I must admit that difference was subtle i have the softube version but i planned to have the hardware one for make my steem a bit smoother before mastering and give that analog breath to make my mix less harsh and cold, even if the plugins do an amazing job the saturation on the mid and bass are a bit different...
Interesting! I have the UAD plugin and I can tell it adds more mid EQ to the sound. On vocals however I actually like that warm touch of the plugin but on the final mix you can clearly hear more separation and space in the mix giving it more depth listening to the Hardware. I wonder if the same sound can be achieved through plugins, for example using a stereo widener and matching the EQ to the sound of the hardware instead of using the exact same settings. Thanks for sharing!
I was actually supposed how close they both were on the 2 bus . The vocal was close as well , however the Pultec squeezed out a little more presence that I like . The Bass for me hands down the Pultec had the richest cleanest bass overall . The thickness of the bass was nice and heavy yet smooth and not overwhelming . Good video
I think the difference between plugin and hardware was extreme for bass. The bass sounded incredible on hardware - now I am worried I am missing out since I own no hardware EQ's but that bass was sooo good.
couldn't disagree more LOL Are you on a Cell phone? On some really good monitors the highs are WAY less Harsh on the Hardware LOL I mean WAY less LOL The "Real" tubes roll off the highs on anything they touch.
@@JamesJones-th3ml nope, on some great Dynaudios. Listening back today, vox sounds better thru hardware. The hi-hats, esp are painful through the hardware. But could just be the settings he used, of course.
@@DVNT I hear what you are saying BUT Tubes roll off highs man. SO, if its harsh Thats why I asked about the system you have. I don't own one, but I am in the market. Just trying to decide either this or a Successor Stereo compressor. I need both but one thing at a time! LOL Not sure if the Successor is for me either. I play metal among other types so SSL or API might be better for me it's just the cost that's wearing me out. I spent 3 grand so far on outboard gear since last month and I need 6 more LOL I had a bad ass tone with nothing but in the box stuff other than my Tube amp! So when I tried some Lindale audio compressors it really warms up the guitars with little to no compression JUST the transformers and Tubes for the LA2a and the bass hell anything I run through it sounds AWSOME to me here. Its adding Harmonic distortion or saturation or whatever you prefer to call it.
I didn't think the difference was huge, the “B” seems to sound a little hotter and with more definition at high frequencies. I believe “A” is the Plugin and “B” is the hardware
B seemed to have a bigger bottom-end, but the phase is all over the place and the midrange is really suffering from this (pretty awful on the mixbus). Pretty sure B is the hardware, very few Pultec Clone in the hardware world are done right, and I wouldn't expect Warm to do it, I know it sounds a bit harsh ^^ (according to the experience I have with their gear).
A = UAD Plugin. B = Hardware. The hardware sound deeper but removes some top end like all Warm Audio gear does. The UAD has the spacious top end of a PulTec but sounds slightly flatter. For future videos, maybe find a way to make it more obvious when you’re changing sources. I didn’t notice the Solo A/B for a while 😂 Thanks for the vid!
You must first mach both eq curves to the same with ex. plugin doctor. The potentiometers do not correspond to the same values in the hardware as in the plugin. Then the difference is small, but it is there. I prefer hardware. Thanks
Cool video, however, it's pretty clear that the plug-in needs to be pushed more than the hardware for the same results. In other words, the hardware settings will not match the plug-in settings 1:1. You matched them 1:1 sooo this isn't really a fair test by that metric. I think it would have been a cool test if you dialed in the UA EQP plug-in to something you like and then tried to match it by ear with the hardware. The bottom end of the plug-in just needs a bit more of a push. It's especially apparent on the mix bus example. I own both the plug-in and the hardware and use both so I have no bias one way or another. Overall, a really awesome video though! I subbed!
Interesting to see (at 2:32) that although the low frequency is set at 60hz, the shelf slope actually begins at roughly 1500hz and the attenuation at roughly 750hz. I was aware of the questionable labeling on the eq but have only seen the graphic display on one or two videos prior.
