Audio Interface vs Entire Studio

[@RabeaMassaad]

Thanks so much for the comments guys. So good to see discussion. The EQ was matched as close as we could in the studio, but as dave rightly pointed out each Neve preamp will sound and react slightly differently. For the processing, I had each mic (both Neve and UAD) sent to their own buss where I then did all the processing (A handy tip from dave) So then it is literally down to the preamp reacting differently. The bass was really noticeable and the vocal too. It's really interesting how they're so similar in ways and yet so different as well. In any case, it was a load of fun and I'm happy with the results! Thanks

[@caloss2]

I was very useful to watch/listen to it shows how far technology has come, both sound great, but yes the top and bottom are different. again youtube running the audio recording at 320 kbps compression it will have an effect on the sound too I'd love to sit and listen to it in flac etc hehe.

[@Mr11oo]

cant spot any pros and cons... mabey my ears are tired of the session i had today :D

[@Stratomacaster]

I was going to comment with some feedback, but you pretty much described what I heard word for word. I was listening on a pair of HS8's without a sub, but you could still tell the Neve was a bit tighter on the bass.

[@PhilipValdesMusic]

Best comparison video of analog vs. modeling I've seen! Completely agree that the most noticeable difference was in the bass and vocals. But the character is all there and with a little tweeking to make the vocal stand out more and control the bass rather than trying to match everything it would be dead on. Great Job! Great song too!

[@RushSimRacing]

Rabea Massaad hey man I am building a guitar with my uncle and I was going with P90'S for pickups. I am building a gretsch style guitar. what is your opinion?

[@dhekke]

I think my biggest takeaway from this demo is that if you play like that, the recording gear doesn't really matter. This could've been recorded with a baked potato and still would've given me the chills. So good...

[@captainjonty]

Best comment ever

[@pdxmetal]

Performance is everything.

[@Markpianist1]

Absolutely. Everything is so good today with EQ and skill there is no reason why one can't make a professional recording. It starts with the musicians.

[@mariaulfah2813]

The key of analogue is reel tape.

[@mariaulfah2813]

I want that mini neve desk

[@BenMinal]

Such an awesome day and it's great to hear the final comparison. Very impressed with the Apollo!

[@Frytekma]

To me The Real Neve gives the vocals more space and they stick out more and everything sounds a tiny bit clearer, where the UAD Neve is a little muddier or it just makes the bass more powerful in everything and makes the vocals stick out less. Tiny differences i don't know if it could be just the eq thing. Just my opinion, both sound really good.

[@TheBigB01]

I agree; I prefer the drums on the UAD because of the more powerful bass, but the vocals are superior on the Real Neve.

[@hogblockula9335]

Exactly same feeling here

[@BrandonNevermind]

I'm with ya on that one.

[@frantisekvtelensky820]

Same here, mate, great comment! :)

[@Frytekma]

wow I would never think people would agree so much! great to see there is so many decent people here :)

[@michaelschmutz8169]

Shit, forgot to listen to the differences, because i was blown away by the whole arrangement!

[@andrewt248]

Michael Schmutz ^^^THIS.

[@shemademegay]

haha, if you forgot to listen for the difference, this means you didn't really notice a massive difference! So...well done UA!

[@khay2210]

I did notice that I sort of preferred the sound from the UAD because I love the bottom end, it had a little more balls and life to it than the original, of course I was carried away by the instruments so I couldn’t notice the difference in the vocals and yea Michael Schmutz you are right man I was blown away and everything was just perfect 👌 top notch.

[@ChristianIce]

My NS10s tell me that the real thing is wider, the low frequencies are present without peaking and the high harmonics push the vocals to another level. The difference is very subtle, though, and knowing the price of a Neve...I'll get an Apollo as soon as I can .

[@TacomaEscape]

ChristianIce Did you get an Apollo? If so which one? Apollo 8p?

[@WillJukedTheBox]

Ns10’s are lying bastards

[@lgm6192]

Great video. But, what I think bedroom musicians on here need to realise is that a professional mixer will make a £100 USB interface sound better than a £10 million studio run by an amateur. The same way the best guitarists can make cheap guitars sound great. It's all about technique and understanding what you're doing. Knowledge is worth a hundred times more than any fancy piece of analog hardware.

