Analog Compressors vs Digital Plugins. Which is better?

Today I show you how the ultimate test! Analog 1176 and LA2A Compressors versus their plugin counterparts from Universal Audio and Waves.
Let the battle begin!
The vocal used is from my good friend and very talented artist, Danny Shamess.
My favorite thing in the world is mixing records and I would love to mix yours! Click the link below to check out my mixes and start a conversation about your project and goals.
www.cellardoor...
If you have a song that you would love to see me mix in an analog style, send me an email at [e-mail]. I would love to show off your song by putting your instruments through this lovely analog gear.
If you have any questions at all, feel free to ask me in the comments.

[@UREIDJ]

Great overall video. As an owner of these UAD Plugins, I wanted to point something out, that might make you run the entire test again. You are using the "LEGACY " versions of these plugins. These were the original modelied ones Universal Audio did for the old UAD-1 card back in like 2003!! They since were totally updated and remodeled like 10 years later for the UAD-2 plugin cards, the modeling is like night and day. The ones that they are presently selling and using the their Spark subscription service are the newer versions. They even give u 3 flavors of La-2a and 2 flavors of 1176 to choose from. If you re-run this test with the updated current UAD plugins I guarantee a completely different result. Looking forward to THAT comparison video!! PS you won't b as impressed with the CLA ones after hearing the UAD-2 Versions of the plugins. You should also put the CLA plugins in the updated video as well.

[@WaveMechanicsRecordingSt-ge7ei]

The fact that he used the "legacy" UAD plugins totally invalidates his conclusions. Thank you for pointing that out. And yes, he should run the test again, out of fairness to his viewers and to Universal Audio.

[@MrPerfectpizza]

Would love to see an updated video where he tests out the newer UAD-2 plugins! Hope he can remake it.

[@Wh1teland]

exactly my point! why on earth the legacy versions???

[@mrsayang]

I am a UA Apollo x16 user and love the Apollo and the UAD plugins. The Spark plugin versions.....I have some, are they exactly the same like the Apollo versions or better or worse? I have bought a lot of plugins and I am waiting desperately for them in Spark. The Spark library grows very slow.....way too slow for my opinion.

[@pesam64]

@@mrsayang The Spark plugins are identical as the UAD-2 ones. They have a different updated browsing system.

[@nicefish10]

I absolutely love your videos, and what an incredible place you get to work in. As a commercial studio owner myself much respect!

[@willsantos3781]

great demonstration! probably one of the best I've seen when it comes to 1176 & LA2A.

[@danepaulstewart8464]

After owning a pair of genuine LA-2As for 15 years, I am pretty darn impressed with the Waves CLA-2A. Pretty impressed indeed. I’d love to see more comparisons like this of whatever you have there. Definitely the MAG EQ and the SSL EQ. 👍👍

[@JoshWestMix]

Right?! I was blown away. The Maag and SSL are coming! Don't you worry. The next video coming out for this series will be the shadow hills mastering compressor :)

[@BigLoxxOfficial]

@@JoshWestMix Hell yeah ! I can't wait to see all this stuff in action !!!

[@PaPa-xq2rb]

Great demo! They both sound great but I love that analog touch.

[@ayokiff1073]

It’s not really a fair shot for UAD, kinda makes this comparison a bit unfair. The versions you have are the legacy versions where nothing was truly fully emulated like how their recent versions of the 1176 and la2a are. That would’ve been more fair to compare especially if you’re throwing waves in the mix

[@BR_READDY225]

There’s is literally no difference between the legacy version and the dsp version, other than the

[@JM_2019]

@@BR_READDY225The legacy version IS a dsp version as well, but does not model any harmonics.

[@JoshWestMix]

That is true and I honestly didn't think about it that way. The waves have been out forever and so I figured the legacy versions were around the same time but I could totally be wrong. Thanks so much for watching!

[@UREIDJ]

@@BR_READDY225 UAD totally did the modelling over again for the UAD-2 Version. The Legacy UAD versions were for the uad-1 back in 2003!

[@morbidmanmusic]

Uad2 vs legacy.. yep totally different. I use both and its radical.

[@marklholloway]

Awesome and thorough comparison. I'm really enjoying your channel. Please keep it going. You're on the path to blowing up!

[@jazzmastert]

What a great video! Seen tons of plug-in comparisons, analogue vs digital etc. Almost too many! Somehow yours was so much better. Your approach is authentic and I can hear what you hear, which really isn’t always the case with these shootouts. For my part, I’d love to hear a comparison of the SSL channel compressor with the UAD equivalent and maybe the Waves one. In particular, the sound of EQ-ing into the automatic makeup with the EQ to CH button pushed in.