If B is not the hardware then I'm in love with the uad pultec but I highly doubt it idk maybe it is haha ill stand my ground A is Plugin and B is hardware.😁
All I know is on the Bass example and the Vocal example,. both of the first start off devices to me was the same and sounded fantastic . I am assuming was the Pultec
Yes i think the Warm Audio and Klark Teknik sound similar, if i'm not mistaken, produced by the same factory. But, they sound better than the plugins and are closer to the smooth heft that a Pultec does. I have heard some comparions to the original Pultec and it's not a million miles away. Useable if you can't afford the high end units.
So between the warm audio and the actual pultec how much of a actual difference is there does the pultec have a 5 times the price difference same tubes in both units just different transformers 🤷♂️ interesting
The first vocal is louder arround 1 db ,at least you could do the comparison on same level ... also i think you should know as a sound engineer that the same settings are not doing the same thing (hardvare vs software). Example : 3 db boost on high with the hardvare is lets roughly say 5 db on the software ... on other vst clones could be the opposite .
There is 4 examples, I will call to hd "H" and to UAD pluging "P". Example 1 I think is H/P Example 2 P/H Example 3 H/P Example 4 May be again H/P Please tell me if I am correct with it. Thanks a lot! Alex from San Sebastian (Basque country - Spain)
I tried Pultec plugins of Waves, Overloud, Softube, T-Racks, Noiseash and Analog Obsession. I liked the one from Noiseash and Analog Obsession the most. Sadly never tried UAD or analog ones.
Tried almost everything too (AO, IK, UAD, Logic's, Noise Ash, Softube, Waves, Overloud). My favorite is the UAD as it's the closer to the original unit which is pretty clean. Most of pultec emulations are offering crazy saturation/vibe whereas the original unit is pretty clean, only a bit of color in the low mids. UAD gets this right and I like the transparency, the "just something over the top from a ProQ3". IK and NoiseAsh are pure vibes : tons of saturation and color ! They can be the right tool sometimes but I often find these too much. The Warm Audio is also very saturated compared to an original pulse techniques. AO sounds great, but I find something harsh in all of their plugins.. maybe that's me ! (In comparison, I find something boomy in most IK plugs too)
yeah that confirms what i thought of the warm audio. nothing to do with a pultec. way too bright and unpleasant on the HF band and muddy on the LF. although the uad one's pretty close to a real one
The biggest difference for me was on the vocal and the full mix. Less of a difference on the first two examples. Listening on hifi speakers, not in the studio at the moment. I felt B was a bit harsh compared to A in vocal and full mix examples. I have no idea which one is plugin or hardware even though I have both myself as well 😅.
I bought the UAD Pultec from the Spark collection . . . . It really feels like a Tease to get me to buy an expensive Apollo interface . . . The UAD has asked me to restart my DAW, midsession, so it can get reauthorized . . . !?@y@?! . . . And now I am getting this strange new message . . . "Connect Sample Content Drive" . . . !?@y@?! . . . So, I bought the Rule Tec Heritage Pro, and it sounds much better, and works flawlessly with any interface . . . So, it's really nice of UA to pull up their Yacht, all offer the use of their plugins to common folks, like myself . . . Yet, they need to sort out their authorization system, before I try anything else from them . . . !?@y@?! . . . ! . . . 🙂 (-;
The idea behind this comparison is that most people do not have the funds available to buy a real pultec. But they might consider getting the warm audio. What i wanted to find out is if getting the warm audio would be a step up from the plugin, which is also why i switched to the apollo converters for this video.
Hey Thomas, an idea for an upcoming video or even a quick UA-cam Short. Can you talk about your education in audio and how someone who is self taught can get hired at a studio?
Just now seeing this one. And wow. I need some hardware pulteqs asap 😂 Adds thick low end and a 3D-ness to the sound. Top end did seem to get brittle when pushed so I'd pull that back a touch
Dude, "A" clearly sounds more vibrant and has more like a crispy texture. It certainly does have the analog feel to it. As an UAD pultec owner I'd be glad to find out A is the plug in...but most likely not 😢 lol
"Yes we are still Dutch over here" 😂 That was interesting. But going off the sound i expect from the hardware, i think A = Plugin, B = Hardware. A is narrow, doesn't add the hefty pillowy low end, nor the smooth high end of the Pultec, but because of that it retains the perception of the mids, albeit a bit nasally. But what is the use when it hasn't done the Pultec thing. I think those Warm Audio units sound like the Klark Teknik clones, got to be weary of losing the perception of the mid range.
