KVR Audio

Bansaw · Post by **Bansaw** » Sat Nov 11, 2017 1:21 pm

Is there a plugin or technique that can take, for example, a modern-sounding synth sound and make it sound more analog & retro ?
I am guessing you have to take some brightness and sharpness out of the sound and inject some warmth somehow ?

dark water · Post by **dark water** » Sat Nov 11, 2017 1:43 pm

Bansaw wrote:...
I am guessing you have to take some brightness and sharpness out of the sound and inject some warmth somehow ?

You can do (most of) that easily with EQ alone.

Is there any specific aspect of 'analog' and 'retro' beyond simple EQing for high cut and warm smile that you want?
Those two broad terms contain a diverse and often-contradictory set of meanings for people.

sbj · Post by **sbj** » Sat Nov 11, 2017 1:54 pm

If you have $49 to spend I can recommend this plugin:http://www.psychicmodulation.com/echomelt.html

Acid Mitch · Post by **Acid Mitch** » Sat Nov 11, 2017 2:23 pm

why not start with a retro sounding synth instead of something modern sounding ?

tedannemann · Post by **tedannemann** » Sat Nov 11, 2017 2:36 pm

I usually try to use some sort of typical signal path for the sound era I like to achieve (e.g. 70s sound). Preamp -> Retro Comp -> Tape Machine -> Console Emulation -> Retro EQ -> Retro FX (Phaser, Flanger, ...) or something like that.
A lot of people are fighting over VST synths comparing them to old records but totally miss the signal path the synths on these records went through (incl. vinyl re-mastering, tape restauration -> CD -> MP3 -> your ears).
Anyway, since I've tried RetroColor-20 I mostly skip my go-to channel strip presets and just end up using RC-20. The magnitude slider is so amazing (some sort of dry/wet without phasing issues, cause it's only sort of a fx master macro intensity slider).
Even some simple sterile synth sounds get some organic motion and character through this well constructed tool:
https://www.xlnaudio.com/products/effec ... etro_color

Also see here: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=474408

whyterabbyt · Post by **whyterabbyt** » Sat Nov 11, 2017 8:15 pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijNKAdBh9TI

garryknight · Post by **garryknight** » Sat Nov 11, 2017 9:21 pm

Depends to some degree on what the synth has on board. Add some tube distortion or something similar. Add an LFO with small variations that moves the pitch up and down by a few cents, but don't sync it to the DAW.

You'll find these and other suggestions on YouTube.

How to make a synth sound more Analog and Retro ?