emusonacid! legacy

This is the question that always plagues me. I arrange on Logic with the E-MU and record onto a digital 8 track then edit and filter in Peak to end up with an AIFF file. That's how I work, I'm comfortable with it.

Right, so what would be a good investment to make *in regard to expanding/enhancing the sound more than one can achieve via filters on the E-Mu and the (limited) digital FX/compressors/eqing of the 8 track?*

Expander? Compressor?

I used to think that the big enhancements and tidy-ups could be done at the mastering stage but want to bring my sound up as much as I can before that.

Sorry if primitive but my funds are limited I guess. I'm also a hardware head... not a software/plug-ins fan.

: )

I'm afraid software is the way to go!

If ur logic version is relatively new, you could try using the multiband compressor and peak limiter.

However waves IDR and C4 compressor are the bizzness

if u have to go hardware look out for sumthing with multiband comp. and
peak limiter. research dbx, focusrite, drawmer etc but it aint cheap!

However waves IDR and C4 compressor are the bizzness

Have to agree with that completely

I also recommned PSP vintage warmer for compressing and adding a (stating the obvious) vintage and warm feel.

I've got a couple of external compressors but they're the cheap end, a FMR RNC and TC Triple C. RNC is good for overall mixes and doesn't colour the sound. Triple C is multiband, great for being brutal and perfect for gigging.

Software compressors are excellent value compared to their hardware counterparts.

The latest software compressors are pretty cool. Digitalfishphones, Sonalksis, they are pretty nice.

Unless you spend quite a bit of cash, you won't be getting anything better in hardware, except for a few bits of gear that have certain sounds - dbx 160x, for example, can sometimes be monstrous on snares or even certain subs. But it's pretty limited otherwise...

However, an outboard EQ can do wonders. I have a TL Ivory 2 EQ, and while it's certainly not a world-class EQ, I end up being a lot more creative with it than with software. So maybe look in that direction.

Thanks everyone. I need to start saving.

Hi, I've got a 6400 ultra, and an atari. No mixing desk!

Before you spend a grand & a half on a compressor, try this;

Get a crusty old hardcore break sample, and dont cut it.
make a copy, pitch convert -5 semitones (-500 cents)
paste-mix the two together, and make a preset that plays the sample through an EQ filter.

> Set the EQ filter the way you like it & resample.
Assign the new sample to the EQ preset & repeat < till your'e happy.

Now run the little bugger through the aphex aural exiter module; +7 tune seems more 'harmonic' than the default +9
(make sure dillinger doesn't hear this new break sample, or he'll pretend to be your friend to get a copy)

Now your ready to cut your break & impress your friends, & maybe run it through a ?1500 compressor!

You can get a lot of good pre-production done in the E-mu, & it takes a lot of time, but when it comes to mix down you wont be 'polishing turds' ...as they say.

FilthyMcNasty wrote:Hi, I've got a 6400 ultra, and an atari. No mixing desk!

Before you spend a grand & a half on a compressor, try this;

Get a crusty old hardcore break sample, and dont cut it.
make a copy, pitch convert -5 semitones (-500 cents)
paste-mix the two together, and make a preset that plays the sample through an EQ filter.

> Set the EQ filter the way you like it & resample.
Assign the new sample to the EQ preset & repeat < till your'e happy.

Now run the little bugger through the aphex aural exiter module; +7 tune seems more 'harmonic' than the default +9
(make sure dillinger doesn't hear this new break sample, or he'll pretend to be your friend to get a copy)

Now your ready to cut your break & impress your friends, & maybe run it through a ?1500 compressor!

You can get a lot of good pre-production done in the E-mu, & it takes a lot of time, but when it comes to mix down you wont be 'polishing turds' ...as they say.

Good stuff!! i have a mixing desk, but im stilll gunna try this out.

Im thinking of buying an akai s950 for its reknowned crunchy drums...

does anyone think if i just convert my samples to 12 bit and i can sound like the akai?

anyone ever get some dope crunchy drums with our emu ultra?

Yeah, bit conversion is good, & lends a good 'digital, bitty' effect; especially for techy bass sounds. I find it makes snares sound like you've synthed them from white noise though, but I always go too far! (2,3,4 bit etc.... must try 12!). Using the aphex aural exiter module multiple times adds a lot of high frequencies, and using 'tune' parameter settings like +5 & +7 makes the extra frequencies sound more harmonic.
Never tried it but 'tune'=+1, +9 might be odd harmonics, so should sound more like distortion or noise.

One thing I've found is that when I'm EQing a break I always listen to it in isolation & end up with too much low freq content. The break sounds good on it's own but tends not to 'sit right' in a 'mix' (no mixing desk).

I found a good way to thin the break out is to fire it through a wide open, 4pole low pass filter, with resonance set to 20-30. Because the filter is open it doesn't cut any high freqs. It's the way the resonance affects the filter response that's fat. There's a boost at the top end because of the resonant peak (making it nice and crisp), & attenuation in the bass & mid ranges (leaving room for relentless subs / dirty synth lines etc).

The 'fat' E-mu filters seem to give you a good EQ curve for a break to sit in a mix. Haven't tried 2-pole or 4-pole for this purpose yet, but I assume they are also fat.

............maybe if i resample, then bit convert.............

mwa ha ha..........

Love all this stuff.

re crunchy beats, I'm on a bit of a blatant as f*ck tip at the moment... basic BC-style snares, dull kicks. So I'm basically always on the look out for good source material and here's two faves:

- the 'shack' (ACR) beats
- dry country music kits... Lucinda Williams' band is good for this!

But I'm gonna play with these ideas tonight, thanks.

(ain't it a bummer-re this isolation thing-when it sounds hot on it's own only to be bumped off key by a sine or detuned tom??? I've lost hours trying to make them kiss & make up... )

This is by far the most interesting thread I've read in a while. Threads like these tend to light a little fire in my head and remind me that I do in fact have an imagination!

Yeah, i think the best philosophy is just to make a copy, and fuck it up. There's so much nasty shit you can do on an E-mu & it all sounds fat. If you go too far you can always re-load & start again.

[quote="Silverman2"]I'm afraid software is the way to go!

Quote FilthyMcNasty; "Software is shite"

I've seen all you cabbages with your trendy lap-tops thinking you've got Abbey Road sitting on your knee. My mate's got a powerbook & it's good, but it still sounds like Pete Waterman had the final mix on it.

Software is like the pretty blonde middle class girl; entirely predictable, and very ordinary. Where hardware is like the girl you meet in a squat party; you don't know what to expect but you know it's gonna be filthy.

he he

FilthyMcNasty wrote:

Silverman2 wrote:
Software is like the pretty blonde middle class girl; entirely predictable, and very ordinary.

to be honest .. aren?t that the girls you f****** shag ?

;-)

Nah, i like the filthy, nasty bitches, that let you stick fingers up their ass etc.

Go play with your software young man.