Hardware -> B as it sounds a bit brighter and more pronounced, I just prefer the sound and don't care if it's the plugin or HW, would prefer B.. compared the character seems quite similar, but eq is way off ...(en ook gelukkig nieuwjaar en beste wensen)
This conversation becomes (PRICE), and the have's and haves not's; if you're starting out, it's best to get the plugin for a fraction of the cost. Only then, when you produce a hit song being played worldwide and speaking of the world, you will be on tour in every city and country on the planet with mad loot to spend on plugins or outboard gear! Think about it; both units do a great job (The End).
FWIW I actually prefer that the answers are over on discord instead of just in the description. Keeps the comments honest and forces the listener to actually sit and *listen* instead of just seeing what's what and getting a bias.
I don't get how it is possible to have so much reviews/comparisons/tests in crazy studios with such BAD MUSIC SOURCES. It's badly played, badly recorded and uninspiring, so how can you compare things ? It's such a loss of time (for me) and of ressources (you know, servers need to keep this somewhere, and they need energy). MEH !
this comparison does not work. What you are actually testing is the mapping of the knobs to the electronics which can vary quite a bit. Can you produce the same curve on both with ease or not, that is the question, not 'are the knobs in the same place'. So I understand you are young and you like to get in to this, I suggest you read up on comparison methods in general. Also consider using tracks with a wide frequency spectrum. A Pultec goes down to 20hz. Thats what I would like to see (hear) becourse both senses are at play in a proper comparison of this equipment. I hope I am not offending but having 40 years in this so I hope you are ok with this advice.
Here are the results so you do not have to go to Discord ;)
On all comparisons A: Plugin B: Hardware
I walked so y’all could run
This is exactly what’s on the Discord:
“On all comparisons
A: Plugin
B: Hardware”
🐐
Bro, that's messed up to bait people to your discord like that. I'm turning video off now! Switch Bait
I agree
Fully agree
yep = total crap! Scammer
Yep, I'm not watching another second of this clowns content... wasted my time.
Ditto
Trash
Business must be slow…😅
You could’ve just told us which is which. And then mention you have a discord if we wanna see more stuff! 🙄
I think A is the hardware. it seems to have more distortion and is a little fatter.
When it's a bit more distorted and with more mid range it's probably the hardware, but we can be fooled ...
You are the one in that great studio so may I ask what you think at the end of all these tests, which one is better? Thanks.
I must admit that difference was subtle i have the softube version but i planned to have the hardware one for make my steem a bit smoother before mastering and give that analog breath to make my mix less harsh and cold, even if the plugins do an amazing job the saturation on the mid and bass are a bit different...
Interesting! I have the UAD plugin and I can tell it adds more mid EQ to the sound. On vocals however I actually like that warm touch of the plugin but on the final mix you can clearly hear more separation and space in the mix giving it more depth listening to the Hardware. I wonder if the same sound can be achieved through plugins, for example using a stereo widener and matching the EQ to the sound of the hardware instead of using the exact same settings. Thanks for sharing!
I was wondering the exact same thing...
6:28 A sounds really good on these bad headset I have right now so now i'm curious if this is the Analogue.
8:44 B Sounds good, less resonance, but again i'm at work on bad headset lol
Like Your vids , not feeling going to your discord for the answers. why not reveal here?
I was actually supposed how close they both were on the 2 bus . The vocal was close as well , however the Pultec squeezed out a little more presence that I like . The Bass for me hands down the Pultec had the richest cleanest bass overall . The thickness of the bass was nice and heavy yet smooth and not overwhelming . Good video
Nice! So when you say the pultec, you mean the plugin?
