE-un". To confuse matters we do pronounce the R in "irony" ("EYE-run-ee") and "ironic" ("eye-RON-ic"). In some ways, English is weirder than Dutch.
It sounds like there's some magic happening in the top end, a sort of sweetness and depth...as you said, it's subtle but it's something you can feel.
it sounded very pleasant to my ears :)
Well, apart from the curves and the harmonics, there's also the dynamic response of the eq which is not simulated. Some developers use dynamic sampling/convolution, which is supposed to do exactly this (with varying degrees of success).
"Are you making notes, Harrison?" roflmao
Yes there is 'something' we're missing. Analog eqs back in the day were designed, and engineers did everything they could to make them as linear as the technology allowed them to be. So we're dealing with false memories here I think.
That is funny for you to say that because if you ask the average bedroom producer you would gather that all analog gear had tons and tons of distortion and that is where the "magic" is. You are right though, most companies back in the day strived for the highest headroom and lowest distortion possible, even going as far as putting feedback loops in their circuit to make it as linear as possible. The problem with that today is digital EQ is linear as well so you have to draw a line in the sand to determine how clean is too clean and is it ok to have an "analog EQ" plugin that doesn't add color or distortion to the signal even if the original it was based on had almost non existent (0.005% THD for example) amounts to begin with. Its an interesting question to ponder but when I am working on a song I don't worry about such things as I turn the knobs to find the balance that I want. That is what mixing is all about.
Fantastic 70’ funk as first example. What’s the song? Excited to try out the demo today!
Big Kazrog fan here.....True Iron and KClip are on almost every mix. That being said, I can't remember the last time I used a graphic eq on anything??, except in live sound situations. Not sure I actually need this, and I don't have any other graphic EQs to A/B it with?. I'd be willing to try
Thank you. What I would love to see from plugin makers is if they implement an switchable alternative shrunken parametric (modern) interface. All those big buttons etc. just fill my screen, don't really bring any haptics and only impress visitors in the studio xD
Depending on the DAW you're using your Plug-ins in, you can usually find a Feature to hide the Plug-ins GUI while still having Access to its Settings. I mostly use Ableton, which - for most Plug-ins - allows to map the Plug-ins features to a dedicated Page on the Plug-in Panel. BTW: By changing the Plug-ins Presets while the Configure Mode is on, you can map/configure all Parameters that have been changed by the Preset, at once. 😉
@@gthcstudios Thats right but it doesnt solve the problem without making new ones. If you have more instances open at the same time, you can only see one channel at a time in a DAW like Ableton and have only access to one of them. Overall it will cost additional time to configure for each plugin, imagine you have many, many channels with many, many plugins. A switchable GUI is a nice solution in my opinion and will add usability & workflow gain to any Plugin with fancy gfx.
@@Analoque444 If you have many Plug-ins on a Channel you could host them in Waves StudioRack and use the Macros. But the "per-channel-view" issue is something more complex. Still, I think a resizable UI is pretty essential for Plug-ins and should be a standard for Plug-in Developers.
Listening again. It is amazing.... i am all in for analog emulations. It's just that no company seems to nail it, but Kazrog does
On the PLAP tour of Cherokee Studios, Bruce Robb talked about the original unit, and mentioned that it's a passive EQ, which possibly makes a difference between this and the FabFilter, but I'm not sure.
I think this is going to replace the main Eq in my plugin chain .. it sounds amazing
Another vintage EQ plug-in that is ridiculously limited. Just what the world needs.
I actually like the limitation of these kind of plugins or hardware, especially step band and dB.
I mean, you just crank it few time and if you like it then.. good for you, if they don't work you simply replace it with something else.
Simplicity is beautiful indeed.
Kazrog is just one guy making the plugins he wants.
Buy his true dynamics if you want somethibg really special
Apparently that's the one thing they got right: the limitation!! Hahahahahaha based on people's opinions, because I'm no audiophile!!
True Dynamics is my favorite compressor ever. Did Wytse ever review it? I forgot. Also, extremely good value! This EQ is only thirty bucks!
@@MonkeyBars1 So are the hundred of others. Analogue Obsession baby. I like True Iron, it seems to emulate circuitry which creates subtle psycho-acoustics. But this EQ is pointless. Do what Wytse said. Use any EQ and put Iron after it.
