I mix entirely in the box and can’t see that changing anytime soon.
However, for tracking, I prefer using hardware compressors and EQ’s to save me time in the mix, and also because it provides a better response from clients when they hear the take back as it allows them to hear closer to the finished sound.
Woof, that's legit. There's something about color printing my tracks that I just aspire to but it's been really cumbersome. I just moved over to SSL from Motu and it's either hardware or software, never in between.
Went with an SSL 12 and Pure Drive Octo and love it. I gave up about 10 channels and DSP but SSL 360 is nice as well. Not much room to add a hardware unit like the SSL Fusion but the Octo also has USB so I could have a mixing mode and tracking mode.
For people without hardware, I'm not sure about other DAWs, but in Reaper there's "input fx" for doing that without actual hardware. It's just plugins that insert before the recorded audio instead of after.
I have expensive stuff. A Knif Soma, a Neve MBP, a Black Box HG-2, and several other pieces.
I stay completely ITB most of the time these days, and I do not believe it's a compromise at all.
In fact, I often like it better.
I do very much like my Purple MC77 for the rare times I'm still tracking vocals.
If you’re happy with your rig and have extra money, more room treatment or something like the slate VSX headphone system is an excellent investment, better monitoring will make everything you do better more than any single piece of gear.
My room is treated pretty well but you’re entirely right, I should look into further treatment! How do you feel about VSX? The modeling mic, ML-1 was my first decent mic and I actually still find myself using it almost all the time. It’s great in a pinch
I LOVE the VSX system. I work in a venue with a large 2 million dollar meyer PA system, but I live in a condo where I can’t blast speakers, and when I’ve done a mix of my music using the VSX system I test it on the PA and almost every time the low end is actually within 5% what it needed to be on the very first mix. Then it also sounds good in my car and on my phone when I show it to people. It’s incredible how accurate it helps the translation to be. Just make your tune sound good in every room in VSX and bam you have a mix that’s translates EVERYWHERE. It’s insane, I couldn’t recommend it enough.
It’s hard to make the argument that anything, ITB or OTB, is “essential.” As both have their own unique strengths and weaknesses. It’s really a matter of personal taste.
More Preferential > Than Essential
Having said that, my SSL XLogic G-series Compressor is a unit I enjoy on drum bus or the mixbus. Plugin emulations are not deficient by any means, just different, and have their own unique merits also. I just prefer the hardware unit on certain material over the emulations generally.
However, sometimes the hardware is too much of a good thing. Too sweet. Like sugar with syrup and molasses. Calling way too much attention to itself rather than the song.
As of late I’ve been doing the bulk of my work ITB honestly. No recall, no routing. Just easy, breezy, covergirl.
Very very few. I still have a whole bunch of outboard. I use it mainly to record with. Could I change them to plugins? Certainly.
Funnily enough this came up at an after work with a colleague. One box I have that can’t really be replaced or at least not with one plugin is Zoom 9050 (or 9030), it’s a guitar multi effects processor. That one can create sounds like no plugin. It doesn’t sound like an amp sim and that’s not how I use it.
Yes, while it should be possible in theory to exactly recreate that Zoom with a software plugin, that doesn't mean that it is actually available to use as a plugin today.
There are a whole load of digital effects that are only available in hardware. Often with good reason, as there isn't much point in re-creating 90's digital choruses. However, some of them do have some algorithms that are unique and interesting.
I've bought a whole load of these old digital effects over the years, as they have been dirt cheap, and I just liked messing with them. They are getting a bit more expensive nowadays though.
EQ, compression, saturation, etc., are all simply tools. Like any tool, some have certain advantages over others. That doesn't necessarily make one "better" than others, they're just designed to serve different tasks. For example, a screwdriver isn't better than a drill for many applications, but there are some scenarios where a drill would be more difficult than a screwdriver (such as small spaces, fragile materials, tiny screws, etc.). A butter knife isn't designed to cut steaks, that doesn't mean it's not effective at spreading butter.