I think the difference between plugin and hardware was extreme for bass. The bass sounded incredible on hardware - now I am worried I am missing out since I own no hardware EQ's but that bass was sooo good.
weird, I preferred A on all except the mix buss. Already read which is which. The cymbals & hats on the drums are painfully harsh with the hardware.
couldn't disagree more LOL Are you on a Cell phone? On some really good monitors the highs are WAY less Harsh on the Hardware LOL I mean WAY less LOL The "Real" tubes roll off the highs on anything they touch.
@@JamesJones-th3ml nope, on some great Dynaudios. Listening back today, vox sounds better thru hardware. The hi-hats, esp are painful through the hardware. But could just be the settings he used, of course.
@@JamesJones-th3ml but the AA Purple or the new Bettermaker Passive EQ would have been a better comparison
@@DVNT I hear what you are saying BUT Tubes roll off highs man. SO, if its harsh Thats why I asked about the system you have. I don't own one, but I am in the market. Just trying to decide either this or a Successor Stereo compressor. I need both but one thing at a time! LOL Not sure if the Successor is for me either. I play metal among other types so SSL or API might be better for me it's just the cost that's wearing me out. I spent 3 grand so far on outboard gear since last month and I need 6 more LOL I had a bad ass tone with nothing but in the box stuff other than my Tube amp! So when I tried some Lindale audio compressors it really warms up the guitars with little to no compression JUST the transformers and Tubes for the LA2a and the bass hell anything I run through it sounds AWSOME to me here. Its adding Harmonic distortion or saturation or whatever you prefer to call it.
@@DVNT One of my favorite Plug in compressors is the Purple audio!
The snare in the B aux is very thin compared to the one in the A aux... So I think B is the plugin
I didn't think the difference was huge, the “B” seems to sound a little hotter and with more definition at high frequencies. I believe “A” is the Plugin and “B” is the hardware
Same
No discord plz...
B seemed to have a bigger bottom-end, but the phase is all over the place and the midrange is really suffering from this (pretty awful on the mixbus). Pretty sure B is the hardware, very few Pultec Clone in the hardware world are done right, and I wouldn't expect Warm to do it, I know it sounds a bit harsh ^^ (according to the experience I have with their gear).
Harsh yet true. B is the hardware. You were right.
@@mattmullin33609 Ah thanks for that, not surprising tho :(.
A = UAD Plugin.
B = Hardware.
The hardware sound deeper but removes some top end like all Warm Audio gear does. The UAD has the spacious top end of a PulTec but sounds slightly flatter.
For future videos, maybe find a way to make it more obvious when you’re changing sources. I didn’t notice the Solo A/B for a while 😂
Thanks for the vid!
can we Get a top 10 plugin for vocal
All warm audio stuff removed top end? My warm audio 76 and 512 disagree with you
You must first mach both eq curves to the same with ex. plugin doctor. The potentiometers do not correspond to the same values in the hardware as in the plugin. Then the difference is small, but it is there. I prefer hardware. Thanks
Thanks for the video. Nonetheless I'm not a fan of additional steps and a subscription to see the results
I know, i’ve changed that. Now doing blind tests with the result at the end of the video!🦾
A is plug-in B is hardware
right
depth in analog hardware.. 😍
Cool video, however, it's pretty clear that the plug-in needs to be pushed more than the hardware for the same results. In other words, the hardware settings will not match the plug-in settings 1:1. You matched them 1:1 sooo this isn't really a fair test by that metric. I think it would have been a cool test if you dialed in the UA EQP plug-in to something you like and then tried to match it by ear with the hardware. The bottom end of the plug-in just needs a bit more of a push. It's especially apparent on the mix bus example. I own both the plug-in and the hardware and use both so I have no bias one way or another. Overall, a really awesome video though! I subbed!
Imo, Audioscape's pultec is well worth the extra $$ over the WARM.
Will give it a shot
Interesting to see (at 2:32) that although the low frequency is set at 60hz, the shelf slope actually begins at roughly 1500hz and the attenuation at roughly 750hz. I was aware of the questionable labeling on the eq but have only seen the graphic display on one or two videos prior.
If B is not the hardware then I'm in love with the uad pultec but I highly doubt it idk maybe it is haha ill stand my ground A is Plugin and B is hardware.😁
Hello, Please I am curious to test the SSL 4000 E plugin VS Hardware SSL 4000 E Console.
