Series: Using Outboard Hardware - DAW Hardware Insert Explained Thoroughly - Part I of III
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- Опубліковано 25 сер 2024
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Just recently bought an ART Voice Channel used in mint condition on Reverb (great price at that), I run it through my Motu M2. Best gift I've bought for myself in a while. I love having a little processing on my vocals before going into my DAW. Love your channel and look forward to every new video, keep up the great work sir!
Thanks for starting at the beginning. I recently had to learn how to rout my new interface to external gear without going into the dreaded feedback loop. Videos from certain companies seem to want to skip the connection basics to get right to the “cool guy doing cool stuff“ stage. I appreciate your willingness to address the fundamentals.
I do some recording work but primarily work in mixing. After a year or so working on optimizing my monitoring and workflow while working with some inherited units, I just made my first major upgrade with outboard. I had a UA 710, TS P-Solo, Art Pro VLA, and a 4 slot lunchbox with a Radial EXTC and 1081 DIY module that was probably too much for the rack to power (it didn’t work). I definitely relied on your channel for information over the last few months as I was planning my upgrade. The left channel on the VLA was toast when I got it and I was craving analog bus compression, and the fixed auto vs. fast switches on the original VLA was so boring to me, so that unit went back to its owner.
I threw down on the Drawmer 1978 and 1974, Elysia Xpressor 500, and Golden Age Comp-2A. Mixbus, drum bus, and a rotating Opto option to sweeten up bass or vocals if needed, all covered. One mix in and my mind is kinda blown. Thanks for all the advice though seriously, I may not have the most high end components available but I chose them based on flexibility and being at a high enough price point that the components are relatively solid. You might argue the Comp-2A is a rack filler, and to some extent you would be right, but I’ve always loved the LA2A opto vibe and there aren’t that many great half rack options that I’ve seen lol.
I swear your episodes are exactly what I’m thinking about always.
your job is just awesome! thanks 🙏
All I know is analog through working almost exclusively on an Audient Heritage in-line console, and I always found hardware inserts very confusing compared to the simple in and out nature of the console. Nobody ever told me that after a little programming in the hardware inserts section in Pro Tools that it was almost the EXACT SAME PROCESS. This is the first video that fully described how to use them in mixing and also how to connect them. I want to get my home studio up and running in the next few years and obviously at 20 years old taking out a $50,000+ loan for my favorite Audient console plus all the converters isn't a possibility. This helped reassure me that I do know what I'm doing after all and I was just overthinking a process that I wasn't as familiar with. Thanks.
Barry, thanks for your videos. I'm just trying to run my mixes through my current audio interface into my Mackie 1402-VLZ3 mixer for some tone and that onboard EQ and back into the DAW for printing. I will need to upgrade my interface at some point, your videos are still needed. Keep 'em coming.
Try I can’t begin to tell you how much this means to me, thank you brother let me know if I can ever help you.
I always like barry, i tell people about you in real life and online, and I am trying to buy more merch. You’re a god send brother and someone I reccomend anyone trying to do things on a computer
I hope you realize how humbled that makes me, and yet how satisfied at the same time. I truly do this channel to help folks, and you know sometimes I get flac, because you know there are some keyboard warriors out there, but it’s comments like this that really bring things back to reality for me. Thanks so much for watching, no I really appreciate it and if there’s ever a topic you’d like to see me cover, just send me an email.
Thank You
Literally wearing my studio talk shirt I love you barry
Wow, I’m humbled for sure….thanks for your support!
Barry, you are the man. Thanks again!
Thanks for sharing your knowledge, it’s much appreciated
Thanks!
Wow, thank you....I'm humbled..l really appreciate it!
Excellent! One of your best vids. Thank you!
Wow, thanks, I really appreciate that!
Nice video Barry
I’d like to see a video on the Patch LT and routing setups. Primarily utilizing all analog hardware.
Remember u can always have a signal patch record the same take dry so that u can go back and tweak by feeding that dry signal back through
They will see that on the video I’m releasing tomorrow!
I already know how to add hardware to my DAW, but I still like this video. This video would have made things a lot easier when I started. One tip to add to this video is to consider using a software plugin that mimics the hardware you are considering. If you are going to use an LA2A clone, also grab a software version (Waves has the CLA-2A and Logic has an LA2A built in for free). Do your settings in the software, get it dialed in just the way you want. Then make the same settings on the hardware. At that point you can gain stage the two and compare them for color, character & performance.
Very good point about the plugins. I’ll sneak that in during this series! Thanks for the support!
Thanks for explaining. Got it 🙂
great stuff as usual Barry…im grabbing one of those shirts Mann…
Thanks brother!
Ayyyyye!! Barry’s Back!!!
Hey hey👍
Hi Barry, I exactly had this question some time ago. I wanted to have a channel dedicated to a Electrical Harmonix pedal. I finally got weary because it was just too complicated with my UAx6.