[@JoshWestMix]

Oh my gosh thank you so much for your kind words! I really appreciate it. I wasn't sure if anyone would like this one haha I will definitely make an ssl one. Don't you worry

[@Nikkie_jurnigan]

@@JoshWestMix i need More video

[@Drfresh1402]

The secret to plugins or analog sounding awesome is have a great artist and most of all great song.

[@JoshWestMix]

YES!!! 100% agree

[@1samwhich]

This was really good to watch. I could have watched you for an hour or so testing out different instruments, buses and 2 bus like this. Great content! I hope you get the views, likes and subscribes this deserves! And please keep going with this subject. I'm pretty confident you'll do well out of it if you take these tests further! I'm still trying to wrap my head around hearing compression properly but what I was hearing from these tests, it sounded like the plugins (especially the UA plugs) they sounded a bit like they were in an anechoic chamber. Like the natural reflections from the space the vocal was recorded in disappeared once they were applied. Did anyone else here that?

[@JoshWestMix]

Wow thank you so much! You are so kind. I agree with you on the anechoic chamber. It really does suck the life out of it, and that was only on ONE channel! Imagine the effect it has compounding on all channels in a mix session. It is interesting

[@marcsmith8146]

Is there a reason you are using the Legacy version? There are closer models from UA that match the hardware. Not a good test in my opinion. Sorry.

[@Todzuum]

Which ones are you referring to

[@marcsmith8146]

@@Todzuum The 1176 version of the UA plugin. Probably try the UA 1176LN

[@mistermusicenterprise3148]

What a great comparison. Since I have my Bluey from Black Lion.. I can’t go back to the 1176 Plugins.

[@DaftyBoi412]

I built myself a dual LA2A .. and I'm the same ... I could never use an emulation now ... When I first plugged it in my jaw dropped .. and I was like OH .. I understand now! xD

[@assessoroffice7212]

SIR You're utilizing very outdated plugins. Why is PULSAR MODULAR P11 2023 not used? Because of the tonal variances, you will be confused because they both sound great.

[@yevheniimelnyk8911]

Absolutely amazing

[@JoshWestMix]

Hey thanks so much! I am so glad you liked it!

[@BigLoxxOfficial]

Nice content dude , the kind of content that new gen need to see ! Definitly !

[@JoshWestMix]

Haha I agree! We have an intern here that is all in the box and the first day he came to the studio his mind was blown. Thanks for watching!

[@BigLoxxOfficial]

@@JoshWestMix I always told to young ppl that analog gear is a new world that open to you when you just work on vst's...

[@Il-Cane]

@@JoshWestMix but you use the legacy version that is from uad made in 2002... now they use a better version updated......

[@Il-Cane]

@@BigLoxxOfficial okj can you buy me one ????

[@Electricowlworks]

Thanks for the video, Josh! Looking forward to seeing more. -chaz

[@JoshWestMix]

Hey thanks so much! More coming I promise! Thanks for watching

[@risingphoenix1484]

This was a fantastic video... tbh all it did was affirm my choice to move back to analog gear. Honestly dude this was such a great video you deserve double likes.

[@BassFunMusic]

I really like the sound from the 1176 Universal Audio in your hardware rack. It's not even about the attack and release settings, but about that subtle something I hear that feels good to my ears. The hardware sound seems fuller, as if it has additional harmonics on the vocal. The differences are subtle. For me, I prefer hardware, although I also use many plugins. Great test. I'm looking forward to new ones. I have a lot of Tegeler hardware in my studio. I also like the yellow Looptroter Monster which I have and use on vocals. Greetings to everyone! ♥☺♪

[@grupatropic]

Amazing test BRO☺♥♦♦

[@PawelZawiejaTwoboys]

1176 sounds ♥♥♣love

[@JoshWestMix]

Right?! They are definitely subtle, and this was only one vocal. Imagine the effect over all tracks in mix. I also use plugins a lot. The next video will show more of my hybrid mixing style. Thanks so much for watching and being here!

[@brianmartin7710]

The Waves CLA 76 was always my favorite 1176. Thanx for the Test

[@gerardlake]

Great video ! i just thought it was me alone, i actually stopped using my UAD plugins a while back cause there weren't cutting it for me.

[@JoshWestMix]

Haha I did the same thing. I just didn't really figure out way. At least the ones I was using, didn't feel right. Thanks for watching!

[@StarfleetOnLsd]

I think you used the legacy versions of the UAD plugins. So I wonder if there would be any difference with the non legacy ones?

[@krzysztof.kessler]

There would be a significant difference. The Legacy versions do not model the saturation at all. They just model the settings and "the way" the compressor reacts but won't add any harmonic content.