All I know is on the Bass example and the Vocal example,. both of the first start off devices to me was the same and sounded fantastic . I am assuming was the Pultec
I can't find the answers anywhere on Discord.
The attenuation isn’t “higher up in the frequency spectrum.” The q is different. The distinction is important.
Soundwise, Warm Audio doesn't have much to do with a real Pultec. The curves look very close to a cheap Klark-Teknik EQP-KT.
Yes i think the Warm Audio and Klark Teknik sound similar, if i'm not mistaken, produced by the same factory. But, they sound better than the plugins and are closer to the smooth heft that a Pultec does. I have heard some comparions to the original Pultec and it's not a million miles away. Useable if you can't afford the high end units.
So between the warm audio and the actual pultec how much of a actual difference is there does the pultec have a 5 times the price difference same tubes in both units just different transformers 🤷♂️ interesting
I liked the plug-in way much more in the drums
why?
The first vocal is louder arround 1 db ,at least you could do the comparison on same level ... also i think you should know as a sound engineer that the same settings are not doing the same thing (hardvare vs software). Example : 3 db boost on high with the hardvare is lets roughly say 5 db on the software ... on other vst clones could be the opposite .
Went to the Discord channel, but I couldn't find the results.
There is 4 examples, I will call to hd "H" and to UAD pluging "P".
Example 1 I think is H/P
Example 2 P/H
Example 3 H/P
Example 4 May be again H/P
Please tell me if I am correct with it. Thanks a lot!
Alex from San Sebastian (Basque country - Spain)
Bro wtf, give us the answers!
I come here to listen for comparison and I want answers at the end of the video or in the comment. This is not cool.
A is hardware B is harsh plugin
Discord has all the answers😁
@@thomasvopstal I agree why do we have to jump through hoops to get the answer I believe a is the hardware
@@thomasvopstal thumbs down. what the fuck is this review?
Wait does he pull the ole’ come to my discord for the result? Oh HELL NAH. I’m out. Thanks for saving me the time fellas!
Bro, the difference in Highend and Lowend is brutal, jesus christ save my Wallet
I tried Pultec plugins of Waves, Overloud, Softube, T-Racks, Noiseash and Analog Obsession. I liked the one from Noiseash and Analog Obsession the most. Sadly never tried UAD or analog ones.
Tried almost everything too (AO, IK, UAD, Logic's, Noise Ash, Softube, Waves, Overloud). My favorite is the UAD as it's the closer to the original unit which is pretty clean. Most of pultec emulations are offering crazy saturation/vibe whereas the original unit is pretty clean, only a bit of color in the low mids. UAD gets this right and I like the transparency, the "just something over the top from a ProQ3".
IK and NoiseAsh are pure vibes : tons of saturation and color ! They can be the right tool sometimes but I often find these too much. The Warm Audio is also very saturated compared to an original pulse techniques.
AO sounds great, but I find something harsh in all of their plugins.. maybe that's me ! (In comparison, I find something boomy in most IK plugs too)
My favourite is Acustica Titanium EQ, it's an emulation of the TubeTech Pultec. Blows everything else I've heard out the water.
B = More high end, more stereo separation, but less and softer bass
yeah that confirms what i thought of the warm audio. nothing to do with a pultec. way too bright and unpleasant on the HF band and muddy on the LF. although the uad one's pretty close to a real one
The biggest difference for me was on the vocal and the full mix. Less of a difference on the first two examples. Listening on hifi speakers, not in the studio at the moment. I felt B was a bit harsh compared to A in vocal and full mix examples. I have no idea which one is plugin or hardware even though I have both myself as well 😅.
A better open top B fuller Bass A plugin B hardware ?
