Despite the plethora of incredible audio plugins out there, a number of pro engineers (and many aspiring ones) continue to use real gear in the mix, but why is this? We explore the reasons why some continue to fly the analogue hardware flag.
In Summary
Analogue processing is still used by some on inputs during recording, and across the main outputs on entire mixes. The reason for this is as much about workflow as it is the sound.
Going Deeper
It’s easy to forget that not so long ago, the concept of having almost unlimited options in the studio would have sounded laughable. Yet for most of this century engineers have enjoyed access to a growing number of software tools, quite apart from the the DAW itself. Prior to this, the studio landscape resembled a kind of parallel universe where endless revisions, options, and deliberation were the exception rather than the norm, where computer sequencing was strictly for MIDI, and the most used peripheral was the studio printer! Fast forward to now, and it’s safe to say that the DAW revolution affords incredible digital tools that have improved the quality of recorded music.
It should be mentioned that as a result of this revolution, most engineers rely mainly (if not exclusively) on audio plugins rather than on analogue hardware. Despite all the slick marketing images and videos featuring people sitting in front of large mixing consoles, very few records get mixed through these.
That said, the use of smaller, real analogue outboard pieces of gear for recording and mixing does continue. The interest in these pieces has manifested itself in a healthy sector of the market, where the gold rush for the elusive analogue sound is happily catered for by manufacturers large and small. Here we bring together five reasons why for many, the call of analogue extends far beyond the promise of instant mix mojo…
1 - Getting The Sound?
Most reading this will be familiar with a roll call of hallowed compressors, EQs, and other classic boxes that have been painstakingly recreated in software. The simple truth is that the engineer with the Real Thing in the rack might not have its plugin equivalent to compare it to, and why would they? In this case, the hardware wins by default. In exactly the same way, the plugin user frequently has no experience of their software’s muse, and will use what’s in their folder simply because it’s there.
The piece of old photography wisdom goes that the “best camera is the one in your hand”. Audio gear is no different in this respect, any while many who have analogue hardware at their disposal will laud its sonic and practical advantages, the best tube-opto compressor (for example) is indeed the one that’s available.
2 - Keeping Familiar Company
Manuals. Held up by some as the way to enlightenment by some, and loathed by others, the Book That Knows It All is unavoidable when trying to figure out some audio plugins. When the engineer knows what needs to be achieved, sometimes a familiar tool in the rack is guaranteed to deliver it. Certainly a complicated plugin might lose out when up against the analogue hardware piece whose controls never change, with results that are easy to predict even before they’re dialled in.
In addition to this, when things need to happen fast, and happen well, clients love those who can be seen to be rolling up their sleeves and doing. This is more appealing to them than watching an engineer squint at something that to the artist may as well be an Excel spreadsheet. Clients like to see stuff that they don’t have at home; the engineer’s familiar friend is the client’s piece of exotica that they cannot download a demo of.
3 - Recording Well
No device (be it audio plugin or hardware box) can choose a mic and put it in the right place. Those who have learned the hard way will always cite that spending more time in record and less in the mix is always a good idea. In concert with good recording technique, recording with processing is the primary way to shorten the mix. After all, if sweetening is going to happen anyway, why not get a great sound and commit? This can be in the form of analogue compressors and/or EQ applied after the mic pre, or dedicated analogue hardware channels containing flavours of their own.
Analogue hardware processing is also a great way to get great sounds straight into the artist’s headphones, instantly. Yes, there are hardware accelerated solutions that guarantee lightning fast signals into people’s ears, but for some, the combo of true zero latency and immediacy of the gear’s front panel make the real box very hard to beat.
4 - Keeping Focus
The amount of physical equipment in any studio is (usually) bound by considerations of money and space in the rack, leading to fewer pieces to choose from. The economies of gear ownership lead to a studio that has a smaller, focussed inventory of tools that earn their keep. It could be argued that having this smaller pool of tools can lead to better decisions with their use, opposed to the audio plugin collector with too many decisions to make.
Analogue gear itself can only have a finite number of controls due to panel and unit space, further focussing the attention of both the designer and the engineer. Contrasted with the enormous functionality and number of audio plugins available, a smaller sound palette starts to look attractive.
5 - Thinking About The Future
As already mentioned, recording with processing makes the upcoming mix smoother and quicker. Anyone who has put up the faders to be met with sounds that are already ‘there’ might agree that hitting the ground running for the mix cannot be undervalued. For any old-school attended mixes, the first playback needs to instil confidence in the client. It can take a lot of surgery to claw that back when those first sounds fall flat.
Thinking even further ahead, one major advantage of analogue hardware is its longevity. While nothing is entirely future-proof, hardware analogue gear is insulated from much of the turbulence that can be experienced by audio plugin users. This was illustrated in 2023 following one developer’s shifts in policy that may have had owners of the Real Thing counting their blessings…
Final Thoughts
The consensus among many pros is that any hardware tends to sit at the front of the recording on inputs, and at the back of the DAW across submixes or the entire mix. With a finite number of boxes to hand, very few have their favourite analogue hardware signal chains across every track for the mix.
When the time comes, the DAW in use will have its own way of integrating the Real Thing, such as Pro Tools’ Hardware Inserts, and Studio One’s Pipeline being two ways to ensure sample-accurate time-alignment with the outside world.
Parking the question of which, if any, sounds best, most would agree that be it analogue or digital, any skilfully used device is likely to work in the right hands. However, for those who do choose analogue gear, the options have never been broader, with the palette of both 19 inch and 500 series units growing by the year. While there is the usual line-up of comps and EQs, some even bottle the sound of listen mic circuits or pure analogue grit alone.
Of course a number of old hands (and quite a few new ones) might ask what all the fuss is about, and continue to use a smaller pool of trusted, high quality analogue hardware tools they have always used. With an inventory of gear that has stood the test of time without an iLok or subscription in sight, for them it’s more a question of why not use analogue.
The sound may be revered, but the advantages run deeper.
A Word About This Article
As the Experts team considered how we could better help the community we thought that some of you are time poor and don’t have the time to read a long article or a watch a long video. In 2023 we are going to be trying out articles that have the fast takeaway right at the start and then an opportunity to go deeper if you wish. Let us know if you like this idea in the comments.
Channel 1 photo by Yassine Khalfalli on Unsplash
Blurry rack photo by Maksym Kaharlytskyi on Unsplash
Lamp and desk photo by John Hult on Unsplash
Patchbay photo by Yassine Khalfalli on Unsplash