recording EQ, compressors, etc plugins

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ufug
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Re: recording EQ, compressors, etc plugins

Post by ufug »

Openmastering wrote:
The other point is about optimizing your time. If you record 10 tracks, and you need to choose between xxx plugins for every track, you lose time. If you commit to a sound, your hardware ''limitations'' will become your choice. That's a really important point.

My 2 cents: if you want to do "as they say on YouTube", please don't. Or use good hardware.
If it's an artistic decision about commiting to a special sound, then do it.
Both of these point are RIGHT ON!
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Re: recording EQ, compressors, etc plugins

Post by tseaver »

FWIW, if the plugins you want to record through are low enough latency not to interfere with the performance, you can use an "Audio Bus" in Ardour to hold the plugins: set its input to your hardware. Then, for each track you want to record, set its input to the output of the bus, and record a test: listen, adjust plugin settings, and iterate until it sounds right.

I've done this with moderate success using the stock a-LowPassFilter, a-Amplifier, a-Compressor, and a-Equalizer plugins on a bs to create a sort of "channel strip" for tracking.
Ubuntu, Mixbus32C; acoustic blues / country / jazz
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Re: recording EQ, compressors, etc plugins

Post by funkmuscle »

tseaver wrote:FWIW, if the plugins you want to record through are low enough latency not to interfere with the performance, you can use an "Audio Bus" in Ardour to hold the plugins: set its input to your hardware. Then, for each track you want to record, set its input to the output of the bus, and record a test: listen, adjust plugin settings, and iterate until it sounds right.

I've done this with moderate success using the stock a-LowPassFilter, a-Amplifier, a-Compressor, and a-Equalizer plugins on a bs to create a sort of "channel strip" for tracking.
They are actually interfaces out there now but they're sick ass expensive that would do exactly what I'm looking for but my work around now since I have an AMD 4100 quad core with 8 gigs of RAM which apparently is not enough to record or even run in real time on mix bus so I use ardour to record everything. so now before I export it, I clean everything up so that way it's less to do in mixbus. It's a little bit more work but in the end I free up a lot of resources so when I'm using mixbus it's a lot less on the CPU.
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Re: recording EQ, compressors, etc plugins

Post by tseaver »

I'm currently recording stuff I'd like to compress on the way in using an
FMC Really Nice Compressor unit, tacked onto the output from a
Golden Age Project Pre-73 preamp. If I needed to compress a bunch
of inputs simultaneously, I would look into something like the Focusrite
Scarlett OctoPre Dynamic, which offers a one-knob compressor for
each input channel.
Ubuntu, Mixbus32C; acoustic blues / country / jazz
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Re: recording EQ, compressors, etc plugins

Post by thumbknuckle »

funkmuscle wrote: They are actually interfaces out there now but they're sick ass expensive that would do exactly what I'm looking for but my work around now since I have an AMD 4100 quad core with 8 gigs of RAM which apparently is not enough to record or even run in real time on mix bus so I use ardour to record everything. so now before I export it, I clean everything up so that way it's less to do in mixbus.
You don't need a 'sick ass expensive' interface to do what you are describing. The machine I am typing this on is presently playing back a Mixbus32C session with plenty of dynamics processing and EQ on both the individual channels and the busses going on. My buffer size is 32 frames at 44.1K, 2 periods per buffer for total latency under 2ms. This is on a circa 2010 Core i5 2500K machine and a circa 2002 M Audio Delta1010 interface.

I can play bass through Mixbus with channel EQ/channel dynamics/bus saturation/bus dyanamics and EQ in real time and it sounds fine.

The trick is a properly configured system with a real time kernel. I'm using the one from PlanetCCRMA but others exist.
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Re: recording EQ, compressors, etc plugins

Post by funkmuscle »

thumbknuckle wrote:
funkmuscle wrote: They are actually interfaces out there now but they're sick ass expensive that would do exactly what I'm looking for but my work around now since I have an AMD 4100 quad core with 8 gigs of RAM which apparently is not enough to record or even run in real time on mix bus so I use ardour to record everything. so now before I export it, I clean everything up so that way it's less to do in mixbus.
You don't need a 'sick ass expensive' interface to do what you are describing. The machine I am typing this on is presently playing back a Mixbus32C session with plenty of dynamics processing and EQ on both the individual channels and the busses going on. My buffer size is 32 frames at 44.1K, 2 periods per buffer for total latency under 2ms. This is on a circa 2010 Core i5 2500K machine and a circa 2002 M Audio Delta1010 interface.

I can play bass through Mixbus with channel EQ/channel dynamics/bus saturation/bus dyanamics and EQ in real time and it sounds fine.

The trick is a properly configured system with a real time kernel. I'm using the one from PlanetCCRMA but others exist.
yeah that's not the problem, I'm currently typing on my machine with Mixbus32c running in the back. I talking about how for instance some engineers will compress say a vocal audio at the mic before tracking. Also some compress say a very bass before tracking. I other words, taming the source before tracking for some audio.
What I read is that they are no real rules, just guidelines. Some like doing it one way, others differently. It seems like youtube is taboo for some but I just done learn from just one person. If someone is teaching something I like, heck yeah I'm listening but I also read stuff from say Sound on Sound and tips from producers who I like. Kind of like a buffet. I take what suits my needs.
For instances I wanted that modern metal drum sound for a song we wrote. I had no clue until I searched Youtube and found out how to achieve the sound.
I'm just going off about Youtube because in this thread, I think someone's reply to when I mentioned Youtube felt negative.. I don't think that was the intention but I had to give my reasons on how I learn.
I've got friends who learned to play guitar from youtube so yes, I listen and take advise from Youtubers as well as from you helpful folks.. ONLY WAY I LEARN. :D
Thanks again everyone and keep your thoughts coming. I am and have learned from some of your replies.
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