[@JoshWestMix]

Good call! I didn't even think of that. I may have to do an updated video to see if we get different results

[@krzysztof.kessler]

@@JoshWestMix Please do! I'm curious to see that comparison! I can tell that there is a significant differnece in sonic quality between legacy versions and normal versions of UAD plugins. the normal ones sounds fantastic but I think they will start to sound and "feel" close to the hardware only at 96kHz or higher. I'm curious to see the comparison!

[@jellybean7253]

Nice one. I have been using the Waves plugins for many years. Lots of comers and goers but I have never NOT been happy with a Waves mix. NEW SUB

[@djhlynursolvi]

Love your Videos don't quit keep up the good work

[@DariuszBlasi]

good test - I would like to hear a comparison on a MASTERING level - like the shadowhill compressor you have there in the back - and plugin alliamce braoinworx plugin. To test it on a more complex source which is a FULL SONG :)

[@JoshWestMix]

Dude you nailed it! That is the next one coming out in a couple weeks. The shadow hills is my favorite piece of gear in this studio and I never turn it off of my mix bus. I am really excited to see how the plugin compares.

[@DariuszBlasi]

@@JoshWestMix Greeeeeat :D Cant wait :)

[@jamesjames77777]

The sibilance on plugins is mental!! Like they just can’t react quick enough. I know recall is a pain, but analog gets you where you need to be so much quicker.

[@johnisrael5183]

Alot people wont do that...they would pretty much figure out that, Acustica Audio...De Values the Hi End Gear for a Regular Home Studio...... A home studio....should definately Focus on Acustica Audio/Nebula and "Affordable Analog Gear..." your get alot further like that Remember he used "WE" with that Studio...A Group of them put that together ......those are very expensive pieces of gear....and honesty the plugins were close enough to where....Acustica/Nebula and some "Affordable Analog Gear" ART, dbx, Warm Audio...ect....would have done the "Same Job" and got the "Same Results" for a FRACTION of the Cost.....smh...Id rather be a better engineer....and keep my same set up I use Acustica Audio...and Nebula....when Tracking and Mixing....with Nebula and My Own Analog Gear...my ART Transy Comp for Buses...and my WA GComp for Whole Mixes and Masters with my SoundCraft LXII and they are doing a Steller Job...really Great...Radio Ready, Punchy, full and warm mixes....You just "Dont Neccesarly Need" the Most Expensive Analog Pieces...with Acustica Audio and Nebula....it really saves a tone of money......

[@jamesjames77777]

@@johnisrael5183 I worked with plugins for years, they’re great. Now I have a lot of high end hardware and it just gets me to where I want to be quicker. Both are great and you can definitely get to a similar place, it’s just personal preference.

[@daniel_dumile]

CLA2 is my favourite plugin

[@Espresso101]

Hey Josh, aside from looking forward to a part 2 with the current UAD plugins. I would love to see a deep dive of the Neve 33609. There's not many YT videos of it. I would love to see where you like to ise it and how it compares to plugins as well. Would be really cool to see a bus comp shootout between the 33609, G Bus, and API 2500

[@zoo_sound]

8:51 cla 76 7:00 uad 76 6:10 hardware

[@NikolausBrocke]

We should not forget that there are better plugin companies that model analog gear more accurat. But thanks for this valuable comparison. You are no. 102 :-). To me it proofs once more that in the box mixing can sound as good as on analog gear. It depends on the person who is sitting in front of the gear. But mixing analog makes more fun.

[@danymalsound]

Totally, but $3500 v $30 in some cases, is hard to argue... plus the physical space and the physical current it draws

[@JoshWestMix]

I completely agree with this. Even after making this video, I still did multiple mixes using both analog and digital hardware. Mixing analog is definitely more fun. Thanks for watching!

[@vigilantestylez]

Getting the harmonic distortion right is the problem with a lot of plugins. I always notice that analog gear has this smooth top end, even when driven, and digital can get harsh, but there are "some" plugins that get it almost right. I like to use the Lindell 50 Series as my desert island plugin, but as nice as it sounds, it can also suffer from that "digital" top end, even when oversampling engaged, but... when I put it in Studio One and use it with the Alpine Console summing engine then it takes on the character of analog. I don't know what they did under the hood, but they nailed the top end, has the smooth character of analog, so it is "possible" for plugins to sound like hardware, but I think they haven't realized this or thoroughly tested the plugins, or maybe this is something that can't be done in plugins, but can be done if they had access to the entire audio engine of the DAW. We are getting there, and one day in the box will replace the analog studio, but we are not quite there yet, but close. But in terms of vibe, and fun, the analog studio always wins there.