As an aspiring EE who built analog EQs and tested many plugins + spice modeling i can say; don't overthink it, you can absolutely null an analog eq with digital ones, it's not rocket science, is important that they use natural phase and ther's no cramping. Then trasformers used in pro audio gear have negligible levels of saturation by design, studio monitor speakers/headphones will have way more saturation than any high grade transformer. With tubes well there are some amazing plugins that are indistinguishable from the real thing. So just use what sounds good to you :)
I'm here for ALL the Harrison slander.
I like it a lot, wow ima have to get it eventually
It's interesting. During the A/B I didn't hear so much a difference in the "sound" as much as a not-so-subtle widening and deepening of the soundfield, and an added richness. I'm wondering if Kazrog isn't doing a little additional harmonics in the side channels or something. (I use this trick myself: adding a little saturation on the side channels.)
It sounds really good. Do I need it? I don't know yet. Lol.
Awesome video, love theTrue 252 sounds so good on the demos, loved it.
I think analog equipment , going through some capacitors and transistors , adds some kind of parallel sound, and that gives us that depth and width. Something Mathew Lanes DrMs does in the box. Even True iron if you crank it and mix in a bit. And acustica too but thats is sampling.
Yes there are aspects of analogue gear yet to be modeled. The most overlooked is, thermal variation.
The problem with analog EQs, from my experience, is the way each band effects each other band when you boost or cut certain signals. I remember my old Alesis MEQ230, when you cut a lot of bass from the signal, there was a certain amount of gain you would get. I have no idea if that has anything to do with signal resistance, or some kind of internal balance circuit, but it was apparent. Maybe it was just my unit; they were kind of cheap.
The True 252 is an excellent eq. The way to test it is to use Plugin Doctor along with one of your favorite eqs and settings. You can then match the curve, compare and use your ears to make finer adjustments. I didn't get anywhere with the True 252 until I did this and now love it.
Sounds really good! Would it be better to take the same modeling algorithms and allow us to use this eq at frequency bands that the og hardware didn't have?
Fun fact about simulating analog EQs. Some of them have frequency offset. You dial 200hz, but in reality get 210 or 190. And developers bring this "like the original thing" nonsense in the plugin. You compare it to ProQ and like, "Wow, it sound bit brighter..." or "It has more weight and body!, It definitely has character!". No, you just dialing wrong frequencies, bcause they dont match values written on knobs. You can see this in Waves EV2 "brown" and "black" knobs via Plugin doctor.
The second tune was really really nice!
Via testing, this plugin uses a very steep slope EQ curve algorithm where you would hear the differences subtly. Unlike most VST EQ plugins.
Ohohoh, I just start watching and I'm at 01:51 just after "are you taking notes ......?" sounds like a new echo (plug-in) to a "not cool" Quick video I saw yesterday hihihi Thank You ;-) Love it
Running it through Plugindoctor shows me that this EQ is generating harmonics, it is also interesting to see what it does to the EQ curve. It tested the demo and I have to say that I'm not going to pick it up. I use the UAD API Channelstrip, which as a great graphical EQ integrated, so no big use for me. If you would like to work with a pretty musical graphical EQ with subtle harmonic "mojo" then this is probalby worh it for 40$.
I like the red sliders :) If it looks good then it is good.
credit please the pianist...
I need too
There’s definitely a difference between EQs and it’s very hard to understand what that difference is. Measurements can be almost exactly the same and have very quiet nulls, yet when comparing them I’ll often hear a difference in stereo image and transients.
If it nulls you're not hearing a difference though.
Quiet nulls != nulling to infinity
I couldn't hear a significant difference between the two, but to be honest also because the A/B is done on two different zones of the tune, one with strings and piano and the other only with piano (the other way around). It would be nicer for to loop a little part, for A/B purposes, but I know the video would become a bit boring :)
No one else would notice if the screen were off.
Kazrog brings the sauce again. EQ plug-ins are abundant, but some of them really do the trick.
I’ve been wondering, does anyone use the same static band graphic eq on all the tracks of their mix? Is there any advantage or disadvantage to only EQing the same bands across your whole mix, rather than mixing it up across your tracks?
The Langevins (258-A's I think) at Bradley's "they had Langevins, and all the Langevins were locked in at 3k 8dB boost position and left there!"
Yeah, sounds like some really sweet high-frequency saturation. Maybe they included true iron xformer modeling? Why not: it's sitting there on their shelf, waiting to be used in new plugins.... Thanks.
i doubt it - they claim to have modeled a very specific unit's saturation along with everything else about it
sweet reflections on the knobs.....