[@tisbonus]

L GM Bingo, yahtzee! Truer words have never been spoken! Great comment!!

[@brianwilson49]

it aint what you got, its how you use it.

[@PherotoneStudios]

couldn't agree more

[@einarabelc5]

The problem I've always had with that argument is, how do you acquire that knowledge without access to the equipment that allows you to make mistakes and expand your knowledge by exercising.

[@PherotoneStudios]

I think it's mainly down to time. If you get a mic, a DAW and have internet access you can begin learning immediately. There are channels like Recording Revolution where you can learn a lot in a small space of time. You are now hearing songs that are hitting the charts that have been recorded on poor quality gear and produced in a bedroom on cheap speakers that sound incredible. I'd say it's more down to spending the time trying things and learning while using KZbin as the learning medium. I did Music Production at college and had learn 90% of what I knew on my own before getting there and that was from books as KZbin wan't really a resource. I still learn things from channels like Recording Revolution and Produce Like A Pro but rarely learn things from being in various studios I'm going to mainly because it's the variety of exposure to different ways of doing things and different approaches. I'm not saying that going to a proper studio won't teach you anything because it certainly will but spending 10 years in a pro studio will have a very different learning curve to studying KZbin videos for 10 years (assuming that you're putting the practice in). We spend about 5 years isolated in one recording studio with the same three people and the learning curve was slow. Again KZbin wasn't really a resource at this point so it was all mainly from books and trial and error but we did have various producers and engineers come in which we'd learn bits from.

[@BlackfireProductions]

After that solo my face is sufficiently melted.

[@380stroker]

Like Nancy Pelosi melted?

[@MrGrebgnet]

Please release the song as a separately video!

[@RabeaMassaad]

+MrGrebgnet on it

[@MrGrebgnet]

Awesome! I really liked it!

[@LukeGreck]

Yes please! Thanks Bea! :D

[@flamen89]

yeah man! i need that on cd! good stuff!!

[@morodochable]

yeah... when's the album out? :D

[@CLOAKBEATS.]

the most fun thing to do in these comparisons is switch the labels "real" and "uad" and watch people claim the the UAD sounds more dynamic and then tell them whoops, we made a mistake and watch their face crumble.

[@CLOAKBEATS.]

on another note, this arrangement was incredible

[@jasonpoole7073]

I like you, you can stay

[@bjamminbeats]

I was listening to a different comparison vid thinking the guitars sounded more alive on the hardware and after putting my glasses on realised I'd got the takes the wrong way round 🤷‍♂️

[@youowemeapony]

People are terrible at blind A/B tests. Almost every test I've ever done with proper signal splits and gain matching is a total toss up. 10 different people will like 10 different things. I've also found that price is very rarely a determining factor in what people choose. The Art Studio MP (40 dollar tube preamp) won 65% of the vote on distorted guitars over a bae 1073, api 550, shadow hills GAMA and my old mackie onyx. The mackie won on horns, which was totally unexpected. Sometimes absolute fidelity isn't what we need after all.

[@reekrodriqguez6552]

Exactly 😂 let’s see can they debunk that. But you know biased people would make up any reason to talk down and try to compensate why they spent so much money on their gear but deep down probably regretting all that money that been wasted

[@rebel200794]

The real deal just seemed to give more separation to everything. It really helped the vocals cut through. Other than the separation the main difference between the two was indeed the low end. The UA does a great job for the price but no surprise the real deal won it...for me anyway.

[@VictorEMusique]

Agreed on every point

[@Markpianist1]

I have to check on my Genelecs but on crappy headphones I hear more fullness from the the UAD. However, two different hardware units will have that same difference. Bass yes but on many instruments you cut out low end rumble anyways. I have never had anyone say on the final mix, I can tell you didn't use the hardware.

[@misterringer]

To me it just sounded like they put more reverb on the UAD vocals. That's where the relative lack of definition and extra low end seem to be coming from.

[@m9shamalan]

i agree, but i think there was level and eq differences on the vocal for the real 1073 - there is no detent in the middle of the eq pots, so unless the freq is switched to off, you cant be sure its actually flat. still, the real ones win.