[@jeramym9506]

Lindell 50 series is really great. I just got it a couple of weeks ago.

[@vigilantestylez]

@@jeramym9506 yeah it feels like a swiss army knife for audio. The FET compressor is wonderful on vocals, the VCA compressor is wonderful on everything else, and the ability to switch from 3 band to 4 band and then a 10 band EQ is amazing. Plus drums seem to come out really punchy with the Lindell 50. Definitely my favorite plugin so far. 😎🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@lockhartzzz]

I’m so curious about this exact thing! I’ve been testing out a bunch of channel strips recently and I liked the Lindell 50 but I started to notice this harsh digital graininess to it. It seems to become more pronounced when I run it through my outboard preamps for some hardware transformer saturation, I think they might be interacting poorly? What’s this summing thing you’re talking about, how does that get it to sound warm and smooth?

[@vigilantestylez]

@@lockhartzzz Studio One has a thing called the "MixFx Engine" where you can use something called "console shaper" which gives you the character, crosstalk, and drive of a console. They sell something called the "Retro Mix Classics" where you can get an SSL Console shaper called "Brit Console" which emulates all SSL consoles from the vintage 4000 series, the 9000 super analog series, and the modern duality with its variable harmonic distortion. The "Alpine Desk" which is the API Console, CTC-1 which is both a classic Neve and EMI style tube console, and finally they have the "portastudio" which takes on the character of the cassette tape multitrack recorders of the 80s and 90s. While it is anyone's guess whether or not these things really capture the sound and texture of the real consoles, it does however make anything mixed through it have very convincingly "analog" vibe and character. It is similar in a way to how Harrison Mixbus sounds, but better in my opinion. Pairing up the most accurate channel strips to this mix fx engine plugin in studio one seems to give a nice character that sounds pretty convincingly analog to my ears, and it is beyond just saturation. For me the Lindell 50 series with the Alpine console in Studio One really sounds analog, and very similar to things mixed on a real API desk, but that's my opinion. I am sure a real API desk probably sounds nicer, but either way, its a damn good sound in the box. :)

[@vigilantestylez]

@@lockhartzzz Also, don't forget to use oversampling before rendering. I usually mix with no oversampling, and then turn it on at the end. If the mix is not too large, I will use 16X Oversampling, but 4X or 8X will usually make it sound less harsh for some reason, or maybe it is a placebo effect I am not sure, but it sounds less harsh to me when the oversampling is engaged.

[@nicefish10]

I’m new to your channel but own a commercial recording studio and own a lot of killer high end gear…. It’s refreshing to see somebody that has this kind of gear do a proper test. Thank you so much. By the way, what studio is this?

[@alwaysandy_]

Sooo good! 🙏 I wanna see Waves vs Slate now.

[@JoshWestMix]

Ohhhh that is a great idea! I will add that to the list. Thanks for watching!

[@shuminimal420]

@@JoshWestMixcompare the 1176 collection Slate. Virtual Mix Rack

[@annekedebruyn7797]

The best part about hardware compressors is that you will always have the choice between hardware and software.

[@eranddroory9987]

Awesome video Josh. Please do some more videos like this, so we can get a feel of how to navigate the plugin jungle. The Neve comp would be great. Arturia makes a version, so does IK Multimedia and AU. Maybe also an eq or two? 😀 I saw a video with CLA on the waves channel where he says, that the CLA 76 was made to be pushed hard, which might explain why it takes some beating better. Cheers..

[@JoshWestMix]

Hey thanks so much! I will definitely be making more like this. That totally makes sense on the CLA!

[@theocorfiatis8456]

Not a fair comparison, as you're using the Legacy versions of the UAD plugins. I have the latest fully modeled versions and when I compare them to the legacy versions, the full versions sound a lot better to my ears, because they have adjustments that allow their sidechain frequency response to be changed. The Full version of the 1176 also has a dry/wet mix that allows heavy parallel compression to be used. These features make the full UAD plugins a lot more transparent and versatile than the legacy versions and also retain the high frequencies a lot better under heavy compression.

[@christopherdunn317]

Even rick beato loves the UA version's and me two since there the ones who made them !

[@nectariosm]

Try it again not using the Legacy versions, but the versions UAD bothered emulating the "box tone" and harmonic response of the gear when pushed

[@pianodemon109]

I saw that too! The legacy versions will obviously not perform the same.

[@marcubale]

keep it up!!