My Dad left 5 of these (well, the Altec version, 9062a) in his studio at our house after he sold most everything else. When he died I gave them away, along with a Urei LA-3A. So ignorant I was.
wow immediately when you pulled up that 12k WOW - THAT HIGH END. GOOD JOB KAZROG GOODBYE MAAG EQ
the high on the piano track is much much nicer than the pro q
there was definitely no cramping when you ran the plugin oversampled. that is literally the point of oversampling an EQ. 32x goes way higher than needed though. this implies that the plugin adds harmonics to the signal. but just as you said, better be sceptical about it with all the tricks that are pulled lately. you should get plugin doctor for harmonic analysis, or at least bertom eq curve analyzer for inspecting frequency and phase response
YES! THEY ALWAYS ADD HARMONICS! THAT'S WHAT THEY DO! The harmonics are the " ... doing something ... " thing that people can't describe effectively.
An original pultec is EXTREMELY clean. Almost no harmonics. Does it sounds like a Pro-Q3 to you ?
@@FredDeMassiveAlambic Oh I wouldn't know. I just use stock EQs when something needs eq-ed. But I do have a feeling that this "color" that plug-in makers talk about is just the enhancement of harmonics. 30 years ago they always talked about "transparency" in hardware components like eqs.
I think the resolution of the analyzer plugins is not showing near the detail to actually see what is happening. the amount of detail between octaves has to be vastly deeper then pixels in the line on the analysr.
I've wondered about group delay and decay time in analog EQs. It takes a non-zero amount of time for power supply capacitors to charge and discharge, so some delay and decay time would be expected. Are time delays like that part of the "analog" sound signature, or are they in the femto-second range and truly inconsequential?
This is one of the things on my list as well 🙃
I’d say that this is the main function of capacitors. Smoothing out power supply hum is one application. Smoothing is more technically speaking integrating. This is what gives them their frequency dependent behavior. Or in other words they depend on what happened „earlier“ in the signal leading to how much they are loaded and so they operate on the „change“ of the signal rather then only on the current voltage. In digital domain this is done by referring to older values too, leading to the all known latency.
This doesn’t mean that there aren’t other things going on, as you said, that change the signal in a way that might be perceived as pleasing.
Piano piece is Jakob Ahlbom - The Orchard
Try the Lindell TE-100. Based on German Klein und Hummel tube eq. It has everything i need for altering the overall sound with "das gewisse etwas". No other eq sounds like it at all
I think that if you would've used "Sandstorm," the differences might have been more obvious.
where do you find this music to test plugins on? or is it your own clients work?
What is the name of the piano song? Amazing video btw!
I'm really having same doubts on ITB EQs. I'm considering they're all different because of phase, Q, band interaction, harmonics, cramping, oversampling..etc but at the end are all the same curve tweaked in a different way. A curve that sounds the same.
As if that was something that was missing from outboard gear, something that had nothing to deal with the eq parameters stated above but something that comes from the device itself, the way it manipulates the sound, its own technology.
As if digital was a technology with its own sound, FET was another, tube another. Of course digital would be highly tweakable and able to feel like some analog units, but still missing something not unachievable due to its technology.
I may be totally wrong, but I'd like a lot to understand more on the subject.
What sounds good to you, sounds good, period. Cramping, no cramping, added harmonics ot not, as long as the band, you and most importantly the audience reacts positively to the song , and your work helped the band to grow their career, enlarge their audience or reach a goal, all of these analytic non sense doesn't matter.
Recently started working on a SSL origin consol after years mixing ITB with the Waves SSL strip, yes analog eq is and will always be different than plug-ins. Something hard to described but to me, sounds more forgiving and musical, you can boost and bend the sound more than with a plug in and it will never be as brittle or boomy. I don't think there's a tab in plugin doctor to analyze that :)
Did the console made me do better mixes, I don't think so. I definitely have more fun twisting real buttons!
Do you think the subtle things you're hearing may be from the transformer inside this plug-in, which Kazrog may have modelled after the transformer in the original analogue EQ unit?
After all, Kazrog nailed it with True Iron.
Your videos sold me on True Iron; it's simple and brilliant!!…I don't think I can go wrong with this EQ, either. $40 USD is an incredibly fair price.