[@100tjl]

agree too got a upper mids , or low highs area limiting (less dynamic) sound on the UAD

[@micronesia3797]

Hannah's voice, Bea's solo, Dave's groove, Ben's shuffle and Dan's mad camera skills. Good lord.

[@19Stride]

Man rabbeas solos are just insane!!!

[@SkyAvila983]

Really? I think it was ordinary good playing, not anything special - just good.

[@robinlaurenssen2741]

holy shit Hannah sings beautifull, she should join you guys more often!

[@BrandonNevermind]

SECONDED! I legitimately got chills near the end there!

[@OddoRocket]

I believe she is in a band with matt hornby if you dig her vocals

[@alstartheman]

Yeah she was a big surprise to me! Great voice, lot of power, emotion, awesome! kind of reminds me of the singer from London Grammar in a way

[@hannahboulton]

Thanks guys! Really appreciate it :D

[@BrandonNevermind]

I didn't know you had a channel, instant subscribe!

[@RAINE____]

Came for the A/B comparison... got distracted by the amazing cover. Wish this was a video in itself. What a guitar solo! And credit to the other musicians/vocalist too. Wow.

[@coolumar335]

Bea, I'm so glad I'm subbed to you all these years later. Cheers to you and the rest of the guys (and Hannah)!

[@shaner36]

I own uad gear. It is amazing for the price. The neve is out of range if you are doing home studio based. At the end of the day its about he music most people will listen on headphones in thier car. So the difference will be even less. Perfect world sure everyone would want neve. But UAD gear is worth every penny. Great video!!!

[@joemooreplays]

'Bea, you're a bloody brilliant player...and make arguably some of the best guitar faces. This was awesome! Thanks to all of you!

[@ginger_jack92]

I know your a busy bunch but please, please, please! record and release some more material in this style. It was amazing! I was grinning like and Idiot the whole way through :D Both options sound great but there is something special about the Neve!

[@CIRCLEOFTONE]

Reading the comments...So many people overstating how better the real deal is to the UAD. I'm blown away by how similar they are via good monitors. They are very similar. Great test. I could claim that there is so much more (insert 3d/depth/bloom/lie here) on the Neve over the UAD...but I'd be lying.

[@elijahburch6058]

it really is extremely close. i think im gonna cop that apollo

[@Allious131]

Because those people are just seeing how expensive the Neve is humans are funny they would automatically think the more expensive something is the better. It's a false narrative.

[@RS-pp7ng]

incredible how controlled the low end is on the real 1073s compared to the boomy low end of the UAD's.

[@cawfeedawg]

The magnitude of talent gathered in this studio melted my Mac Book I dont know shit about the shootout you were doing but that song was epic and it is one of the best strat solo's ive heard. well done guys!

[@gravelinacup]

Dorje and Toska are pretty good, but this was a whole nother level, if you would form a band with you guys and Hannah, I would be an avid follower. This track was spectacular (totally ignored the comparison). Rock on man!

[@busyend]

Its always good to hear you 3 jam,and I have missed Hannah's beautiful voice. Today, on my 56th birthday I got a special treat to hear both. Thanks guys and Hannah for that awesome voice track. Cheers!

[@dan_edr_]

hey Bea ,can you make a vídeo for recording guitar pro bass for beginners? please?? you are awesome!!

[@dkilpatrick9309]

Got goosebumps when Hannah hit the high notes. Bea the solos are so good every time. I want to have that level of feel when I play. Well done

[@Zero__97]

12:18 for people who just want to listen to the beautiful song

[@pandagamers1968]

Michal Filip I never liked this song ever but until I heard this version I actually like it a lot, BTW what is the original song?

[@tisbonus]

panda gamers 19 Chris Isaac - Wicked Game.

[@nightwishlover8913]

Wow! Superb cover - and that solo!!! Beautifully crafted and not just full shred. Very tasteful. Hannah's voice is great and the band is SO TIGHT! Well done all!

[@seangriffey8669]

Dave

[@cokekdx]

It's astonishing how much the drums open up with the analog path

[@mercutio123100]

Holy shit dave looks awesome without the dreads

[@DaveHollingworth]

thanks dude ;-)

[@BrandonNevermind]

Dave.