[@VinceJackson1]

I really love what you did in this video your ear is amazing!!! Is there any chance you could do this video with UA's newer 1176 & LA2A. They re-molded them from the ground up and added the harmonic content. These legacy versions are not good lol. Also, there's a convolution plugin maker named Tim P and his compressors for Acustica Nebula sound amazingly analog!!!!!!

[@ignacedhont9816]

Tim P rocks! Best in the box compressors.

[@MrPureBasic]

Hey Josh. Great video and thanks for taking the time to make the comparison. I think the threshold discrepancies you are observing may come from the SSL or converter output. Looks like it's 12dB hotter than the digital signal representation. There is no real rule to go from dBFS to dBu, so yeah, it changes depending on the converter.

[@ipoponq]

Could you also make a video where you share your story of becoming a mixing engineer? How did it all start? How did you eventually end up where you are? Did you have any failures along your way?

[@JoshWestMix]

Ohhhhhhh so many failures haha I love failures. That is how you learn. I will definitely add this to the filming schedule. Great idea. Thanks for that and for watching!

[@Tav_cr]

Great comparison. What would be really interesting is conducting a null test to observe the differences between the two takes. Are you using the legacy versions of the UAD plugins? I'm asking because I believe the Silver UAD LA2A and the Black 1176 might capture the characteristics of the real hardware even better, as they emulate the nonlinearities and harmonic distortions. Nevertheless, I appreciate your honest review.

[@Leele0]

thats exactly what i was saying as well...its not 100% fair to use the legacy versions. the latest versions have the characteristics of the ransformers and tubes and etc. so id like to see the real deal.

[@DaftyBoi412]

The problem with doing that with analoug gear is the iherrent nonlinarities in the way analoug works, so even if you put two takes through the exact same bit of hardware and tried to null them, you would get some delta signal left over and it wouldn't fully null.

[@aaronledbetter7429]

I would love to see comparisons of analog gear against the same make/model - i.e. two identical 1176s. I am curious how much variation there is between electronic components, etc.

[@Studio22mix]

Nice 😊 I saw you using the LA2A on snare, got to try that. For some reason I tent to grab a 1176. Awesome channel 👌

[@mirkomarkovic3438]

La2a on snare or kick rules!!

[@Studio22mix]

@@mirkomarkovic3438 I tried it on snare yesterday, the recording was a little bit dull. The LA2A made it bright and snappy 👌🏼

[@JoshWestMix]

YES! It is a serious miracle worker. I am consistently blown away by that piece of gear. @@Studio22mix

[@lbsmoothmusic]

the best new I have found. the best vs I have seen

[@TASTELESSAUTO]

I would love to see this comparison with a cl1b, this video was a lot better than the countless other plugin vs hardware comparisons and I have yet to see a solid cl1b video.

[@huberttorzewski]

Try to use 1176 and LA-2A non Legacy versions, they are much better.. I use UAD 1176 rev A a lot on vocals and it beats Waves in every mix. Makes the vocal sit just right

[@Only1Science]

Great video! IMO, plugins are still about 80-90% of the way there. The "blanket" effect is something we've been struggling with for so long and the main reason why we have to stack a bunch of plugins on a track to recreate the vibe. I even bought the Sphere mic when it came out and even though there were great mic emulations, I quickly noticed the common denominator amongst all of them. I wouldn't call it a "blanket" but, there was definitely a thin, sonic "veil" that came with each mic.

[@chinmeysway]

this is great. would love more like this using other compressors or / eq / saturation / any reverbs / etc !

[@RafaelElfe]

Thanks, man! Great!! From Brazil!! :)

[@ureviews1545]

Great comparison...the waves la2a is my go to for vocals.

[@ReginatorNet]

Out of fairness to Universal Audio as @UREIDJ posted, you should compare their current plugins, not the LEGACY versions. From the manual about the UAD LEGACY plugins: "To accommodate the limited DSP resources of the UAD-1, the input transformer and I/O distortion characteristics were not modeled in these plug-ins."

[@1linkjimmy]

Great video

[@youngboodz]

Keep up the good work we love your videos ❤️‍🔥

[@JoshWestMix]

hey thanks so much! More coming dont you worry

[@KirtanFi]

Wow what a great comparison....really enjoying your videos atm - keep it up 👌 Really surprising that UAD didnt get it right tbh...almsot as if they purposely nerfed their own product!?

[@JoshWestMix]

Hey thanks so much!! And yeah it is wild. It definitely changed my perspective for sure

[@BennyParcher]

Bro your channle is gonna explode. Awesome man

[@musiccreation1198]

In my experience, it's the cumulative impact of analog's superiority over plugins that is jaw dropping. Track to track comparisons miss this...and yet analog still "wins".

[@erwinm187]

great comparisons. earned my sub!