I bought the UAD Pultec from the Spark collection . . . . It really feels like a Tease to get me to buy an expensive Apollo interface . . . The UAD has asked me to restart my DAW, midsession, so it can get reauthorized . . . !?@y@?! . . . And now I am getting this strange new message . . . "Connect Sample Content Drive" . . . !?@y@?! . . . So, I bought the Rule Tec Heritage Pro, and it sounds much better, and works flawlessly with any interface . . . So, it's really nice of UA to pull up their Yacht, all offer the use of their plugins to common folks, like myself . . . Yet, they need to sort out their authorization system, before I try anything else from them . . . !?@y@?! . . . ! . . . 🙂
(-;
One would have to know what the original pultec hardware sounds like in order to perform a proper comparison, would you not?.
The idea behind this comparison is that most people do not have the funds available to buy a real pultec. But they might consider getting the warm audio. What i wanted to find out is if getting the warm audio would be a step up from the plugin, which is also why i switched to the apollo converters for this video.
@@thomasvopstal kool.
Guys, I prefer the plug-in over vocals, but maybe you need the original Pultec hardware, not the WA 😆
Reynolds Locks
Hey Thomas, an idea for an upcoming video or even a quick UA-cam Short. Can you talk about your education in audio and how someone who is self taught can get hired at a studio?
Just now seeing this one. And wow. I need some hardware pulteqs asap 😂 Adds thick low end and a 3D-ness to the sound. Top end did seem to get brittle when pushed so I'd pull that back a touch
Whatever...not "heading over" anywhere...😂
seriously? discord? wtf
Dude, "A" clearly sounds more vibrant and has more like a crispy texture. It certainly does have the analog feel to it. As an UAD pultec owner I'd be glad to find out A is the plug in...but most likely not 😢 lol
"Yes we are still Dutch over here" 😂
That was interesting. But going off the sound i expect from the hardware, i think A = Plugin, B = Hardware.
A is narrow, doesn't add the hefty pillowy low end, nor the smooth high end of the Pultec, but because of that it retains the perception of the mids, albeit a bit nasally. But what is the use when it hasn't done the Pultec thing. I think those Warm Audio units sound like the Klark Teknik clones, got to be weary of losing the perception of the mid range.
Hardware -> B as it sounds a bit brighter and more pronounced, I just prefer the sound and don't care if it's the plugin or HW, would prefer B.. compared the character seems quite similar, but eq is way off ...(en ook gelukkig nieuwjaar en beste wensen)
A-HARDWARE B-PLUGIN
Katlyn Grove
A is the hardware if anyone was wondering
Hardware best!
This conversation becomes (PRICE), and the have's and haves not's; if you're starting out, it's best to get the plugin for a fraction of the cost. Only then, when you produce a hit song being played worldwide and speaking of the world, you will be on tour in every city and country on the planet with mad loot to spend on plugins or outboard gear! Think about it; both units do a great job (The End).
warm audio = B. Takes easily
FWIW I actually prefer that the answers are over on discord instead of just in the description. Keeps the comments honest and forces the listener to actually sit and *listen* instead of just seeing what's what and getting a bias.
I think the warm is the B
Whooooo
Beahan Lock
Casandra Tunnel
B = hardware, A = Plugin. This one is pretty easy
Most have said opposite.. not so easy evidently
@@dougleydorite yes! it was easy for me i mean
@@listenfidi have you checked on discord?
wrong
B is hardware
b-hardware
cholekechmichjev
Comparing a hardware clone vs a plug-in, this video makes no sense
Why not??
I don't get how it is possible to have so much reviews/comparisons/tests in crazy studios with such BAD MUSIC SOURCES. It's badly played, badly recorded and uninspiring, so how can you compare things ? It's such a loss of time (for me) and of ressources (you know, servers need to keep this somewhere, and they need energy). MEH !
Haha that's horrible you baited your discord. Definitely not subscribing after that bs
this comparison does not work. What you are actually testing is the mapping of the knobs to the electronics which can vary quite a bit. Can you produce the same curve on both with ease or not, that is the question, not 'are the knobs in the same place'. So I understand you are young and you like to get in to this, I suggest you read up on comparison methods in general. Also consider using tracks with a wide frequency spectrum.
A Pultec goes down to 20hz. Thats what I would like to see (hear) becourse both senses are at play in a proper comparison of this equipment. I hope I am not offending but having 40 years in this so I hope you are ok with this advice.