[@ThatsBadTV]

Dave

[@leonk6950]

Oh gawd noooo! He looks so... normal... with dreads he's just so unbelievably chill and cool looking

[@jakedoingmusic]

Leon Kowarschick too late now

[@kaulikemusic6160]

The performance was stellar for one!!! You folks are amazingly talented and just great musicians. This really helped me make some decisions as to how I wanna go about recording. There was a noticeable difference between the Neve and the UAD, especially with the roundness of the UADʻs low end and itʻs highs as well. Great comparison video. THANK YOU!

[@zb24148]

Interesting video, but GREAT song! Is it going to be made available via Itunes or another form of digital distribution?

[@AftercastGames]

This... please.

[@mdeerocks6792]

It's a cover of Chris Isaac "Wicked Games" (which was used as theme tune for David Lynch "Wild at Heart"). So, technically it's already available and has been for about 20 years or so :)

[@guusverschuuren8495]

M Dee Rocks yeah but not the version of ben,dave, bea and hannah....

[@randomPlayer-2]

The real deal give so much space to the mix and it's more forgiving with the transients, specially on the drums. Loved the video guys, you are awesome.

[@IFDH777]

So I was genuinely interested in this, but I kept drifting off and just enjoying you guys' awesome playing :D thanks!

[@g3rman045]

This is EXACTLY how this shoot out needed to be done. Super glad someone is doing it this way. Kudos boys.

[@Benprogfuse]

If the preamp causes the microphone to act a certain way, how does a split box prevent both the analog preamp and unison preamp to not affect the microphones simultaneously?

[@tmuka]

Benprogfuse I was thinking the same thing. if the pre interactively changes the mics impedance it would've been nice to test completely independent signal chains too

[@maxmileski1248]

tmuka, yes, This has been revealed to be a sticking point over at the uadforum page. I had been splitting a guitar signal w/ my Boss tuner then routing to both of Apollos hi-z inputs and then applying separate Unison inserts, be it 1073 or amp model and someone pointed out that the boss pedal introduces 1mohm thereby circumventing the pure impedance matching using Unison via Apollo. I now skip the tuner when tracking and use a REDDI to split signals when I want to do so. It really is about trying to keep things as direct as possible when plugging into the Apollo to use unison in order to reap all of the potential that this technology offers.

[@JohnPaulHare]

The low end assessment was spot on, which in turn led to, as others have stated, less space around the vocal. I thought the highs were slightly warmer on the real Neve, whereas they had a hint (I mean the barest shade of a hint, really) of harshness from the Apollo. It's still quite impressive to me that a digital interface could be so close to perfectly emulating a piece outboard gear. As some others have said, the drums and bass from the Apollo have a bit more power and are more present overall due to the looser bass response, but I preferred the guitar and the vocal through the real 1073, again because they were crisper and slightly warmer than the digital emulation. Great comparison!

[@Comp3630]

Real Neve has so much more dynamic range and body. Especially in the vocals. Hannah sounds so much better through the real deal.

[@stratonut]

agreed

[@theharlinator]

Use headphones and don't look when their switching... can't really tell. From analog to digital UA has turned the page!

[@RepeatAgain979578]

so much ? don't go too far

[@Malc180s]

She's louder. By a good 2db. That's the difference.

[@paulbangash4317]

theharlinator if you cannot hear the difference , you should not be a recording engineer .

[@jonathanmurphy9038]

Hi Bea, that solo was stunning. Note choice, tone, dynamics and phrasing...utterly killer. Love it.

[@JamesShore1990]

Can we get a current pedalboard tour?

[@gustavomantovani8309]

Are you kidding me?!!!! Whoever was supposed to turn the on and off or the A and B bottom fell asleep, right?! I am saving all my pennies to get the Apollo! INCREDIBLE!!!! Nice work guys!

[@jamjestrysiek]

I must say Apollo did pretty well. It was a wee bit muddier and definitely more basy but still pretty close. For me calm moments sounded better on real Neave but later, the more "heavy" moment was actually equal on both. Neave was still a wee bit more clear and had more air but Apollo had this nice warm energy and guitar sounded a wee bit better. Obviously this is my subjective opinion :) Great video :)

[@BruceAlanR]

The real thing sounds/feels better, but I guess that's why it's being emulated. The 8P doesn't sound bad, just not as open, floaty, or warm. Great video! Thanks for doing it!

