How to Create an Analog Studio in Your DAW

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Want to learn how to turn your DAW into an analog studio? By the end of this video you're going to know exactly why analog studios sound so good, and how to give your tracks that same warm analog sound.
Learn about mixing here: www.musicianonamission.com/mi...
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#AnalogStudio #HomeStudio #HomeRecording

[@NillerVision]

Here's a tip from an old(er) person :) In the 70s/80s we were tracking mosts instruments as hot as possible, due to the signal/noise ratio. But with the (very important) exception of high freq. instruments. Anolog saturation sounds great, but NOT on hh and cymbals. We would track those with plenty of headroom. If your plugins emulates real analog gear, you should also implement good analog recording practice. Record your low-end content as hot as posible and your high-end with plenty of headroom. Another point: If you are trying to recreate the 60s or early 70s sound you should probably process 4-8 busses/ gruops rather than individual instruments. In those days 4 track tape machines was what most engineers had to work with.

[@OptomodMix]

I prefer an analogue buss set up too. I was fortunate to use analogue gear before it went out of fashion, there are definatley things I don't miss about it 😉

[@groovecat7]

Excellent advice. Many thanks! : )

[@effector3659]

There's no real advantage in tracking hot with digital, in some cases it can be detrimental as those cheap preamps on those cheap interface produce more noise when cranked, not to mention background noise when recording at home.

[@NillerVision]

@@effector3659 Sorry if my reply was so unclear that it could lead to that misunderstanding. I am not advocating for tracking anything hot digitally. I’m talking about how much of an analog saturation effect you would add to different types of instruments to emulate 70-80s sound. Back then it was good practice to track low range instruments as hot as possible. So you should not apply the same amount of “effect” to all instruments. Fun fact: back when digital recording became standard with 16bit/ 44.khz devices, like ADAT and DAT recorders, It was not uncommon to see recommendations for tracking quite hot digitally as well, in order to make full use of the limited resolution. But with today's standard you should absolutely leave plenty of “digital” headroom

[@effector3659]

@@NillerVision now I get it!

[@michaelcaplin8969]

9:18 "And when I die you make my tombstone ner ner dum derr nrnana chewie." This is hip.

[@OverdriveStudiosPontevedra]

😂😂😂

[@ghost-youth1037]

I'm ded 😂

[@citytonightproductions]

Ha ha! You win the internet today!

[@davidasher22]

Its mumble folk

[@caliskaterdrummer]

Hot damnnn 😆

Such a comprehensive and useful tutorial. Thanks a lot! Here's a guide to navigate through: 0:00 Explains the fundamentals of analog routing 9:17 The mix before and after the analog emulation processing Processing the raw tracks before mixing: 10:52 Stage 1 - the analog preamp 12:49 Stage 2 - the analog tracking board 14:12 Stage 3 - the tracking tape 15:05 Stage 4 - the analog mixing board Processing the main bus after mixing: 18:35 Stage 5 - analog summing channel 20:00 Stage 6 - the master tape 22:34 Going bankrupt is not necessary, give Airwindows plugins a try (thanks to Tracy Blair for the tip) My greatest conceptual takeaway: the analog-sounding result won't come from just one tweak at some point of the signal chain, but from the combination of many subtle effects along the chain.

[@MelloCello7]

God bless you

[@WriteJus]

First off, thanks for the navigation. Maybe I’m just dumb, but I’m not understanding the difference between stage 1 and stage 2.

[@ChiragGokani]

@@WriteJus you need to train your ears. The difference is very obvious

[@ChiragGokani]

Damn, this comment should be pinned

[@pumpernickelherbert]

@@WriteJus Came here to talk about this, stage one and two are a bit misleading without more explanation. Many studios, if they have a quality desk, will go straight into the desk, and therefore the sound of the desk IS the sound of the preamp and vice versa (as well as the sound of the EQ and dynamics section, if engaged). However, some studios have cheaper desks, or just a lot of outboard gear, and will run mics to outboard pres, and then route those pres to their desk. The video is misleading in this, because it routes a Neve pre to a Neve board emu. This is unnecessary and does not mimic real life (the equivalent of plugging a mic into a standalone 1073, then routing it into an 8068). TL;DR: If you have a channel strip emulator that has a preamp section, skip step one unless you're looking to route specific tracks to specific pres.

