The Big Reveal Video- You blind tested hardware & plugins!

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Sorry for the delay but it's finally here- Today I follow up from this video: • UAD Plugins vs. Analog...
Comparing real hardware to plugins let me know how good your ears are!
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[@adam872]

I think what it demonstrates is that the technology has advanced so much that you just pick whichever tool suits your workflow and budget and get on with it. Just about everything sounds amazing now.

[@TheSteveKinney]

10000% agreed

[@jonfisher3288]

I agree as well, technology has come along way, but it will never replace the old school sound, A.K.A. " back in the good old days "

[@FromTheHipp]

as someone that could never afford hardware and was always working with plugins before, now running my telefunken tf51 into an avalon 737 and into a distressor is only matched by other, better, forms of hardware(i.e. a better mic choice into a better compressor). the plugins sound great, yes. but they simply dont sound like hardware and every little bit helps on the way in. an at-home artist/producer limited by only a Twin and plugins will sound exactly like that limitation when compared against somebody that went into a studio and recorded on the top gear in the world. everybody owes it to themselves to save for the real pieces of gear that they want.

[@TheSteveKinney]

I definitely don’t disagree. I actually fully agree. It IS better. The question really is: Is hardware going to be the difference between an amazing mix and track? Answer. Nope. It’s all in the song. A better song with only ITB tools is gonna be better than a shitty song with all the gear at blackbird. But just simply apples to apples, my ears prefer the hardware. Thanks for sharing! Cheers mate!

[@FromTheHipp]

@@TheSteveKinney yeah i mean a shit artist is a shit artist at the end of the day. i agree. but all things being equal. a great artist def benefits from upgrading.

[@RoccoDelChocko-rn9fi]

To be honest I belong more to UAD plugin too. I think both have their right to be there. But isn't it great that nowadays under these circumstances you can use the quality that 20 years ago felt only a few could afford. Great video, also big probs how you explain everything. Keep it up Buddy greetings from Berlin

[@TheSteveKinney]

Yeah! They do a phenomenal job. Kit plugins model of the neve stuff is the best neve sound out there imho. UAD has the best API and ssl.

[@matthewmcclure3181]

Five months late to the party, but I really enjoyed this fun and interesting exercise. Thought I'd add one more data point. For reference I'm just your basic bedroom producer with 5 years of experience, and yes my room is treated. I incorporate a limited amount of analog hardware while tracking and mixing -> Grace and AEA preamps, a few 500 Series Comps and EQs, Multivox MX-201 (tape echo), and real guitar amps/pedals. At this stage I'd say plugins are more responsible for my results than my hardware (because incorporating outboard gear without a proper/spacious recording room is a pain in the ass). I think 2 primary elements led to my preferences: (1) perception of weight and (2) balanced/natural sounding frequency response (I recognize a lot this boils down to EQ choices in the mix, but having a good starting point helps). Blind test results: agreed with consensus (50%) and preferred hardware (33%)/software (67%). Conclusion -> a few years ago I might have taken this as an indictment of my "producer ears", but not anymore... I'll sleep just fine tonight. Takeaways 1) An extremely strong validation for how far plugin emulations have advanced. Especially for saturation and modeling frequency curves (Preamps/EQs). I'm a bit conflicted on Compressors though (not sure what I think). 2) I believe my ears have become conditioned to a "new normal". As someone who thinks music died in 1994, literally everything I benchmark as "good" was recorded entirely with analog gear. However, once I started producing I spent a lot more time hearing my recordings than listening for pleasure. Perhaps what constitutes "good" is what I've become accustomed to hearing more frequently -> which is increasingly the tonal signature of plugins. No wonder I'm starting to prefer my mixes to the iconic reference tracks I use (losing grip on reality?). 3) Again, a bit conflicted on Compressors but it might be related to my application. I track through an analog compressor but my intent is leveling the performance and making gain staging easier. In general, I'm a conscientious objector to the loudness wars and prefer dynamics in my mixes. In the rare instances I want to crush a track I'm content using plugins. Perhaps my biggest deviation is my preferred tool for designing/controlling transients -> it's Melodyne Studio. Yes, the software most people mistakenly pigeon hole as simply a tool for "vocal tuning" and too expensive (I probably use it more on instruments than vocals, and worth every penny).