[@Iliaspap80]

Great video! Could you please share the .wav files of this comparison?

[@SpedSpedding]

Absolutely smoked it. So so killer. It’s on the list.

[@canaanlawrence7351]

Best Bea solo ever.

[@nicolasmasset]

Wow, a huge win for the real Neve's here. Not even close! Tightness, bottom end, clarity, separation, all the cliché words come true.

[@andreiphi]

epic song man

[@Niloy63]

Excellent production and performance all around! Top notch, really.

[@guruzini1971]

add a male singer........the next Fleetwood Mac.....Hannah has IT

[@MJGS95]

I really enjoyed this and I know the video wasn't about you as a guitar player but man bea, been watching the channel for at least 4-5 years and your playing just keeps improving and inspiring me. Such diversity is hard to come by and you make it look effortless, keep up the great content and playing.

[@deszczak]

I hate when people call the SM7B a large diaphragm microphone when it is actually a small diaphragm mic.

[@SDH2023]

Been using the UA Apollo since they first came out. Game changer. But the real magic happens when you pair it with a UA 4-710d. Game over.

[@NoQualmsTheArtist]

During the solo there wasn't too much difference, but with the vocals the analog was far superior. Maybe just have 1 Neve 1073 in the studio for the vocalist and track the band with the plugins.

[@FabianLanfold]

Dave. Did I win the internet yet?

[@TheFatstrat79]

You could certainly hear that the Neve gave a sense of 'space' to the recording. Rabea, for someone who can shred and play brutally you can really dial it down and play so soulfully. The guys and Hannah also sounded amazing!

[@evedidthis7720]

Hannah though.

[@RabeaMassaad]

+evedidthis Hahahah yeah!

[@captainjonty]

haha i know right!

[@hannahboulton]

evedidthis aw guys! *blush* 😘

[@jhar9022]

First time I've heard Hannah sing, and goddamn does she have a great voice. Cool mellow arrangement of the song too, and the phrasing in that first solo with the Strat was phenomenal.

[@marcorock101]

my ears through my studio monitors prefer the UAD over the Real.

[@NoQualmsTheArtist]

marcorock101 same here

[@bv9434]

Same. Dang that is weird

[@johnpaulpatton9786]

To my ears, while the character of both is very similar, I noticed a distinct level and clarity difference between the two. With the real gear, the vocals are pushed into an upfront position and the clarity of the instruments seemed to decrease. With the UAD, the vocals seemed to sit in the mix better with the instruments and there seems to be a general amount of clarity boost in all the instruments.

[@cortical1]

You guys are thinking and acting like scientists. You show a gnawing curiosity about truth and understanding about sound, and your approach toward making inferences about cause is based on the experimental method: systematically isolating, manipulating, and holding constant specific independent and dependent variables. Good times.

[@cortical1]

@@mattdunbarofficial You're a bit heavy-handed here. First of all, this is a perfectly reasonable way to make a comparison by ear. I was merely offering a compliment based on their systematicity and good-faith efforts. Secondly, if you really want to talk about the actual science of sound, I'm up for it any time. You'd do well to be more careful online about who you decide to get condescending with. He might actually be someone who makes his living as an acoustic scientist. Send me your list of published peer-reviewed papers and grants and we'll see who the expert is.

[@DanKingJr]

Rabea... so much soul and feeling in that solo. Absolutely brilliant!

[@TheDogPa]

To be a real engineer, in the day, meant: you woke up in your sleep hearing 1 k tones until you went mad. It meant you knew what a nanoweber was. It was spending 2 hours unwinding mic cords at 5 AM...and cleaning off the beer. It meant hiding your razor blades you edited with from the ass laying out a mirror on the 24 track. It meant racks of 1176's, 1178's & LN-2A's, Big Reds in soffits, Auratones on the desk & U47's checked out from the mic locker. But what it really was, all started with a broom and took years of learning from a pro, who learned from a pro, etc. It is too bad that is mostly gone today. You can't model that. Analog or digital, they are just tools. You can make music with sticks and rocks, but to record it properly you really can't do it with presets. It is indeed nice to see you guys putting in the work. Find an old guy. There are a few old codgers in the UK that know a bit about it, I hear. :o)

[@timodewit306]

The real deal adds a lot of presence to me. It really cleans up the low end and lets the vocal come through. When the uad kicks in it immediately feels like my glasses are dirty.