[@boostio_music]

8:00 is basically where it starts if you already know what this all means

[@blacklanton]

Goat!!

[@driftergrey]

Long intro lol

[@peterconnolly2724]

Thanks for that -I was about to bail on the video. Far too much basic stuff.

[@fsharpau4925]

More inclusive to start with basics - catering for more people with a wide range of levels of understanding. Good that you give times to FF to. An index in a book to turn to...Anyone read a book lately?

Well, I didn't know that stuff and I found the intro quite useful. But I appreciate having time tags in videos to skip forward aswell.

[@squeebbb]

I really need to go through your channel and start from your beginner level videos. You are very consistent, concise, and informative in every video. Great content man!

[@TheRobGuard]

Saturation makes the mix come alive!

[@richardaling5278]

Harrisson Mixbus 32C v6. The DAW that emulates the complete famous recording desk incl e.q. 3 types of compression and mixbus tape saturation. I use it for a year or so and it's great! Free demo!

[@braedenhenderson2358]

As a MOAM subscriber and big fan, I came here to say that this is one of my favorite videos you guys have ever put up. Your work is only getting better and better and it is so helpful to amateur mixers working to improve their skills and demystify a pretty opaque art form. Cheers!

[@masteringcom]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@waynebo248]

This was very well laid out and explained. I've been using saturation and analog emulation plugins for a while now. This definitely helps me set them up more effectively. This is my first time watching your channel. It won't be my last. Thanks!

[@Indigoc33]

I was literally just thinking about this and I open youtube and see your video... hallelujah, great content dude keep on

[@TheHonestTerrorist]

Just the same thing happened to me bruh

[@ANON0061]

This video changed my whole approach to recording! So amazing! A huge thanks to you!

[@bowaswell7735]

This is probably the best video about mixing I’ve ever seen!great job!!!

[@masteringcom]

Happy to help!

[@soundescapemn]

This is by far one of your best tutorials. Thank you so much.

[@masteringcom]

Happy to help!

[@SeanofAllTrades]

For anyone rreading this now - there's TONS of FREE plugins from Analog Obsession that emulate lots of old school analog gear. Perfect for doing this without spending a penny.

[@freudobas3914]

You're an amazing instructor. Though I am a beginner in the mixing world, understand the whole process. You really are on a mission. Best regards!

[@RocknRollkat]

Excellent presentation, FINALLY someone who 'gets' it ! What you didn't mention was the inclusion of a spectrum analyzer to track the buildup of thermal noise and harmonics. That buildup adds a lot of character to the analogue signal. I created a 6SN7GT tube plugin with correct harmonics AND thermal noise. I add one in each preamp input, just like nature intended. To really get the correct emulation, you can drive every piece of outboard gear with such a tube since all the old gear was tube driven or transistor driven. Transistors have a 'colder' sound though, and I haven't bothered to emulate one for that reason. Transformers were used extensively in the vintage gear and their phase shift adds to the overall effect. Every preamp should include input AND output transformers, as should busses, etc. Tape machines back in the day ran with a -70 dB noise floor, and that added to the overall effect. Once again, a spectrum analyzer would bear this out. It would be interesting to see if these commercial plugins live up to their promise, and a spectrum analyzer would gear that out. Thank you for posting this video, you really got it right. Bill P.

[@Its24KARAT]

Yo brother, do I have to export first to get that analog sound? For example, I use britson bus, and britson channel, I have 3 individual hihats which goes to a group, I throw the britson bus on the group, then, the Briton channel on individual hihats, then export them, and it's only now that I have the real processed sound? Thanks for helping me. Sorry if I didn't make myself clear brother

[@RocknRollkat]

@@Its24KARAT The Britson bus plugin is supposed to emulate the Neve 8014 console from the early 1970s. There is no "real processed sound", every console sounds a bit different, etc. This discussion could fill volumes. What I'd suggest is that you do a mix with the emulators in, then the same mix without. Try different plugin setups, etc., until you arrive at a sound that you like. You can even run the finished mix through a Pultec emulator with the settings flat, just to add that Pultec sound. That was done decades ago in the analog world, no kidding ! Keep us posted, Bill P.