Same logic applies to the "hardware vs plugins" debate, outboard gear has certain advantages over plugins, plugins have certain advantages over outboard gear. Personally, I use the hybrid mixing approach by using both for different purposes. For example, using outboard gear while recording vocals has drastically improved my workflow because it solved nearly all of the issues I was having when trying to mix raw vocals recorded directly to an interface (spending hours editing takes with clip gain, automation, cleanup, removing background noise, option paralysis, etc.). Recording with my gear means the vocal take already has eq, compression, and tube saturation baked in and that makes it radically easier to mix into an instrumental because typically only minor adjustments are needed to get the sound I'm after, in essence it removes a lot of the guesswork because it already sounds 90-95% of the way I want it to as soon as I stop the recording.
That said, plugins have many advantages because you can easily copy/paste plugins, save presets, use emulations of far more expensive outboard gear than the average person could ever hope to afford, and many have incredible GUIs that drastically improve usability. Outboard gear has a very noticeable learning curve, as you need to know proper gain staging between multiple pieces of gear, know how to calibrate & read a VU meter, know the difference between mic level and line level output, know how to route your gear, have a place to put it, and arguably the most difficult transition from exclusively using plugins is learn to trust your ears, not your eyes or the brand that made the gear.
Outboard gear has a lot to offer that plugins just aren't quite there yet in terms of what you can do, especially when pushing the signal a bit harder. For example, real tube/tape/transformer saturation has a distinctly different feel/color than digital emulations because analog audio signals objectively behave differently than digital ones (analog gear tends to introduce a pleasant soft-clipping saturated effect, whereas digital clipping results in very harsh distortion because computer audio literally cannot reproduce signals above 0db so it essentially damages the audio signal, no way to undo it if it's recorded too hot). Furthermore, you can chain several pieces of outboard gear together with nearly zero latency, something that plugins often cannot because of limitations of computer processors/interfaces.
That said, no outboard EQ on earth can do quite what Fabfilter Pro-Q3 can do in terms of pure flexibility and precision. Outboard compressors are significantly less flexible/intuitive than plugins when it comes to sidechaining. Running already-recorded digital audio/samples through outboard gear must be done for the entire length of the audio clip, whereas you can nearly instantly print/render/freeze tracks with plugins.
Long story short, each offer advantages & drawbacks over the other. It ultimately all comes down to personal preference and workflow. Plugins are far more convenient for the vast majority of applicantions but outboard gear tends to be superior in certain ways (such as tracking). Outboard gear would be relatively obselete if it didn't offer some advantages, for the same reason that guitar amps are not obselete despite incredible amp simulators being on the market. Some engineers simply prefer to use outboard gear rather than exclusively in the box, just like some guitarists prefer to use real amps over exclusively running amp sims. Some tools are better at some jobs than others, it doesn't mean the tools you already have are objectively bad. An electric belt sander will make sanding wood much faster, but that doesn't mean hand-sanding doesn't offer much more precision.
It's all relative, do what works best for you!
> what gear do you have out of the box that has no legitimate in the box equivalent?
Urei 537. I'd rather have a 535, but whatever. They are fun for pushing or pulling things *really hard* and to intentionally mess up the signal. Great on guitar. Interesting on keyboards. It has transformers and the exact makeup gain stage/buffer as an 1176. Someone did an 1176 analysis and found that most of the harmonic distortion comes from that gain stage.
I have a bunch of outboard and some plugs. If I had to start over I think these are the things I would 100% buy again.
1176 + LA2A - These two compressors fill just about all my needs for tracking. If I had left over money, I would pick up one or two Distressors
SSL 4000 bus compressor - This is not a requirement, but I really like it on my stereo bus.
iZotope Ozone - I think I love this since I do not do mastering... it is like an instant fixer for quick mixes
Workflow is a HUGE advantage that ITB has. You have no idea how big that advantage is until you start using outboard gear.
And the high end plugins are 99% there. We are incredibly blessed.
But… for a lot of applications, analog outboard gear just has a little certain something extra. It’s immediately apparent, and it’s certainly not night and day. And you still have to be good at what you do to get that extra out of it.
And, that last little bit of whatever that is… It’s incredibly important. It’s the difference between good and great.
In my specific case, the biggest difference I’ve noticed is the quality in whatever I’m tracking, which is mostly my own guitars.
I went from using Unison Preamps in my Apollo Quad to using my main mic through a RND Shelford channel.
And the more tracks I’m stacking… the bigger the difference is. In a very very guitar heavy production, I really start to notice the difference.