[@e.g.systems6146]

Hannah has an undoubtedly great voice, but in this she sounded (and even looked) nervously restrained. Really good, but... somehow not what I imagine her best would be (I hope you'll see this is an underhanded compliment). Like many others here I'd like to see you guys do this more often, so Hannah relaxes into it. I feel there's a LOT better to come if allowed to do so.

E.G. Systems + 1 seconded!

[@hannahboulton]

E.G. Systems I really appreciate that comment, thank you! Not an excuse, but following yelling my way through the NAMM show in January, I was ill for 6 weeks on and off so my voice was totally out of whack. What I then *didn't* do that I should have, was practise tirelessly until my voice was back up to scratch. So, lesson-learnt for me! It's too easy to get complacent and forget about the daily practice! Thanks for watching for your honest feedback :) x

[@HoracioGarciaMusic]

Hannah, you still crushed it!

[@PonderosaSoundStudio]

Thanks Rabea for posting this - this and UA's similar video are what convinced me to very recently upgrade from an entry-level Focusrite interface to a UAD Apollo X4. Originally, I was going to go with an Antelope Audio Discrete 4 Synergy Core, but what deterred me was the many user complaints about their software. So yes, the UA was a considerable additional investment, but I'm very glad I went with UA in the end. I feel like the quality of the interface, the preamps and the plugins are certainly not the factors that are going to hold me back from advancing on the learning curve or from my aspirations to be able to produce a relatively professional calibre recording.

[@chrisjames5996]

God I wish I could afford a Universal Audio interface :'(

[@khronscave]

Don't sweat it - it's not in the gear. Sure. some pieces of gear sound a certain way, but i myself don't really buy the "holy grail"-ness of stuff like that. If the music is great, the performances are proper and the songs are good, the gear used to record that just "fades into the background", as it were.

[@lgm6192]

Chris James I have a UAD Apollo and although it is great, it is not night and day difference to a cheaper £50 focusrite interface. You can make amazing sounding songs for cheap if you know what you're doing and you can mix.

[@khronscave]

My point exactly. Mic technique / placement is a far more important skill to learn, than buying this or that piece of gear. If anything, the choice of whatever gear you buy should be based on the features it gives you, rather than "the sound". Many engineers will agree that, for example, you could make a Distressor sound like an 1176 or any number of other "classic" compressors. Then again, much of that gear is often close to a "one-trick pony" situation. Me, i'm perfectly happy with my "budget" multitracking setup (MOTU 896mk3 Hybrid, MOTU 8pre and an M-Audio ProFire 2626, racked up in a case with casters). Even including the two 15m snakes, i think it's still under half of what a single(!) Neve 1073 would cost (the 1RU mains-powered version).

[@lgm6192]

KhronX I agree. Mic placement and technique will get you much further than having a 96 track SSL. One thing that I think is make or break in the recording chain is the mixing engineer. A beginner could ruin a song with mixing even if it's recorded with the best gear. I use a UAD Apollo, SM57 and Rode NT1000. For what I use it for I know spending any more money will just be diminishing returns.

[@khronscave]

Call me cynical or whatever, but being snooty and "elitist" about preamps and vintage gear and whatnot is just "cork-sniffing" (google it), as far as i'm concerned. Gimme bang for buck and i'm good...

[@JohnnyAccioly]

Nothing to add, really, as for the comparison - great job! Guess I even like the UA stronger bass a little better. But what made me comment was the unexpected bonus to hear such a sweet piece of brilliantly played music. Killer guitar, heavenly vocals, and awesome dynamics! Glad to have come across this. Cheers!

[@humbucker0076]

I'm a rebel...i listened to this with cheap in ear headphones xD

[@anders671]

Humbucker 007 at least you used headphones

[@peterbull3955]

Well, given that most music consumption these days is through cheap heaphones or a bluetooth speaker (or just a phone..) it's pretty important to note that on these mediums you can't tell the difference.