[@Its24KARAT]

@@RocknRollkat Thanks man, I will try that and you know here! What are the best emulators you know BTW?

[@Its24KARAT]

@@RocknRollkat In fact, I just love the way the mix feel, Do you the Rave culture channel? Will all the big BIG ROOM Artist, odd you could talk a look, just listen quickly 2-3 tracks, you will notice their mix feel spacious. Can you see and let me know if they achieve this by analog summing? You seem experienced that's why im asking brother 👍🏻

[@RocknRollkat]

@@Its24KARAT The best plugins are the ones you like. I'm serious. Let's say that you go to a studio with an all-out API console, and you don't like the way it sounds. There's your answer !

[@RogerioValgode]

Great video! The idea of baking the tracks is great. Thanks a lot. Love your content.

[@matthewleger5605]

This is an incredible video; so glad I stumbled on to your channel -- best tutorials in the business! Thanks so much.

[@DDWyss]

Great video, Dylan! I have quite a few analog emulation type of plugins, but I never knew how best to use them. I can't wait to go back to one of my mixes with this approach in mind and see what I can do!

[@arijinal]

I have to take the time and say THANK YOU and keep doing what you're doing!! Your video is GREAT and well needed! The way you went in depth and detail is impressive and you explained it in a clear and concise way! Great job!! I'm subscribed!👍🏾💪🏾💯

[@masteringcom]

Glad we could help!

[@KarimLeMec]

A mix really WARM as hell. I will apply those suggestions to my next tracks

[@QuabmasM]

Ive been waiting for somebody to make a video like this for years. Funny thing is, I learned all this stuff just a few months before this video.

[@iantanner7579]

i've been messing with analogue desks, outboard and recording since '87, and only been working ITB since 2016... If you really want that analogue feel with your DAW, sonically IMHO, Airwindows is where it's at... start with ~ Channel6, BussColors4, ToTape5, FromTape, ClipOnly, NC-17, Density, Logical4, Pressure4, VariMu and CStrip.

[@Rek-Ignition]

Ian Tanner Sounds interesting, could it be possible for a tutorial ? Much appreciated

[@michaelcaplin8969]

I would also very much appreciate a tutorial or explanation 🙂

[@AMATSONICRECORDS]

hey man. this is great. just one question. do you put this chain on all the individual tracks or just on the master?

[@SamFranklinMusic]

also super interested if this chain is for every track... thanks for the tips tho!! Airwindows is incredible

[@PatrickStefan]

I love this approach. Works great for me ever since watching 🙏

[@theangelbluerevolver2863]

Excellent. If like myself your on this journey. Watch it twenty times if needs must...A lot of information packed in this small video. Many thanks for your effort in creating and sharing your knowledge.

[@adebolasegun4018]

You were just too sincere about your information and well informed, trust me you good

[@ptchblaq8302]

Amazing info brother! I added these techniques to what I’m doing, the results are on another level!!! Thanks!

[@travenlee]

Mixing through the bus and tape recorder are what I needed thanks for this 🙏

[@greenvalemanitou155]

Thanks mate! This was very useful! Especially as I'm using an Apollo Twin X already.

[@riversideproductionztv]

Thanks this video really helped me understand the signal flow for getting that analogue mix

[@chadbierman8058]

Thank you for sharing! This was some great information.

[@williessandwhich9725]

Thanks KZbin for recommending this video to me. SUBSCRIBED

[@JasonMcFly]

Listening without watching, it sounds like you're adding really nice light compression with each plug-in. Good stuff

[@frankherrgott]

I love your tutorials ! So inspiring ! Many thanks!