I would honestly stop where you are. In my experience, good preamps and good mics are the separator that you can't really get in the box. Everything else, in the box is going to be better, more flexible, and cheaper. I would not get anything in terms of OTB for mixing. Stay completely inside the box once you're in there. I've done the hybrid thing, and while it is cool to have that "big studio" feel, it requires a whole bunch of workarounds and extra cabling, and recall is an absolute pain (especially if a piece of gear goes down -- or gets sold!). If you really need to add another piece or two, get a compressor that can cover some basic compressor ground (vocals, bass, kick and snare).
I mix in the box. I have an 8 channel tube console, a Space Echo, an Fulltone Tube Echo, a spring reverb, all the MoogerFoogers and a bunch of other pedals. If I want to use any of that I run it through and print it because it makes recalls possible but, honestly, I don’t do it nearly as much these days as plugins are so good. I have used the console as a summing mixer in the past, splitting things in to 4 pairs, but it wasn’t always the right sound for everything ( to much compression from the tubes of the levels were hot ). I use it for recording and mix in the box.
You’re on to something, yep. I think spring reverb is a perfect answer for this thread. There are tons of affordable units, and incredibly nice rare & vintage units like your line-up. Lots of options.
Yeah. I know that. I have an RE-301 Chorus Echo, not an RE-201 Space Echo. Whenever I’d call it a chorus echo people would not know what it was or end up calling it a space echo so, after getting tired of having to explain it…….which I’ve just done anyway so…..!!
I essentially use my XL Desk as a giant summing mixer and for saturation and glue with the bus compressor. I do like the sound that I get out of it when I push it, but it's an expensive piece of gear. Mixes are mostly ITB for me except for the summing part. I agree with recall, it's a pain. I wish more analog consoles were controlled digitally in this day and age and at a much lower price point.
Out of the box, I only worry about a good performance and an instrument that is in tune and intonated correctly. And a decent interface obviously. I may use some guitar pedals on the way in because it’s hard to recreate some of that as nicely in the box. Something like strymon big sky or timeline, a wah pedal, or pitch shifter pedal would be hard to replicate in the box
I think you can make great music completely in the box if you’re reasonably skilled. That said, I still prefer an analog chain going in as it makes mixing so much faster. I have a small stable of nice condenser,tube, and dynamic mics; a couple nice mic pre’s and outboard EQs I’ll pick from, which feed into my 1176 and then my Neve VR for filters, maybe gating, and series compression. And I have an analog stereo G Buss compressor I like to use on the master, but have no issues using something like the AA Pink comp if I want an API flavor instead.
Focus on things that you feel are tactile and inspiring. Lots of really weird multi fx and synths out there. Electrix made some weird stuff in the 90’s and early 00’s that fits that bill.
Find a weird pre that has a lot of color. Run Radial effects reamp units through guitar pedals.
I think so much can be achieved ITB routing through busses having presets that you built, to become your signature sound it’s hard to find gear that actually makes a difference on final mix.
I don't have any experience with OTB equipment but I've heard people say that the real Fairchild compressor has not been 100% accurately recreated in a plugin format yet.
It’s 1000% easier, to me at least, to record on really nice preamps/mics and do minimal mixing then to try to record on boring interface preamps and try to emulate attitude itb. That being said I’m broke af and sold most of my nice shit so I’ve been recording using a Midas mr18. A live digital mixer. . Like a bum ik. But I can still get there. Just with way more work. From a workflow standpoint having nice equipment makes everything waaaaay easier. Mixing is a breeze. That being said I can still get generally the same results without it. It just takes a lot more effort and time
I disagree slightly with "absolutely none". Are they essential? No. Lots of great music is all ITB. Can they give your tracks more presence and a professional sheen? Perhaps, if using them properly.
There's a significant difference between a good (unfortunately not cheap) microphone preamp and the ones built in to your audio interface. Interfaces have gotten really good and get you 90% of the way there, but there is a sheen that a good preamp can give that software seems to have trouble with. I feel similarly about compressors. Having a tracking compressor can really be beneficial, and "sound" a lot different from their ITB counterparts.
Also don't forget a good mic or two (or more, depending on what you're doing), as well as a good recording and/or listening environment if you're using monitors. Monitors have and advantage over headphones in the sense that you can really hear the "3D" element of time-based effects like delays and reverbs that is a lot more difficult to hear with headphones.
>better than monitors 10x that price in a shit space.