[@oopiv3273]

@@peterbull3955 That's why I didn't use headphones at all! ... But then went back and put on my m60x. I could hear a difference just on the phone's speaker. But barely. If I had the time to compare a 3rd time is run it through my bedroom rig as well.

[@shane2973]

I'm gonna be honest and agree with another comment, I could not care less which way you guys recorded that track. I thought it was great! The chemistry between the players and the way you guys laid down that arrangement was just great! I utterly enjoyed the video and the song. Maybe switching back and forth between the expensive outboard helped keep it sounding great, but I was reading comments and listening and half paying attention to the changing between the 2 and if I didn't look up I wouldn't have known you guys were going back and forth. When I did notice it was just her voice not coming across as well, but super subtle...sorry for the long comment I just really enjoyed that song which made me enjoy the video...great job!

[@iamrichlol]

Why does Dave always look stoned?

[@Northernmight]

You can never take the pirate out of Dave. It's all the grog.

[@e.g.systems6146]

Well... Duh.... :O)

[@BellucciStudioz]

What you guys have demonstrated here is what I have experienced with the Red 4Pre with AIR enabled and the Focusrite ISA 2. I would imagine that with the high res audio the differences are even more apparent than what you guys have posted here on KZbin. Low end is muddier on the emulation, the mid range is also not as good and the high end also does not shine through as much on the emulation. Having said that if you close your eyes and listen it is harder to distinguish which is which. There were times though that I preferred what the Apollo was doing but 90% of the time I preferred the sound of the Neve pre's. IMO the real benefit with analog gear is that it helps you achieve the result you are after a lot quicker. For those who are recording with nothing more than the standard mic pre's on an audio interface, they have to do more to get instruments and vocals to sound the way it sounded in the room or the way they would like it to sound. Those with the bigger budgets who can afford decent mic pre's and outboard gear, they achieve the result they are after a lot quicker.

[@marcomusictv3854]

If you would do a blind test, almost no body would ever know...

[@KelsterVonShredster]

Wow, kudos from Canada! That was kick ass. Came in for the UAD geek talk and left with a fan of your Wicked Games cover!

[@TheTalkingTurd]

Noooice

[@thorwulfx1]

I thought that the analog Neve had a little more midrange bloom, while the Apollo 8P had a bit more breath on top. On my rig, I couldn't hear a lot of difference on the bass. Great cover, really neat experiment.

[@johnnyjudis9163]

Great song but not r&b... The arrangement sounds nothing like r&b either sounds more like soft rock gotta stop tossing that term around so much...

[@Scilter]

Johnny Boi sounded like Rhythm and Blues to me

[@Allious131]

@@Scilter no it didn't it was soft rock

[@keveszatmari9831]

421 on the kick? Apart from that, it is probably the most accurate comparison on youtube, great stuff guys!

[@AleksandrVardanyan]

UAD is missing the warmth and overall sounds boxy compared to the Neve, it comes close, but The Neve just kicks UAD's ass. you guys sound good. I personally think it's better to pay $2500 and go record in a studio with a Neve console with a good engineer then to buy the UAD and use it here and there in the house studio. Rock on guys awesome channel!

[@jacobcundy4848]

There's nothing like the real thing. At first, I was just paying attention to the song until the emulations came in and revealed that they don't sound as smooth and as full as the real Neve. The sound difference to me was significant. At least in the listening environment that I was in. In comparison, the UAD sounded brittle in the high end. The low end seemed a little loose or blurry as well in the UAD emulation. But I still like some of their plugins and appreciate the build quality of their gear. ***Side note, UAD as a whole could come down in price about 10% - 15%*** Some of the value in today's modern recording equipment needs to comes from the appreciation of the build quality, look, and feel on the hardware side. If not, then just go buy the newest cheapest plastic interface you can find. Because the sound quality in new recording equipment is "comparable" across the entire price spectrum.

[@randomchannelname24]

Anyone else think the bass was overly done in that mix?