[@JoshWestMix]

Yes! Thanks so much for watching and for being here!

[@nicolasstrawberry4148]

I don’t own the UAD version but I own the Waves version and honestly, for what the Classic Compressors bundle cost I can’t complain at all. It literally cost like $69 right now, it might have been a little more when I bought it a couple years ago but not by much , same thing with the SSL bundle, it cost less than a hundred dollars. I’m not expecting a 100% 1to1 emulsion for what they cost but I’m amazed at what we do get, and without the extra wiring and physical space of hardware and having as many instances as our computers can handle. I love hardware but we’re in a great place with software these days.

[@kvmoore1]

Thanks for conducting this test for us. I have to say, I'm really impressed with the results you got from this comparison. I am really surprised to find out the Waves version on the 1176 and LA2A are actually closer to the actual hardware than the UA versions. I always heard from people that UA plugins have been among the best in the industry while Waves have always been an industry standard for years. I've never had the opportunity to own or try any UA plugins. However, I have been using Waves plugins for quite some time. I currently own the CLA versions of both compressors as a part of a Waves bundle (I think it was the Horizon Bundle) I purchased recently. I really like what the CLA 1176 does to an 808 bassdrum when really pushed hard. It can really make it HUM!!!! Thanks again!!! I really appreciate this. However, one other thing I'm also curious about is how well the SSL4000 G compressor plugin stacks up against the hardware version. In the past, I've used that plugin on several mixes on the overall vocal group bus and I really like the way it just glues the vocals together.

[@mayzter8765]

And, vocal mixing tutorials would be very helpful:)

[@JoshWestMix]

Hahah I will get on this after all these gear comparisons. Thanks so much for watching!

[@mayzter8765]

Thanks in advance, mate:)

[@johnisrael5183]

The Closest Your going to get, in my Opinion...to the LA2A and 1176 is using either Opal or Track Comp with the Nebula....2A and 1176 Pre Amps and Nebula Mojo...with either of them "in the Box" nails it about 95%....... but Nebula is essential with your favorite LA2A and 1176 Plugins...because you need something thats going to add some Analog Harmonic Distortion, Warm and Depth that the analog gear does...... I doing that and using my ART TransyComp FET and WA GComp on Mastering.......with my SoundCraft LX7II

[@JoshWestMix]

Oh nice yeah I will have to make a video for that one! Thanks so much for watching!

[@mayzter8765]

My new favorite channel.

[@hinky7729]

Very Nice! An EQ Comparison would be great too - API, SSL

[@uniquetune0101]

100% Correct ....Great Test

[@brodiewav]

Waves and UA 1176's are old bro! Should have A/B'd newer emulations ie Arturia's FET76 or even Overloud's one.

[@JoshWestMix]

I didn't even know those plugins existed haha but I am stoked to check those out and do a comparison! Thanks for watching!

[@brodiewav]

All good! Important to A/B the most recent plugins to have a fair comparison of whether 'plugins' sound better or worse to analog because obviously dsp will be better in 2023 than in like 2011 when the Waves/UAD versions came out@@JoshWestMix 👌

[@mrsayang]

Thank you very much for the great video. I am new to analog hardware. I bought a 19" rack and have a lot of 500 series Mic Preamps, EQ´s and Compressors for my drum kit. In my rack I left 1U empty space top AND bottom between EVERY single hardware unit, for cooling/ventilation purpose, whether it is a 500 series lunchbox or a 19" hardware unit. QUESTION: when I see all your gorgeous 19" racks, fully loaded from top to bottom with awesome analog hardware, it´s really gear porn to see this. Is there no problem with heat??? Does it not harm the hardware components, with no space above and below them? Thanks and I will check out your channel and the other videos. Best regards from Frankfurt Germany.

[@epilektric]

It would be interesting to see how they compare if you put a gain utility before the plugin. I suspect that changing the input gain on the plugin affects other parameters like the timing.

[@pc_buildyb0i935]

Which is better? Whichever gets you to your goal in the least amount of time. Which one has objectively higher fidelity? Digital. Always.

[@osvaldodomingos9041]

Really would like to see you talking about the Tube-Techs.

[@patricioandres2562]

Hello, I did not know your channel, excellent video, thank you very much. I fully share your comments. How nice to be able to hear these comparisons when you know that they are not trying to sell you / convince you of anything, it is greatly appreciated. Some Softube emulations of the 1176 and the LA2A came out recently, I wish you could include them in a video so we can seriously compare them. It would be the best if you could leave the files dry and with the process to be able to download them and hear them well on your music equipment,... A hug,

[@JoshWestMix]

Hey thanks! I am brand new haha I have no interest in selling people on anything. I just love audio and the comparisons are interesting to me. I may have to add the softube stuff. I didn't know they released that.