[@dreographicmusic8002]

Thank you for a very informative video! This is the first time i see a video from this channel and i learned a lot! I use ableton but you made it easy to understand your process and i was able to still understand and translate your work in the daw to mine 👌🏽 i’m looking forward to learning more from this channel 🙏🏽

[@dreographicmusic8002]

I also want to add in that im able to hear the difference and i watched this video on my PHONE the first time! Says a lot about your quality 👌🏽

[@vektacular]

I enjoy your practices for sure….Ive been recording since 1998 and I have my own ways of doing things….one thing I’ve learned throughout the years is that on a daw it’s really all about the compression in the end…..if you wanna make a track sound like it’s deeper or further away in the mix then slow down the release….more up front then speed up the release. I use to view the stereo field as more of a left to right type of thing. As the years went on I started seeing it as a front to back and left to right type of thing. Compression is the key for that. Eq is is to keep all your sounds outta the way of each other. Tape emulation is cool but it’s not like real tape saturation to me. You have done a good job at emulating that 70’s or 60’s sound but it’s more to do with the instruments you’ve used. I get that you can add the hiss and hum sounds to the recording but other than that those emulators aren’t adding much of anything…..

[@gochurra5702]

What a great job you guys did! Thank you

[@LRRecordigStudio]

Great help. It really gives a thick and deep sound thanks !!!

[@frankiesunswept]

This is a really cool and helpful video. I generally follow these rules but a few details really helped my workflow. Inspired me to set up API, Neve tests this way, and a and b-ing tracks recorded through them. Thanks y'all

[@raibard8886]

Excellent video! One way i’ve gotten immediate saturation is with Acustica Audio’s zero latency plugins on the input fx when tracking.

[@murrayalexandre]

Yeah! Great tutorial! Greetings from Brazil!

[@Glow0110]

LOVE this. Thanks so much!

[@dpecomposer]

Great video! Thanks! For anyone out there that wants to get tape machine emulations, you can get a tracking tape machine and mastering tape machine both in the Slate Virtual Tape Machine. You can get 2 emulations for the price of 1.

[@natanyofsho]

I literally just woke up from a nap, and clicked on this video from watching your other videos and I am just in time for the live webinar! got my note pad ready, closed all the tabs and everyone else is asleep! ready for the livestream

[@MirageLinne]

Great video! Also consider including multiple passes through tape, as engineers had to fit tracks onto 8/16/24track recorders. That limited real estate forced engineers to buss tracks together like : 1) All the drums and the bass to 2 track 2) the guitars to 2 tracks and so forth. That means running the sounds through multiple passes of tape and console summing to accommodate the sessions as they progressed. I think mimicking this process will get you even closer to the sounds that remind us of the 60's & 70's. In the 80's, digital machines like the Otari Dtr90, the Mitsubishi x-850 and Sony pcm 3324 allowed engineers to make "perfect" slave reels to run off of during overdub and mixing, creating a much cleaner production style. It was also around that time the first mass produced CD's became available. So moving from destructive comping due to multiple tape/console passes, released on vinyl, to cleaner digital machines, more track real estate and the first primitive CD's, created the now common trope of "harsh digital". But when you go from gooey tape compression, saturation from both console and vinyl playback, sure, everything will sound harsh in comparison. I think it took time for the engineers to adjust to the new technology and for the consumers as well. Amazing now to able to use both technologies as an artistic expression, rather than a limitation! Sorry for the lecture :)

[@devoyefolkes6446]

Thank you for the lecture hahaha!

[@devoyefolkes6446]

So in essence you'd have different elements in your mix all down to seperate two tracks and then back into the master bus? so itd be like grouping your vocals, sending it to a two track so it gets exported into a stereo track back into your mix and then that stereo track gets sent to your master bus so itd be going through two forms of master tape so to say?

[@viewfromfen9181]

Nice knowledge, thank you!

[@MirageLinne]

@@devoyefolkes6446 Exactly. Everything time you'd want to open up space for new tracks, you'd have to commit other tracks, mixing them down from, say, 6 tracks to one or two, maybe even with their associated effects, like delays, reverbs, passing them through additional tape simulation.

[@crnkmnky]

@Mr X Cool, but how much does fresh tape cost, and how much mixing time is (re-)added by doing multiple tape passes in real time?

[@giuseppebonincontro4452]

This video really changed my view on mixing

[@masteringcom]

Glad it helped!