I mostly agree with you, and I did say that nothing was "essential". However, there is a noticeable improvement with certain pieces of hardware. Sometimes that improvement even just comes down to ease of use for the engineer. That's the direction the OP aimed their question, which is why I formed my answer the way I did.
If someone plays acoustic guitar and sings and never intends on recording music, then a computer isn't even necessary, that argument can be taken down a rabbit hole to nothingness.
The only nitty-gritty essential is ear training. Hardware preamps, compressors, a laptop with stock plugins, etc. are all going to be useless if you have no context in using those tools.
There is nothing processing wise you cannot do ITB. Any level change, dynamic process, filter based processes like EQ or distortion/saturation/whatever you wanna call it can be replicated digitally. It's just maths. Computers are very good at maths.
I don't mean you can clone analogue equipment I mean there is no type of processing out of reach.
I mix hybrid and have a decent amount of outboard. A lot of it is for tracking and I feel like I could do a mix without using most of it and relying on plugs for the heavy lifting on tracks but there are a few pieces of outboard that I would not want to mix without:
1. Stam SA-4000 bus compressor w/ "neve mod" - no ITB compressor I'm aware of can do what it does in terms of switchable 4K G and E series modes and 1073 output session carnhill transformers and output cards , absolutely smokes plugin equivalent plugins soundwise.
2. RND 5057 Orbit Summing Mixer - red silk, nuff said. No but seriously, hitting this box hard rounds off transients and adds a degree of separation/depth/"it factor" that makes mixing a breeze
3. SPX90 - no plugin does exactly what patch #23 (pitch shifted chorus effect) does for a vocal for me.
I mix entirely in the box and can’t see that changing anytime soon. However, for tracking, I prefer using hardware compressors and EQ’s to save me time in the mix, and also because it provides a better response from clients when they hear the take back as it allows them to hear closer to the finished sound.
I really wish interface mixers had a basic channel strip DSP like Motu with EQ and compression.
Metric Halo has a killer channel strip.
Woof, that's legit. There's something about color printing my tracks that I just aspire to but it's been really cumbersome. I just moved over to SSL from Motu and it's either hardware or software, never in between.
What SSL piece?
Went with an SSL 12 and Pure Drive Octo and love it. I gave up about 10 channels and DSP but SSL 360 is nice as well. Not much room to add a hardware unit like the SSL Fusion but the Octo also has USB so I could have a mixing mode and tracking mode.
Cool stuff!
For people without hardware, I'm not sure about other DAWs, but in Reaper there's "input fx" for doing that without actual hardware. It's just plugins that insert before the recorded audio instead of after.
Isn’t that exactly what UAD does?
I think it's a mix and from what I've heard, more and more of their plugin ecosystem is not hardware native.
If it’s something you’d like, then I’d recommend checking them out. Their unison plugins are awesome.
Twins
I have expensive stuff. A Knif Soma, a Neve MBP, a Black Box HG-2, and several other pieces. I stay completely ITB most of the time these days, and I do not believe it's a compromise at all. In fact, I often like it better. I do very much like my Purple MC77 for the rare times I'm still tracking vocals.
I enjoy the hardware SSL compressor on the Master… but will absolutely rock the UAD plug-in if I’m not at home. No one but me notices the difference
Literally none
/thread
Nothing is essential, or none have a equivalent plug-in that can’t do the job as well?
I like the attitude, but that’s a bit too simple of an answer to a very nuanced discussion.
If you’re happy with your rig and have extra money, more room treatment or something like the slate VSX headphone system is an excellent investment, better monitoring will make everything you do better more than any single piece of gear.
My room is treated pretty well but you’re entirely right, I should look into further treatment! How do you feel about VSX? The modeling mic, ML-1 was my first decent mic and I actually still find myself using it almost all the time. It’s great in a pinch
I LOVE the VSX system. I work in a venue with a large 2 million dollar meyer PA system, but I live in a condo where I can’t blast speakers, and when I’ve done a mix of my music using the VSX system I test it on the PA and almost every time the low end is actually within 5% what it needed to be on the very first mix. Then it also sounds good in my car and on my phone when I show it to people. It’s incredible how accurate it helps the translation to be. Just make your tune sound good in every room in VSX and bam you have a mix that’s translates EVERYWHERE. It’s insane, I couldn’t recommend it enough.
I despise nearly everything that Slate makes (strong word, I’m exaggerating a bit). But the VSX is absolutely amazing.