From what I understand for some reason UAD interfaces seem to have an issue with hardware inserts. Not sure if it’s due to the way they process DSP, but I’ve gotten that feedback many times.
But what about the jacks which say "Insert" (when should we use those)?
Didn’t listen to end but didn’t hear PINGing for latency compensation with outboard. I remember a time of having 64 ins and 64 outs for my Pro Tools rig into SSL console. Now I’m 32 i/o between a Sigma and various outboard gear.
That’s coming, but the good news today, that’s mostly in our rear view mirror, we’ll mostly😜
If you had to choose would you get the warm audio preamp or the audio scape preamp Also the ward audio bus compressor and the audio scape plus compressor
Audio scape
This is the kind of subject that is typically better explained with a real demo than talking, in my opinion.
I mentioned in the video several times that this is an exhaustive three part series. The second video talked about all the gear to consider and some to avoid. The third video went into a deep analysis of wiring, connecting options, when to, when not to use hardware, and in the end I demonstrate it quite a bit. If a person really pays attention, there will not likely be a single question to ask, now or later, regarding using analog hardware as it goes waaaaaay beyond connecting a piece of hardware and accessing via your DAW, there is so much more to understand as well as pitfalls to avoid.
Here is a link to the 3rd and last video on the series.
ua-cam.com/video/RijGUVU-a6A/v-deo.html
❤
Hey Barry I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this before but I always watch you and other You Tube videos on my LG Smart TV. One this I noticed a while back is when I go to hit the “like/👍🏻” via the remote I see it’s already highlighted on the screen but I believe this is an error by default as it shows up this way on every YT video I watch. I hope YT sends a fix out to LG which clears this up. Tc!
Yeah, I watch motion my UA-cam on my TV too, and I always have to pull my phone out if I wanna subscribe to somebody. They really should try to improve that, but I’m not sure there’s a work around as far as I know.
Hmmm your studio looks bigger? Something missing? Love your channel thank you.
I took out the 24 channel D-Command and put all my rack gear that was in my side racks where the D-Command sat in the desk. I freaking love it. Oh, if ya need a D-Command😁
Great video, Barry!
If you can, I would like to hear your opinion on mic pres on a video. I’ve been tracking through a mid 80s yamaha console (crazy nowadays, but got it cheap and it works good), probably an outboard mic pre would be a good upgrade but I don’t really know how much of a sound difference you can hear changing just the pres. I haven’t got the chance to try out good clones or classy mic pres in my studio and compare them back to back. For you, is it more about the sound or maybe more about reliability and durability of well made gear?
That’s coming, I touch my it in the third video on the series, not out yet, and the one after that will be focused on Mic Preamps.
Why the heck would I restrict myself to a DAW that FORCES me to be bound to an Ilok account and subscription and this and that and the other thing -There are SOO many great FREE ones out there! The only I can think of is if you're used to the workflow -I get that...
Thanks for the video barry. Should I use non-balaced cables to connect a non-balanced tape echo unit via balanced patchbay to and from pro tools carbon insert?
www.datapro.net/techinfo/balanced_audio.html
@@BarryJohns Thanks Barry. It a veeeery old unit
Em....when we finished to compose how to get it out ?
You bounce it in real time and record that bounce into another stereo track in your session.
Also do I need reamp or DI boxes to feed audio through preamps, compressors etc?
Depends how what you are coming from and to, lots of variables. Odds are high if it’s recent gear, the need is less.
@@BarryJohns Thanks Barry. I think reamping gutar tracks through amps would require a reamp box of some sort.
@@andywickett yes, if you’re reamping to guitar/bass amps, yes, for sure!
But that’s not the case for line level gear.
Hey, Barry. What are your thoughts on someone using something like a pair of shelford channels, for stereo tracking analog sources, and running those tracks through a Portico ii? Just for nice home level productions. And further, your thoughts on purchasing a single shelford channel to track through (run every track through the shelford) doing double takes for stereo, and then the portico ii? Thanks so much for your input. I subbed and have “liked” tons of your vids.
Let me say the gear you’re mentioning, is really good solid gear.
That said, I rarely use EQ on the way in.
So I understand that this is a generic statement, because we all are a different stages of understanding things. You’ve probably heard me talk about the famous Al Schmitt, who would basically choose his EQ on the way in by choosing the right microphone and combine it with the right preamp in the right placement for the instrument. He would often know exactly what he was going for in the end result of the song, before he even got to that point.
In those situations, think of what he’s doing is EQ, And so if you’re absolutely sure where that instruments is going to sit in the mix, then you can roll the dice on that, keeping in mind that you mix instruments for the song and not the instrument for the instrument.
The right EQ is going to be based on what’s best for it to sit in the mix for that particular song. Therefore, it’s a gamble Eq’ing on the way in, unless, you have a tremendous amount of experience, otherwise it will likely over commit you which is hard to come back from after the fact.