[@osagie2]

Thanks Rob !! Bless You !

[@masteringcom]

Happy to help!

[@erichillmusic]

Great content and very helpful! Thanks man!

[@relaxsix6]

Very Informative That's what I was looking for. Thank you

[@learnerforever6933]

Wow 🤩 unique tutorial! Thanks

[@deesee2008]

Love this idea, no harm in trying it out either ! Classic albums have been constantly remastered to be louder now too.You should listen to the classic music so yr ears already are used to that sound.

[@kennethscott3538]

Probably the best video ive watched on KZbin 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@masteringcom]

Ah thanks! Glad it helped. 😅

[@bringyourownheart]

Literally the first. Also, love your channel.

[@HojoSinclair]

I'm actually figuratively the first. Go figure

[@EllencyOfficial]

Bro I will pay you when I get a bit of money . You're giving so many free infos , THANK YOU!

[@jaimemosqueda597]

That`s amazing, thank you so much!!

[@philipdunck5825]

Very very cool video man. Thanks. You are the answer for many of my pains. God bless you

[@masteringcom]

Glad we could help!

[@JohnnyBeane]

Thank you for the info!! Using Logic Pro X here.

[@eddysel10]

Great video. I will try everything presented in this video. If you put a good set of headphone on, you will understand the essence of this video better. You can definitely hear / almost feel the transition from digital to analog sound. Thanks for sharing 👍🏾

[@gatlinproduction]

You know crazy about this video. I literally just performed this same task using my MPC X except for I used the 3 preamp’s and slate digital console. Then made audio Steem into Protools. Omg. The sound quality I literally scare me half to death I’m like oh my god this is crazy audio sound nice warm and steamy.

[@gmreynoldsjr]

Really liked the example song.

[@dgp1080]

Really helpfull! Thank’s!!!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@jeenjone6794]

Am I mistaken or there is the same step two times? He is using the preamp of a console (Neve 1073), and after that, he is also using the preamp of another plugin (Virtual channel). In real life, the preamp is actually part of the tracking board. After gain staging, it goes straight to tape.

[@campusaint]

yep

[@bennettevergreen4232]

not always for example I was in an analog Studio and we recorded the bass with this chain 1. Neve preamp 2. Compressor 3. EQ 4. Mixing Board (ChannelStrip) 5. Studer (Tape) 6. Mixing Board (ChannelStrip) 7. Computer Its more about picking the right preamp for the instrument but I think its better to just use one Channelstrip

[@strategicpeoples2973]

Dope breakdown

[@Amanet13]

Thanks for the great tutorial

[@MarboBeatz]

This is awesome

[@yadaventertainment6744]

Extremely helpful.

[@immortalitytherapper23]

Great video and information!

[@LetMeDieLord]

I love you love you love you for that video!

[@jordisonjr1]

Niceee, thank you so much for this.

[@endlichjura]

Great stuff, man! Oh man, that just made my mix sound 10x better! Question: What would come on my sub busses (drums, bass, guitars, vocals etc.) and my FX returns? Just the mix board simulation I guess?

[@Coachlumi]

This is awesomely cool

[@harisnoor7904]

I love your videos man...

[@soulcentral2462]

Great tutorial!

[@mikdu1]

After this process, when you start mixing, do you mix using regular "colourless" plugins, or the same analogue ones you already went through ones?

[@eduardoarmas8286]

Very clear information. Thanks! New Subscriber

[@dbtube]

Real good video!

[@Thomas.Lafitte]

Thank's a lot! Helpfull!

[@DJROCKCEEENTERTAINMENT]

I agree 100 % with this video !!!!

[@azuraldotv]

Thanks for this gold! And what about doing this on mix groups (synth, drums, vocals...)? Does it works?

[@bnjmnwst]

Is it better to add the Pre-mix stuff after recording, or would baking it in as you record be better? Or does it make a difference? I know that recording without it gives you more options later.