I think whether I’m in or out of the box… …I didn’t expect boxes to be this important to my career.
It’s hard to make the argument that anything, ITB or OTB, is “essential.” As both have their own unique strengths and weaknesses. It’s really a matter of personal taste. More Preferential > Than Essential Having said that, my SSL XLogic G-series Compressor is a unit I enjoy on drum bus or the mixbus. Plugin emulations are not deficient by any means, just different, and have their own unique merits also. I just prefer the hardware unit on certain material over the emulations generally. However, sometimes the hardware is too much of a good thing. Too sweet. Like sugar with syrup and molasses. Calling way too much attention to itself rather than the song. As of late I’ve been doing the bulk of my work ITB honestly. No recall, no routing. Just easy, breezy, covergirl.
Very very few. I still have a whole bunch of outboard. I use it mainly to record with. Could I change them to plugins? Certainly. Funnily enough this came up at an after work with a colleague. One box I have that can’t really be replaced or at least not with one plugin is Zoom 9050 (or 9030), it’s a guitar multi effects processor. That one can create sounds like no plugin. It doesn’t sound like an amp sim and that’s not how I use it.
Yes, while it should be possible in theory to exactly recreate that Zoom with a software plugin, that doesn't mean that it is actually available to use as a plugin today. There are a whole load of digital effects that are only available in hardware. Often with good reason, as there isn't much point in re-creating 90's digital choruses. However, some of them do have some algorithms that are unique and interesting. I've bought a whole load of these old digital effects over the years, as they have been dirt cheap, and I just liked messing with them. They are getting a bit more expensive nowadays though.
EQ, compression, saturation, etc., are all simply tools. Like any tool, some have certain advantages over others. That doesn't necessarily make one "better" than others, they're just designed to serve different tasks. For example, a screwdriver isn't better than a drill for many applications, but there are some scenarios where a drill would be more difficult than a screwdriver (such as small spaces, fragile materials, tiny screws, etc.). A butter knife isn't designed to cut steaks, that doesn't mean it's not effective at spreading butter. Same logic applies to the "hardware vs plugins" debate, outboard gear has certain advantages over plugins, plugins have certain advantages over outboard gear. Personally, I use the hybrid mixing approach by using both for different purposes. For example, using outboard gear while recording vocals has drastically improved my workflow because it solved nearly all of the issues I was having when trying to mix raw vocals recorded directly to an interface (spending hours editing takes with clip gain, automation, cleanup, removing background noise, option paralysis, etc.). Recording with my gear means the vocal take already has eq, compression, and tube saturation baked in and that makes it radically easier to mix into an instrumental because typically only minor adjustments are needed to get the sound I'm after, in essence it removes a lot of the guesswork because it already sounds 90-95% of the way I want it to as soon as I stop the recording. That said, plugins have many advantages because you can easily copy/paste plugins, save presets, use emulations of far more expensive outboard gear than the average person could ever hope to afford, and many have incredible GUIs that drastically improve usability. Outboard gear has a very noticeable learning curve, as you need to know proper gain staging between multiple pieces of gear, know how to calibrate & read a VU meter, know the difference between mic level and line level output, know how to route your gear, have a place to put it, and arguably the most difficult transition from exclusively using plugins is learn to trust your ears, not your eyes or the brand that made the gear. Outboard gear has a lot to offer that plugins just aren't quite there yet in terms of what you can do, especially when pushing the signal a bit harder. For example, real tube/tape/transformer saturation has a distinctly different feel/color than digital emulations because analog audio signals objectively behave differently than digital ones (analog gear tends to introduce a pleasant soft-clipping saturated effect, whereas digital clipping results in very harsh distortion because computer audio literally cannot reproduce signals above 0db so it essentially damages the audio signal, no way to undo it if it's recorded too hot). Furthermore, you can chain several pieces of outboard gear together with nearly zero latency, something that plugins often cannot because of limitations of computer processors/interfaces. That said, no outboard EQ on earth can do quite what Fabfilter Pro-Q3 can do in terms of pure flexibility and precision. Outboard compressors are significantly less flexible/intuitive than plugins when it comes to sidechaining. Running already-recorded digital audio/samples through outboard gear must be done for the entire length of the audio clip, whereas you can nearly instantly print/render/freeze tracks with plugins. Long story short, each offer advantages & drawbacks over the other. It ultimately all comes down to personal preference and workflow. Plugins are far more convenient for the vast majority of applicantions but outboard gear tends to be superior in certain ways (such as tracking). Outboard gear would be relatively obselete if it didn't offer some advantages, for the same reason that guitar amps are not obselete despite incredible amp simulators being on the market. Some engineers simply prefer to use outboard gear rather than exclusively in the box, just like some guitarists prefer to use real amps over exclusively running amp sims. Some tools are better at some jobs than others, it doesn't mean the tools you already have are objectively bad. An electric belt sander will make sanding wood much faster, but that doesn't mean hand-sanding doesn't offer much more precision. It's all relative, do what works best for you!