Compression, well that’s a different thing, as it’s much more flexible, if done right.
I think I’d like to enter the hardware world by simply tracking through a few analog pieces. Is that a viable option as well? I just want to run my Townsend Labs Sphere L22 through a Warm Audio WA273-EQ and an Empirical Labs EL8-XS Dual Distressor into an RME Babyface Pro FS. I’m starting with the Babyface instead of the UFX+ because I’m currently in a situation where I need the portability for writing purposes but when I’m home I’ll be recording vocals through the babyface as well. Can I do this? Later when I want to run other things through outboard I’ll upgrade to the UFX+?
Yea, tracking through Analog is the best way! Mixing through analog is great, but not as practical.
Also, I'm currently waiting for my last video in the series where I go into great detail and demonstrate them being used. Its an hour long, but its very comprehensive, should be out later today.
I have yet to see an interface without L+R dedicated monitor outputs.
I’ve only seen a few. Most are just 1-8 as an example. Some lower end interfaces will mark two outputs that say for monitoring but are just two more outputs than can be used for anything. You could use the same outputs that you normally would use for your monitors as hardware inserts if using headphones.
@@BarryJohns
🤔
But Barry what about delay compensation? I thought that was part of sending a signal out of a DAW and back in?
That’s coming…..
was your desk custom made?
No, it’s an Argosy 90 series desk, that I modified.
When I print a track using analog hardware I can hear the analog noise in between the lyrics when I start placing plugins, is there anything I can do to reduce it or remove it? Please help
Gain staging is very important, actually quite critical when using analog hardware. Gain staging basically means, get in the input in the output, perfectly balanced, where one is not having to compensate for the other.
So as an example, if you set your input too low into a piece of analog gear, for you to get the levels that you need in your DAW, would mean that you would typically have to raise the output, to get the desired level.
So, because your input was set so low, when you raise the output, you’re raising what’s called the noise floor, which means you’re basically over amplifying the signal. This basically means that you did not set your input correctly And output correctly combined together. This process has to happen for each piece of hardware that are in the chain.
These are the significant differences between working an analog and digital.
@@BarryJohns good point 💯💯 but I'm still having issues with the noise floor even when I set the volume of the compressor and preamp low and the channel I still hear it when I transfer it to my vocal chain?
@@kaznielflores8473 it’s hard for me to fully give an opinion, because we may have differing opinions on what noise means. I know that sounds silly, but there can be some truth to that.
Typically every piece of analog gear is going to have some inherent noise to it. Lesser expensive gear, is more likely to have more than more higher-end gear, due to the components used in the circuitry.
If it’s tube, there’s always gonna be some type of noise associated with that, but most people over time, once they learn to appreciate it, typically people like having that in there. You often see that incorporated in many plug-ins.
Is there a way of expanding your interface to have more in's? As I've gotten gifted a couple of bits and want to have them connected more or less permanently?
@@patrick5301 for the most part that’s true, but there are several other ways but not likely applicable to his needs. I’m talking AVB/Dante/Madi, as well as SPDIF and AES, last two typically only 2 channel though.
As an example I have an RME Fireface UFX+ with a Ferrofish Pulse 16 that adds an additional 16 channels of IO and it’s connected via Madi. So I have 16 channels of ADAT still available on my RME and another 16 via ADAT on the Ferrofish.
With Madi I can keep connecting up to I think 64 additional IO without adding a second card. Dante and AVB allow for more.
This video reminds me why I don't use any outboard gear.
Certainly not for everyone….
@@BarryJohns Yeah, I don't miss patchbays and cables everywhere. Gives me a headache thinking about it. Life in the box is so much easier. You can buy something like Melda MXXX and have all of the processing you need that is infinitely patchable.
@@TonyThomas10000 I think ITB is the very best option for most people in their home studio.
@@BarryJohns I think it is the very best option for most people, period. Buying gear to solve every perceived problem leads to an insatiable and extremely expensive case of G.A.S. With plugins, the options are much less expensive, and in some cases, even free!
@@TonyThomas10000 yes and no, depends on what you are trying to do.
Every major DAW has hardware inserts. Hear that UA? LUNA is not a major DAW then. Why does a hardware company release a non-hardware compatible “DAW”? UA doesn’t know who they are anymore.
why aren't you showing this real-time other than just talking about it? when do we get to hear some of your mixes and playing?
Channel is called “studio talk” 😅
A fair question Ben, this is part of a video series taking someone who has no experience with outboard gear and walk them through all of it. I literally just finished taping the second video where I break down the various brands and share my thoughts and experiences. I end that video saying the next video will be demonstrating it all from start to finish. Make sense? FYI, my channel is and will never be like the others. Like my friend above said, it’s called Studio “Talk”😁
@@levondarratt787 bust out laughing!
Well the channel does literally have the words "studio TALK" in it sooooo
Such a looser approach
That’s all you have to contribute? Very sad!