[@truthfinder4973]

good info i came to this 8 years ago what i did was bring analog and daw to gather ,and its in di and Preamps my fav i have and use is ART Tube MP Mic Preamp ,this can work as a di box or a mic preamp it give that nice crisp warm sound .than at the daw part for fx of any kind i set up bus i never ever putt fx on the recorded track it gets muddy.the only thing i do on the recorded track is set the eq there than i send to a bus track.butt over all you get the best sound by not going di in with everything if you can .if not for di in get di box and try to have one that got tube in it.

[@relaxsix6]

Memories are fresh 1980 That was the best time ever

[@calebingersoll6085]

This is tedious but my GOD, it gave me the exact sound I wanted.

[@BraveHeartOriginal]

Great information thanks 😊👌

[@josephrobles8151]

Love this! Which mix buss would be comparable in Waves? I’m trying to emulate this process but with Abbey Roads plugins..

[@nitroville4899]

We don't have Slate Digital, can you recommend any UAD consoles instead for the various stages where you are using Slate?

[@blackcreekmusic783]

You can also add bus processing to your effects sends that will help things

[@burkesworks4464]

Great video, but was wondering - Isn't the UA 1073 plug-in technically a preamp and tracking board (channel strip) combined? I ask because they do offer the 1073 as a separate preamp only. The extra tracking board in step 2 seems redundant if the 1073 is used in step 1.

[@lms421]

Imwas looking for some comment like yours to understand that, in my opinion, it does seem redundant.

[@williamk6605]

@burkes - No, it’s not necessarily redundant because often people use an external colorful preamp/channel strip outside of the plain sounding tracking console/channel strip they have. And the point is, you may very well want all of the saturation/color as possible. Not to mention you may want to use the “clean” eq and/or compressor from the extra board.

[@lms421]

@@williamk6605 But then, when using an external preamp, do you leave the preamp of the tracking board in zero db, right? You don't usually gain stage twice, do you?

[@JBauerProject]

Great stuff guys! Also, grab the Slate All Access Pass and call it a day

[@nicholasblack8419]

Thanks for the information, it is very helpful. I just want to know which waves pligins of the for stages must I use if I dont have slate digital plugins and which saturation ones can I use for the final two stages?

[@SunlightOfTheSpirit]

Hi there, great video. Would all this processing get done after EQ, compression, effects, etc. Also, this seems to be for live recorded instruments. Would all this still apply for ready to use samples and modern VST synths? I always get confused if I should be doing this process on already processed production ready samples. Thanks in advance.

[@JuusoHoo]

Hello this was interesting. Have you/anyone succeeded to the somewhat alike finish by routing just the final mix through a good analog (SSL) compressor and a pro C-cassettedeck back to 2 tracks?

[@rautshsale1948]

so do you copy the plugins over to the other channels, once you've adjusted the settings on the first channel? or do you do the first step individually for all of the channels?

[@ArmenChakmakian]

Which UA plug-ins do you like if you were to swap them out for the Slate software? (i.e.Tracking Board, Mixing Board, Summing Channel)

[@nayanagyal]

Amazing video :D

[@DonClassico]

Thanks for this, man

[@masteringcom]

No problem!

[@franciscogomez5341]

Question, when in the mixing process, wouldn’t it be more ideal to add a tape plugin to every track before the console plugin? Once the content is on tape (the first process), then it goes back through the board to your monitors. It would be interesting to know if you get the same or even maybe even better results.

[@kensmechanicalaffair]

Works for me.

[@TyroneLoganMusic]

Very nice tutorial. I also like the use of the “warm” color palette used on your tracks. Nice touch.

[@lightafluident.9950]

I use hardware to track, and then plugins to mix. When you track through a great mic preamp and a few nice compressors you have the warmth and or the grit you need already just from using hardware. There's nothing that compares with tracking through hardware.

[@fgustafson2243]

Awesome use of analogue emulations. Sometimes the simple and the obvious is the most brilliant. Very clever to make such a precise imitation of a professional analogue studio setup. Great video! Question: Do you know Decapitator from Soundtoys? Wouldn't that be a great tool as the console imitations. You can choose between different emulations of different consoles in the plugin. Perhaps it is a bit to exagerated in the emulations. If you know the plugin, what is your opinion on its use in this context?