[@edmanutubeaccount89]

This was a good video. Is it worth doing one where you don't try and match? You just dial in the sound you want? And then compare, to hear which is potentially better? Maybe also a chain, like SSL EQ, then 76, 2A etc?

[@JoshWestMix]

hey thanks for watching! I will definitely be doing a chain in future videos. The next one coming out is the shadow hills mastering compressor :)

[@tonywarrior]

Those are the comparisons I like to see. that are objective. I have heard that the convolution technology used by acustica-audio is top, although the service is not the best and the plugins consume too much CPU. I would like to see comparisons with the best plugins from that company.

[@christopherdunn317]

13:44 13:55 My Roland vs-2480 UA la2a never needed to be turned up that high ? its more like between 60-70

[@amazeus1980]

1176 legacy is not so called end to end emulation and that plugin is about 20 years old. Everything “legacy” is not an end to end emulation. There is a huge difference between legacy and new versions...and la2A is also my favourite compressor...UAD...because I do not have any hardware.

[@kelvinfunkner]

wow...this was a huge surprise for me...I've always just assumed that because UA made the plugins, that they would be dead accurate...I don't own any UA hardware or plugins, but use Waves, so this was a pleasant win for me...please go ahead and do more of these...I'd love to see how some of the Slate Digital stuff stacks up...I use a boatload of their stuff on my mixes every single day...

[@aleksamrkela831]

UAD plugins are overrated, anyway! Very nice comparison. :D

[@sgfdancecompany]

Great video and the Hardware be always different, but...the UAD version are the legacy one that behaved different that the mk 2 version

[@theminimumragepodcast9404]

You know, I've been thinking about this too... There's just some weirdness that comes from the UAD compressors... especially in the high frequencies.

[@jeremylarue4503]

I think it would be really interesting to compare full mixes, one with analog, one with digital. Not even necessarily the corresponding emulations, just the best mix you can do with plugins vs analog.

[@musiccreation1198]

This. In my experience, it's the cumulative impact of analog's superiority over plugins that is jaw dropping.

[@jeremylarue4503]

@@musiccreation1198 That's what I've heard, I just haven't been around enough analog to do it myself.

[@musiccreation1198]

@@jeremylarue4503 I'm old ;). As a studio musician in the 80s & 90s in LA, NYC, etc

[@jewlerdarocket8200]

I like the content but why all of the stems are already compressed and limited, I’m not seeing any dynamics in them, I’m just wondering, so when the comparison happens it happen correctly for what people already have.

[@brianmartin7710]

The tone of the CLA 76 is different because it is modeling older units (Blackface/Blur Stripe) than your Hardware Units do.

[@johnlance3860]

Great job!

[@JoshWestMix]

Thanks so much! I really appreciate you

[@amalgami]

thanks for this wonderful revelation. I want to ask you, if you have to tell us in percentage basis, what percentage of processing you would do with analog gear vs plugins in a session?

[@jccarter9942]

Hey Josh, Great video. I just got a subscription to all the Waves plug ins. I've been a big fan of them forever. I actually have a question about your NS-10s. I bought a pair of Gen 1 NS-10's that I assume I should listen to them vertically. I see yours are the studio versions but you have them vertical. Do you think there is any difference in sound wether you listen horz or vert? Thanks

[@JoshWestMix]

Hey thanks so much! and nice on the waves stuff! They make good products for sure. There is definitely a difference but it really depends on where the tweeters are in relation to your ears when you are in mix position. Our studio was designed around genelecs, which our 1031a's have the tweeter on the top of the speaker. The NS10's are up so that the tweeter is as close to the same level as the genelecs as possible

[@downcode]

Thanks, it would've been useful to hear the vocals in the mix as well, that's where the rubber meets the road :)

[@royfaulk9109]

I miss all of the lights on all the analog equipment that's why I would rather have analog equipment Bay vs digital because you can't see all of the lights I wish there was a way that you could do all of that and still see all the lights

[@Il-Cane]

why do u use the legacy version... is like a version of uad older than wves plugin...bha

[@LONDONHARRISMUSIC]

Analog sounds bettor everybody knows this. Why, because humans are analog, and this is why hardware and anything analog will always sound better to humans but with that said it don’t matter the only thing that matters if the song is a hit or not.