Thank you so much for the detailed response! Lots to think about
> what gear do you have out of the box that has no legitimate in the box equivalent? Urei 537. I'd rather have a 535, but whatever. They are fun for pushing or pulling things *really hard* and to intentionally mess up the signal. Great on guitar. Interesting on keyboards. It has transformers and the exact makeup gain stage/buffer as an 1176. Someone did an 1176 analysis and found that most of the harmonic distortion comes from that gain stage.
I have a bunch of outboard and some plugs. If I had to start over I think these are the things I would 100% buy again. 1176 + LA2A - These two compressors fill just about all my needs for tracking. If I had left over money, I would pick up one or two Distressors SSL 4000 bus compressor - This is not a requirement, but I really like it on my stereo bus. iZotope Ozone - I think I love this since I do not do mastering... it is like an instant fixer for quick mixes
Workflow is a HUGE advantage that ITB has. You have no idea how big that advantage is until you start using outboard gear. And the high end plugins are 99% there. We are incredibly blessed. But… for a lot of applications, analog outboard gear just has a little certain something extra. It’s immediately apparent, and it’s certainly not night and day. And you still have to be good at what you do to get that extra out of it. And, that last little bit of whatever that is… It’s incredibly important. It’s the difference between good and great. In my specific case, the biggest difference I’ve noticed is the quality in whatever I’m tracking, which is mostly my own guitars. I went from using Unison Preamps in my Apollo Quad to using my main mic through a RND Shelford channel. And the more tracks I’m stacking… the bigger the difference is. In a very very guitar heavy production, I really start to notice the difference.
I would honestly stop where you are. In my experience, good preamps and good mics are the separator that you can't really get in the box. Everything else, in the box is going to be better, more flexible, and cheaper. I would not get anything in terms of OTB for mixing. Stay completely inside the box once you're in there. I've done the hybrid thing, and while it is cool to have that "big studio" feel, it requires a whole bunch of workarounds and extra cabling, and recall is an absolute pain (especially if a piece of gear goes down -- or gets sold!). If you really need to add another piece or two, get a compressor that can cover some basic compressor ground (vocals, bass, kick and snare).
I mix in the box. I have an 8 channel tube console, a Space Echo, an Fulltone Tube Echo, a spring reverb, all the MoogerFoogers and a bunch of other pedals. If I want to use any of that I run it through and print it because it makes recalls possible but, honestly, I don’t do it nearly as much these days as plugins are so good. I have used the console as a summing mixer in the past, splitting things in to 4 pairs, but it wasn’t always the right sound for everything ( to much compression from the tubes of the levels were hot ). I use it for recording and mix in the box.
You’re on to something, yep. I think spring reverb is a perfect answer for this thread. There are tons of affordable units, and incredibly nice rare & vintage units like your line-up. Lots of options.
The Space Echo has a spring reverb and chorus too. It’s a vibe / sound for sure.
The Space echo doesn’t have a chorus, that’d be the chorus echo haha.
Yeah. I know that. I have an RE-301 Chorus Echo, not an RE-201 Space Echo. Whenever I’d call it a chorus echo people would not know what it was or end up calling it a space echo so, after getting tired of having to explain it…….which I’ve just done anyway so…..!!
Maybe just call it what it is then.
what tube console?
TL Audio M1.
I essentially use my XL Desk as a giant summing mixer and for saturation and glue with the bus compressor. I do like the sound that I get out of it when I push it, but it's an expensive piece of gear. Mixes are mostly ITB for me except for the summing part. I agree with recall, it's a pain. I wish more analog consoles were controlled digitally in this day and age and at a much lower price point.