[@TheSteveKinney]

Fantastic comment mate. I agree to a large degree. Personally, I find hardware compressors are a lot more musical and the “sound” that we’re really all searching for. But yeah- the recall ability of software, ease of access and use.. starting to really outweigh hardware. That said, still a ton of reasons to work with hardware, it’s faster, sound in many cases is still overall better, and licensing… holy cow that’s the big one. With software, you’re a slave to your systems OS.. at some point they force developers to stop supporting older OS’s, so you only own your plugin until your system allows … But ya, it’s so close and convenient. Some hardware is better than plugins, some plugins are better than hardware. It’s a mixed bag… But one thing is for certain… melodyne is the GOAT. Melodyne studio does things that I didn’t think was possible. Incredible stuff!

[@musiccreation1198]

Great video Steve, thank you. My two cents ... the top tier mixers that are mixing in the box are working with audio files tracked through expensive hardware. In my experience, that makes a big difference. Also, I've found EQ plugins to be sonically very competitive with hardware. Compressors, I really prefer hardware but I can't afford the hardware I would need. I only use my hardware compressors for tracking. Mic Pres vs plugins for tracking, hardware wins as well. I love plugins!

[@TheSteveKinney]

I agree completely!!

[@bobbyarthur8809]

Ahh same point .. agree !

[@musiccreation1198]

Thanks for replying guys. Good to know others see it similarly to me

[@jonfisher3288]

I agree as well !

[@billesposito2112]

A sounds bigger and warmer to me. Overall the sound is easier on the ears. A sounds like its a bit more even. I dont know if its my car speakers. But its definitely a better sound on what im listening to it on.

[@TheSteveKinney]

There are some A’s that were analogue. Some b’s too. Guess the biggest point of the video is that it’s all just about how it sounds. If it sounds good - use that. 😎👍🏻 Thanks for stopping by! Cheers.

[@srwaite7]

Thanks, Steve! Check out the new SSL UF1. I think you’ll dig it along with your UF8 🖖🏻

[@TheSteveKinney]

Yeah man! I saw it when it was announced. Absolutely desperately want it 😭 But my wife would kill me if I bought another piece of kit this year ha ha

[@TrevorHelt]

Great Video!!

[@TheSteveKinney]

Cheers mate! Thanks. So what was your pick? Hardware or plugins?

[@jonfisher3288]

Great video Steve, thank you for sharing.There is 1 other element the test did not consider, the quality of the playback gear.I must admit my 2023 Mac Book Pro M2 has an incredible sound, but of course it does not compare to my 6 driver in ears or my studio monitors speakers. That being said, play back through the 3 different monitors ended in very similar results as you test which concludes exactly your opinion.We will will always adore and admire that wonderful hardware sound just like putting a needle on a vinyl record verses a CD (now Mp3),however, at the end of a long day in the studio our inspiration comes from what we hear, and that is what we desire to share.So for those seeking an answer to, which is better Analog or Plugin and whats the best plugin.... my opinion would be whichever inspires the individual and use what you can afford to get the job done !

[@jonfisher3288]

not sue why there is a link in "share.So" but I did not nor did I intend to place it there.

[@TheSteveKinney]

I agree fully with this comment! Thanks for sharing cheers!

[@billesposito2112]

Now I'm not worried about not having hardware.

[@TheSteveKinney]

100% It’s such a small difference. Yes. In many blind tests - it’s better somehow. But not all blind tests. And it’s super dependent on which hardware you’re shooting out against. But if I had to break it down. Truly the pros are 1. Feel of knobs vs clicking 2. Speed of setting parameters 3. Feeling more inspired 4. Slightest sound quality edge But is that worth 5 figures more once you get all the pieces? Haha maybe. Maybe not! It’s the SONG! Always the song. Cheers!