[@calvinbassie]

I would love to hear the Tube Tech CL 1B comparison

[@Dmitry_Manu]

In my opinion Waves comresses a bit less then UAD. Gain reduction arrow is not adecuate. And sidechain knob was in different position

[@ThompaThelin]

found it !!! :)

[@JoshWestMix]

Awesome I am glad! I am doing all this stuff alone so still figuring out my whole process. Thanks for your patience man! Enjoy the video

[@ThompaThelin]

Damn good video man, I have worked with LA-2A and the CLA-2A was one of the first plugin I bought and I still use it. well sir, you got yourself a new subscriber :) going to check out more of your vides. great job !! @@JoshWestMix

[@esahm373]

I think that digital plugins can be more precise and flexible, while analog devices typically have more "vibe". When it comes to analog vs digital emulation of the same analog device I found that analog always wins, since it's the reference and you jjudge the emulation based on how closely it resembles the reference (typically it fails to recreate the finer nuances).

[@JoshWestMix]

Yep all the vibe for sure. Thanks for watching!

[@Kellow7]

Amazing videos! Could you try to compare the cl1b plugin to the hardware please?

[@Rhuggins]

Ive done this own my own- a lot. And I’m very sad to report that, to my ears- the plugin behaves nothing like the hardware. The HW in full auto mode on a vocal is pure magic

[@JoshWestMix]

I will definitely make one for this one! Thanks so much for your kind words

[@JoshWestMix]

Yep this is exactly what I found as well. That compressor is just ridiculously incredible sounding @@Rhuggins

[@JackNiles]

Cool

[@mayzter8765]

Acustica Audio plugins vs hardware would be very nice:)

[@johnisrael5183]

Alot people wont do that...they would pretty much figure out that, Acustica Audio...De Values the Hi End Gear for a Regular Home Studio...... A home studio....should definately Focus on Acustica Audio/Nebula and "Affordable Analog Gear..." your get alot further like that Remember he used "WE" with that Studio...A Group of them put that together ......those are very expensive pieces of gear....and honesty the plugins were close enough to where....Acustica/Nebula and some "Affordable Analog Gear" ART, dbx, Warm Audio...ect....would have done the "Same Job" and got the "Same Results" for a FRACTION of the Cost.....smh...Id rather be a better engineer....and keep my same set up I use Acustica Audio...and Nebula....when Tracking and Mixing....with Nebula and My Own Analog Gear...my ART Transy Comp for Buses...and my WA GComp for Whole Mixes and Masters with my SoundCraft LXII and they are doing a Steller Job...really Great...Radio Ready, Punchy, full and warm mixes....You just "Dont Neccesarly Need" the Most Expensive Analog Pieces...with Acustica Audio and Nebula....it really saves a tone of money......

[@mayzter8765]

@@johnisrael5183 I use a lot of Acustica Audio stuff and other plugins and I'm happy. I only use an external compressor for tracking. Nebula is a bit tedious to use but the addons are very good.

[@JoshWestMix]

Great idea! I will check those out

[@emmomartins5383]

try to compare fast heavy compression for guitar, like a pedal compressor, Keeley or wampler..., with any plug-in counterpart. it just doesn't work. sounds really bad. I ve tried them all. i.e. I love Line 6's HX/Helix, but the compressors emulations suck big time :(

[@josiahscottquinn]

Was the analog LA2A signal also going through the 33609? Because the 33609 meters were moving as well in the part when you were pushing the LA2A.

[@DaftyBoi412]

Because this is fom a full session, I'm assuming another track is going to the neve, and the output of all the return groups are what are muted and not the sends, so the hardware is still doing it's thing in the background but you just can't hear it as the returns are muted except for the vocal track and the comps used on it.

[@j.charleshiggins5503]

Yes you are using the very old legacy UA plugs. You have a flawed test

[@olivermaier-landshut3047]

Did you at one point connect an analog metering device to the cable that goes into the 1176 and measure it with a sine wave? Would be interesting to know where the gain difference is happening? Console? 1176 input stage etc….

[@DaftyBoi412]

He said the plugs are running through the consol too. It'll be the comp it's self driving the gain.The LA2A especially has silly gain, to the point you can plug a mic or instrument directly into it and use it as a preamp! It has something like +60dbu gain or even a bit more maybe, it's wild (I've modded both my LA2As to only use the first 1/4 of their make up gain pots as 60db is WAY too much for what I use it for, and other people do the same too because it really can intruduce a stupid amount of gain when turned right up). This give me 20-25dbu of gain, and I can compress around the same at 0VU input, so that's all I need. It's the 12ax7 tube in the signal chain that's one of the culprits in the LA2A ... it's got like 100mu, it's a really gain heavy tube. However the biggest is the Tx, as their ratios are rreediculos in the original LA's as well ... something like *1 :10* or *1 :15* i forget, but that's crazy gain too!