Guess I’ll try the Iron first.
Im very confused about eq plugins. There are just so many. If i should choose an analog modelled one for color, over a digital one, then which one and why?
I use digital ones to cut, if I'm going to boost I'll usually go for a more colorful eq, like an analog modeled one. i like the Maag eq4 for simple stuff and the airband is amazing, and several of the T-Racks eqs for other things like M/S. Generally I think it's better to use subtractive eq, which again, I would recommend a digital eq to be able to sweep for resonances you may want to cut.
Any one you like the sound of. Because of the specific curve and/or saturation
It's about saturation, usually. Not so much about EQing itself.
That piano sound 🥲
It softens the transients in the high registers
What are these accustic panels/diffusers? I'm looking to upgrade my studio and they look like good pieces.
Bass traps…
@@Whiteseastudio Cool, was more looking for a ''what is the brand of these...'' type of answer.
where did you buy that T-shirt? its awesome!!
There might be something as I hear it too. The ProQ is close but there is something in the Karzaq that is different.
what is the reason to use this type of eq compared to a "regular" eq with adjustable bands?
That's a great question! I'll paste in a quote from the True 252 user manual, which goes into some detail about how this type of tool is still useful today:
Key to the timelessness of this inductor-based EQ is its forward looking design. Rather than use fixed Q peaking filters (as with most modern graphic EQ designs), the 7-band 252A has variable Q interaction relative to the gain of each slider - with each control taper fine-tuned in a specific way for each frequency. The frequencies, tapers, and interactions chosen here are incredibly smooth, musical, and immediate - allowing the engineer to achieve desired results quickly with minimal fuss or options anxiety.
While far more powerful and surgical workhorse EQs exist today in the digital domain - many boasting near infinite bands, incredibly fluid spectral visualisers, and even AI enhanced features, there is something to be said for the simplicity and immediacy of the 252, and the benefit it can add to a mix or bus even with conservative settings. It is an equally valid tool in the toolbox of the mix engineer.
I think a lot of time time with analog EQs its the ever so small difference between L and R channels. Acustica EQs are a good example of EQs that sound “analog” to my ears, whatever that means
Eqs are tricky. I think there is absolutely a time domain aspect to consider. Look at the use of gyrators to simulate inductors. There are many aspects of circuit behavior that seem to go undiscussed. Sure static frequency response and harmonics are big contributors, but only a handful of of plugins mention phase which is a huge thing. And I've never seen any that talk about resonances. The ringing of an inductor especially. You can fake a resonance with a narrow Q boost but is that really the same as modeling the behavior that causes it? No, that won't behave right in the edge case that engineers are looking for. So much of engineering is using this at the edge of their ability. Whether it is classical engineers pushing the limits of dynamics and linearity, or the rock engineer getting the transformer to saturate right up to the edge of folding but never folding.
On the topic of "how much is enough to be hard" a good reference I like to use comes from a well respected equipment designer. In the context of null tests and these sorts of questions he likes to always point out that Neve and API are well recognized for their signature sound, but Neve and API both advertise there preamps as having 0.1% or less. So the difference between two of the most iconic sounds in engineering is in that sub 0.1%. For reference 0.1% is about -60db 0.002% is -74db. When you think about that things get interesting.
This is one the Rolling Stones have to hear!
If possible I run a track needing eq in the highs from my Reaper DAW thru a channel in my small Mackie mixer, using its analog eq's. Always get a "sweeter" result that way. Subtle but it's there.
Ive seen a guy doing that with his Soundcraft mixer. It lengthens the mixing process but if you got the time then I say go for it. I have some mic pres with a line in option that has a nice 3 band EQ with HPF. I may experiment with this if anything for the mastering stage. Its fun to turn real knobs when you can.
Do you say that there might be some non measurable voodoo in analog gear?
Great video! I have never worked on an analog simulation of any EQ that didn't take a lot of tweaking to get something workable and still something is missing. Notching out is great but adding just seems to create some kind of phase issue which is hard to define.
Lol
It's just a 7 fixed band eq? The only thing unknown is the Q. I have a stock EQ for this. Not trying to be negative, just pragmatic. Sorry.
There is more abviously the only plugins that sound analog to me are from Analog Obsession , that dosnt have to do with making a song sound great with less analog plugins ore digital ore what ever , this sound a lot better that Fabfilter Q3 in comparison Q3 sounds kind of hollow