Audio Comparisons
This page has been designed as a resource
for you to hear the differences between various brands of recording
hardware and software, especially as they pertain to original
presets in Nebula.
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Neve
1073 Comparisons
There has been a lot of discussion about the sound quality of various plug-ins that attempt to emulate the Neve 1073 eq. When Velinas released his BAE 1073 series and I released my Silver '73 series, we decided that it would be interesting to provide some audio comparisons.
Included are the following:
1. Velinas' BAE presets for Nebula, based upon the Brent Averill 1073. The files titled "1K" represent clean versions of samples, meaning that no distortion is represented. The files titled "3K" include sampling of the preamp's distortion characteristics up to the first order even and odd harmonic. Special thanks to Velinas : Nebula-Programs.com .
2. My Silver73 presets for Nebula, from my "Retro Analog Studio Suite 1" library, based upon the Chameleon Labs 7602, also inspired by the 1073, with slightly improved dynamics and a few extra frequencies in the high shelf.
3. 1073Clean, my presets for Nebula, also included in the "Retro Analog Studio Suite 1" library. This is a variation based upon the excellent filters designed for the UAD-1/2 licensed Neve 1073 eq powered plug-in. This is the only program of any of my libaries based directly upon actual filters in a plug-in, but it is included as a 'freebie' because of it's usefulness. It maintains the keeping of the concept of being placed in the imaginary signal chain after channel gain, before tape out, then to group bus and master two track. The difference in this program and the other commercial programs of my library is that this one is based upon frequency and dynamic changes only, and not any harmonic variances.
4. Line6
GearBox UK Vintage, a software emulation of the 1073 with simulated
preamp distortion and multi-track tape. This is a very useful
plug-in, but certain settings are very different from a true 1073
eq, so samples are sonically as close a match as possible, but
not exact to the others. Ironically, the more extreme gain settings
appear to be the most carefully crafted here.
The original file
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Velinas' BAE 1073
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My Silver '73
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The UAD1/2 clean variation
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The Line6 UK Vintage
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These are two "before and after" files that I created that I think may be helpful for people that are curious about the characteristics of the 1176 Compressor, and what differences there are in the current sampling technology. These two files are a drum loop that I created, followed by a setting on the UAD-1/2 1176LN plug-in, followed by a preset that I created in Nebula based loosely on these characteristics, but with some useful differences as well. My compressor presets are available in my first commercial Nebula library release
"Retro Analog Studio Suite 1".
This image is the setting on the UAD-1/2 that inspired the Nebula preset that follows.
Before: UAD1/2, After: Nebula
This image is the setting on the UAD-1/2 that inspired the Nebula preset that follows.
Before: UAD1/2, After: Nebula
There are many popular settings on the
1176 that are more recognizable and extreme, but I believe these
are two very usable examples that show the "pop" mixed
with a certain softness and curve that the presets I created are
lacking, while at the same time I was able to increase the amount
of early attack in a very flattering way which the original design
isn't supposed to do. Very subtle changes to the original's release
bring the room to life in a drum recording, or can be used to
enhance the broadness of the overheads in a mix. Shortening the
release to where it goes just beyond what sounds natural in the
original file, and increasing the response time of the attack
really makes fast transients 'wack', which I think is the most
useful for individual drum compression.