[@DannyJamesGuitar]

I love these kind of videos. You guys did a great job! For me, the analog stuff killed it here. They sounded close, but the Neve and hardware compressors FELT much better; if that makes sense. When analysing the sonics, I agreed with what most others said; the Neves sounded more controlled and stronger in the low end, whilst the UAD sounded more flubby. In the high end the Neves had more air and the vocals cut through much better (in a nice and un-harsh way) When I intellectually analyse the differences, I can pick them out and then come to the conclusion that they are quite subtle overall. BUT, when I close my eyes and try to feel the differences, it's night and day. It's the difference between me listening and thinking "Good sound and good performance" instead of "Good sound and good performance - I'm adding it to a playlist and coming back to feel/hear that again" I realise that this is completely subjective, and other people will have the exact opposite opinion to me, so I'm just talking for myself here. But it's always the same when I check out these analog vs digital shootouts - they tend to sound similar, but the analog impacts on me more and makes me feel something - which is what is most important at the end of the day in my opinion. I can't wait until the digital stuff catches up, or even exceeds the hardware. It's getting closer and closer, and I do think that UAD did a great job here, all things considered. But until the digital impacts me in the same way that the hardware does, I'll keep dreaming about being able to afford £100,000 worth of gear for my studio haha.

[@DEADMEDIC]

I called it so long ago. Dorje/tosker should drop rob and have either Hannah or natasja sing. Welcome to the new super group. Toska+hanner

[@YatinSrivastavaProject]

That was absolutely beautiful! The amount of detail provided is insane! The fact that you can get anywhere near to actual Neve sound with plugins is beyond helpful for modern recording purposes. Also, just saying - everytime I hear "The Cove" again, it makes me giddy inside!

[@xcy0n]

Apollo sounded like shit in comparison, imho. It was such a release every time the video switched back to the Neve.. even on notebook speakers.

[@cbrooks0905]

You're stepping up your game this year, Warren. Your tip videos have on point! Thanks, friend!

[@jackturtle131]

Holy moses that is ten times better than that Dorje crap

[@simonwilliams9916]

I play in a covers band and to make it your own like that is brilliant. Great vocals and guitar solo and great bass and drums too. Dave and Ben have a fantastic groove. Great work guys.

[@TheKule1]

Just listening on my iPhone X I can tell the Neve is fuller, the bottom end has a lot more depth. The highs are silky, to me the UAD sounded clean and the stereo spectrum was narrowed. The 1073 just sounded finished with a wonderful tone. Great video!

[@GoodIntentVillage]

It all about the talent. Gear only is an extension of the gear. I can't tell the difference except for you notice little difference with analog sound.

[@elonlove343]

If you guys still have the files. Do a video follow up to this and blind AB the two mixes.

[@jmichaelE68]

Wow, the UAD is sick! brighter, louder, more dynamic. Great performance Rabea!

[@Mheyos]

To me, bass frequencies are bit more defined thru the real UAD gear and there is also more AIR ( or sort of) than in the emulation, but that is truly amazing

[@OllertonMD]

I think the UAD vocals at 17:07 vs the Neve vocals at 17:15 show the difficulty at emulating analog distortion. The neve vocals, when pushed, gave a very signature grit that the UAD didn't have. However, I think UAD low end was nice

[@SpectrumDIY]

That was a pretty awesome video! Great to see the difference between the modeled and real thing.

[@christianboddum8783]

Rabea keeps his cool and his fire at the same time - that's musical maturity people!

[@bobc-bobc]

I tuned into this video to learn about the hw vs. sw comparison but like so many other commenters I was blown away by your band's superb performance of "Wicked Game." I'm a huge fan of Chris Isaak's original recording but your cover may have surpassed it. I think this vid validates the idea that talent trumps gear every time. Brilliantly done!

[@perrypelican9476]

What a great voice this girl has. I forgot what the video was about. Her voice took me into a fantasy. Thanks for that.

[@seantomalty3062]

awesome A/B demo. I just bought the Warm Audio 1073-eq, and immediately noticed a surprising difference in the high end. I find the UAD preamps to be a bit darker (i own the Apollo 8p as well) compared to the 73, making the 73 a bit more clear from about 2-3k and up! This of course creates a much nicer stereo image as well and a more pronounced recording. I also find that the 1073s have a lot more punch because of the 3k and up clarity. Of course when you tailor that with the additional eq provided, it can make bass sub boom, and guitars sparkle and punch. Very happy i bought the 1073 clone but also having that in tandem with the Apollo make a killer team!