[@srwaite7]

And seemingly getting smaller with each passing year. Lots of pros mixing in the box these days with great results 👍🏻

[@legacyShredder1]

Don't worry about not having hardware. I own loads and loads of hardware, but it would make zero sense for most people. The hardware itself doesn't make my tracks sound good, in fact in a lot of cases it could make it sound arguably worse. I use hardware 100% for logistic reasons, not tonal reasons.

[@bobbyarthur8809]

But you need to consider mixing in the box negates the fact much out board gear was used during the tracking to capture the source to begin with … still uad s unison pre amps really do Help widen the pallete if your high end hardware rack is limited …

[@TheSteveKinney]

Touché good sir

[@meistudiony]

What sounds more analog as we listen on a digital medium... So, people that are not used to using hardware, very often, don't realize that most hardware wants to deal with VU levels, not FS. Hence the headroom "knob" on the UAD plugs (im actually glad they did this). Not having this makes comparisons rather difficult since 5 on the plugin might be like 2 on the hardware (or vice versa) I can get my Kush Clariphonic to almost null with the hardware but the settings are not even close from HW to SW. Having the HR control allows one to not have to change up their mix style if they're in a pretty thick hybrid environment... wish more plugin companies would do that! But...plugins are far from evil. Some go further than what hardware can do. (namely eq's, anything mulitband, and anything that can perform a look-ahead, like some limiters.) You simply can't do that effectively with hardware without some crafty routing and it allows you to take the processor another step forward and get to the destination with ease. A direct comparison of say LA2a to the UAD LA2a is way harder to discern. I've run this test with dozens of professional engineers. NOT ONE person (including multiple grammy winning engineers) have ever been able to get them all right. (speaking of bummed out... was so disappointed the first time i compared my LA2A hardware to the UAD.) Same thing happened with my 1176A to the UAD 1176A and my HW 76A is a clone... End of the day, i'll use plugins over hardware just for the recallability alone. When a label demands revisions that would require me to have to setup hardware for hours... ill pass and use the plugins 10/10. Enjoyed the video and the data was great to see. Next time, throw 2 plugins next to each other as a control and see what the results are. (I did this with 2 different versions of some compressor, like a UAD and WAVES or something, might have been the dbx 160?). Always fun to see the reaction and outrage. lol

[@TheSteveKinney]

😅 love this comment! Yeah - it’s funny. At the end of the day - it’s just all about what makes you feel good while working. It all does the job and all sounds good. One might sound a bit better on a particular track or setting .. and then the next minute sound crap on something a little different. I love the feeling I get working with hardware. Just fun to twist stuff. But the recall ability is a massive killer. So I use a ton of plugins LOL of course. I feel like this argument is on its last leg. Plugins are getting that good. When I’m 60 - the kids will be laughing at my walls of rack gear like it’s one of those old mechanical lawn mowers ha Cheers!

[@Rhuggins]

if it makes you feel better, my notres for the vocal said "a is dull and lifeless and b comes out of the speakers.." i thought the TLA made a HUGE difference

[@TheSteveKinney]

Haha thanks mate! It does ha 😅

[@neoconnor4395]

lol Plug-ins aren't evil at all.

[@TheSteveKinney]

🤦🏻‍♂️ LOL figure of speech my man. Cheers!

[@osomdovictor7917]

For me Hardware wins 9/10 times basicly

[@TheSteveKinney]

100% For me too.. although once you factor the convenience of plugins .. I mean. Pretty sweet ...

[@John-lv6uj]

Guitars, Strings, Some Drums. Sampled Sounds are better than SOFTWARE VST 2/VST 3 and are easy to make with Software. You're Not going to SOUND AS GOOD AS A Yamaha Montage, Roland Fantom, Korg Kronos 2, Prophet 6, and HARDWEAR IS JUST BETTER. Software is for the PEOPLE THAT CANT AFFORD THE REAL THING. SOFTWARE IS IMITATION 100%

[@TheSteveKinney]

I’d agree to a large degree... However - roland fantom, Yamaha, korg... they are all running their own OS.. in other words, they are also just software... with transistors and analogue hardware as part of the signal path - which makes a difference. I’ve got a REALLY interesting video coming out directly comparing a vintage hardware unit vs a plugin. My mind was blown.