2 questions about the sound when making music on a PC

[PHassan]

Hi guys

Today, with good, cheap sound cards being available, together with transparent headphones and monitors, we can get a very dry, clinical sound which doesn't have any colouration. While it may be good when mixing, I think its quite unpleasant on the longer run when you are making music or doing sound design.

Are there any plugins, methods you would recommend to make the sound more natural ?
Like some EQ, limiter, filter on the master ? Are you using anything like it when you are making music or design sounds ?

My other thought is about virtual instruments. So many of them are made by big and small companies and just hobbyist developers who very often don't have much experience. While physical synths have some specific output frequency range, its possible to create virtual instruments with a very broad output frequency range. Is that one of the reasons that some synths sit well in the mix and others don't ?

What would be a way of dealing it ? (other than not using them at all

Thanks

[aciddose]

If you're using headphones, get a headphone amp with the usual features like a tone (low/high) adjustment and "headphones" filter which reduces the panning width.

If you have a good quality rack amp rather than powered monitors, the amp may include that stuff.

If you're stuck with the usb audio module feeding powered monitors... well sucks then.

You can attempt to apply the same effects with plugins or if you're very lucky they'll be included with the interface, but they're unlikely to be as quick and of the same quality as those you'd find commonplace in good amps.

[martygras]

If I understand the question right, many studios have more than one set of monitors. The main set being flat response for the bulk of the tracking and mixing duties. Then maybe an alternate pair or two for simulating consumer level monitoring (stereo speakers). Many of the big studios have a set of "bigs" for wowing clients.
You might benefit using a set of nice "non-flat" home stereo speakers for song development/jamming/scratchpad use.

Otherwise, the use of the term "natural sounding" in conjunction with the term "virtual instruments" can be confusing. Synth's aren't natural, but orchestral sample libraries can be. This is where the term sound design comes in. Most synth plugs usually require a fair bit of shaping to fit in a mix anyway.
Sorry if I didn't understand your question though.

[Quietinthedark]

I use a tape or desk sim on almost everything, in a very subtle way. Like get it to where I can hear the effect and back it off 50%.

For virtual instruments, I treat them like real instruments I used to own. I don't like the sound of an organ sim, for example, that isn't run thru an amp sim and at least a tiny bit of natural room reverb.

Similarly, IF i'm going for a natural sound, everything gets an ambient reverb treatment. Even stuff I wish didn't like kicks and basses. And even though I probably have the mix at around 10% where most people wont hear it.

The point is cumulatively, I end up happy. It certainly fools other musicians. I've been asked lots of times which 'studio' we recorded in. And people have flat not believed that stuff is mutlitracked.

[PHassan]

[quote=Otherwise, the use of the term "natural sounding" in conjunction with the term "virtual instruments" can be confusing. Synth's aren't natural, but orchestral sample libraries can be. This is where the term sound design comes in. Most synth plugs usually require a fair bit of shaping to fit in a mix anyway.
Sorry if I didn't understand your question though.[/quote]

Yes, the term 'natural sounding' maybe confusing here. For me, the real analog synth, maybe considered a natural sounding. Apart from the sound of raw oscillators and all the synthesis elements, you can hear all the imperfections and the output stage. While these imperfections maybe simulated in the synth or not, I think that the output part is very often omitted.
I maybe wrong but I can imagine that many VSTi synths (99.9% of synthedit synths?) just output the whole, untamed sound spectrum into the output, without any eq or other form of shaping, which, for example, may result in a lot of low frequency garbage. Maybe it is inaudible at first, but makes mixing such instrument difficult. Something which would be impossible in real world as the output frequency range of physical synths is limited by the output stage electronics.

[Quietinthedark]

Yes, the term 'natural sounding' maybe confusing here. For me, the real analog synth, maybe considered a natural sounding. Apart from the sound of raw oscillators and all the synthesis elements, you can hear all the imperfections and the output stage. While these imperfections maybe simulated in the synth or not, I think that the output part is very often omitted.
I maybe wrong but I can imagine that many VSTi synths (99.9% of synthedit synths?) just output the whole, untamed sound spectrum into the output, without any eq or other form of shaping, which, for example, may result in a lot of low frequency garbage. Maybe it is inaudible at first, but makes mixing such instrument difficult. Something which would be impossible in real world as the output frequency range of physical synths is limited by the output stage electronics.

Which is one of the reasons to run it through a guitar amp sim, it attenuates the extreme lows and highs that you dont really want anyway. And imho, in a more natural soundign way that a simple low and high pass setup.

[PHassan]

Any specific plugin you could recommend ?

[Regnas]

Any specific plugin you could recommend ?

Steinberg Magneto...

[Delfinoverde]

Any specific plugin you could recommend ?

- ToneBoosters TB Ferox
- Nomad Factory MAGNETIC I Or II

A very good natual & warm sounding Software Synthesizer:
- GForce Software ImpOSCar2
http://www.gforcesoftware.com/products/imposcar2

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[Quietinthedark]

The toneboosters are great ferox and reelbus

Also often use SDRR from Klanghelm

and for amps, so many nice choices

paid
Amplitude (paid but you can buy specific amps)
Kuassa
S-Gear

free
ignite amps
lepou

[Kaboom75]

Slate Digital have accurately simulated analogue 80s studio sound with these plugins.:-

Virtual Console Collection
Virtual Tape Machine
Virtual Bus Compressors

You need ilok 2 to use and demo them but they do give a free ilok 2 when buying their plugins.


A cheaper none ilok alternative is just buy u-he Satin or Wave Arts Tube Saturator.

[T-CM11]

Synth's aren't natural, but orchestral sample libraries can be.

Few instruments are natural. Ever seen trumpets or violins growing on trees?

[UltraJv]

If your music isnt up to scratch, it wont matter how analogue or warm it sounds. Concentrate on the quality of composition the rest is decoration.

[ew]

I maybe wrong but I can imagine that many VSTi synths (99.9% of synthedit synths?) just output the whole, untamed sound spectrum into the output, without any eq or other form of shaping, which, for example, may result in a lot of low frequency garbage. Maybe it is inaudible at first, but makes mixing such instrument difficult. Something which would be impossible in real world as the output frequency range of physical synths is limited by the output stage electronics.

You're wrong

Now that I've said it, let me tell you why you are:

To begin with, your soundcard has a brickwall filter at both the low and high end; you won't find many (if any) soundcards that put out frequencies below 20 Hz and above 22 KHz (input is a different kettle of fish; there you'll find an extended frequency range at the top end). The same holds true with hardware digital/VA synths; in fact, with your older digital synths, they've rolled off sharply at 15KHz or so on the high end. And, your *real* analog synths WILL put out frequencies both above and below the human hearing range of frequencies.

ew

[PHassan]

Hehe, I agree, i'm still noob but not SUCH noob. The cards physical output is limited, i'm talking about the synths output frequency inside the daw, still in virtual domain.