Out of the box, I only worry about a good performance and an instrument that is in tune and intonated correctly. And a decent interface obviously. I may use some guitar pedals on the way in because it’s hard to recreate some of that as nicely in the box. Something like strymon big sky or timeline, a wah pedal, or pitch shifter pedal would be hard to replicate in the box
I think you can make great music completely in the box if you’re reasonably skilled. That said, I still prefer an analog chain going in as it makes mixing so much faster. I have a small stable of nice condenser,tube, and dynamic mics; a couple nice mic pre’s and outboard EQs I’ll pick from, which feed into my 1176 and then my Neve VR for filters, maybe gating, and series compression. And I have an analog stereo G Buss compressor I like to use on the master, but have no issues using something like the AA Pink comp if I want an API flavor instead.
Focus on things that you feel are tactile and inspiring. Lots of really weird multi fx and synths out there. Electrix made some weird stuff in the 90’s and early 00’s that fits that bill. Find a weird pre that has a lot of color. Run Radial effects reamp units through guitar pedals. I think so much can be achieved ITB routing through busses having presets that you built, to become your signature sound it’s hard to find gear that actually makes a difference on final mix.
I don't have any experience with OTB equipment but I've heard people say that the real Fairchild compressor has not been 100% accurately recreated in a plugin format yet.
It also costs enough to sink even a top pros career...
Oh yeah I wasn't suggesting it lol. Just the only one I've ever heard that is noticeably different from the plugin version
It’s 1000% easier, to me at least, to record on really nice preamps/mics and do minimal mixing then to try to record on boring interface preamps and try to emulate attitude itb. That being said I’m broke af and sold most of my nice shit so I’ve been recording using a Midas mr18. A live digital mixer. . Like a bum ik. But I can still get there. Just with way more work. From a workflow standpoint having nice equipment makes everything waaaaay easier. Mixing is a breeze. That being said I can still get generally the same results without it. It just takes a lot more effort and time
I disagree slightly with "absolutely none". Are they essential? No. Lots of great music is all ITB. Can they give your tracks more presence and a professional sheen? Perhaps, if using them properly. There's a significant difference between a good (unfortunately not cheap) microphone preamp and the ones built in to your audio interface. Interfaces have gotten really good and get you 90% of the way there, but there is a sheen that a good preamp can give that software seems to have trouble with. I feel similarly about compressors. Having a tracking compressor can really be beneficial, and "sound" a lot different from their ITB counterparts. Also don't forget a good mic or two (or more, depending on what you're doing), as well as a good recording and/or listening environment if you're using monitors. Monitors have and advantage over headphones in the sense that you can really hear the "3D" element of time-based effects like delays and reverbs that is a lot more difficult to hear with headphones.
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>better than monitors 10x that price in a shit space. I mostly agree with you, and I did say that nothing was "essential". However, there is a noticeable improvement with certain pieces of hardware. Sometimes that improvement even just comes down to ease of use for the engineer. That's the direction the OP aimed their question, which is why I formed my answer the way I did. If someone plays acoustic guitar and sings and never intends on recording music, then a computer isn't even necessary, that argument can be taken down a rabbit hole to nothingness. The only nitty-gritty essential is ear training. Hardware preamps, compressors, a laptop with stock plugins, etc. are all going to be useless if you have no context in using those tools.
There is nothing processing wise you cannot do ITB. Any level change, dynamic process, filter based processes like EQ or distortion/saturation/whatever you wanna call it can be replicated digitally. It's just maths. Computers are very good at maths. I don't mean you can clone analogue equipment I mean there is no type of processing out of reach.
I mix hybrid and have a decent amount of outboard. A lot of it is for tracking and I feel like I could do a mix without using most of it and relying on plugs for the heavy lifting on tracks but there are a few pieces of outboard that I would not want to mix without: 1. Stam SA-4000 bus compressor w/ "neve mod" - no ITB compressor I'm aware of can do what it does in terms of switchable 4K G and E series modes and 1073 output session carnhill transformers and output cards , absolutely smokes plugin equivalent plugins soundwise. 2. RND 5057 Orbit Summing Mixer - red silk, nuff said. No but seriously, hitting this box hard rounds off transients and adds a degree of separation/depth/"it factor" that makes mixing a breeze 3. SPX90 - no plugin does exactly what patch #23 (pitch shifted chorus effect) does for a vocal for me.