Analog warmth / vinyl sound

[BillW]

OK -so I guess I'm a sucker. I have a $22 voucher for upgrading my two Waves plugins (detailed in my "new computer" thread.

I've often been curious of the idea of running my music through one of the plugins that purport to make it sound more like vinyl records or in some sense analog tape players.

So I looked at such plugins on Waves and I'm confused.

For example - Abbey Road Vinyl.

Not sure how to ask this - but what does this do? Not how etc but is this an effects or mastering plugin that results in a WAV or FLAC file that sounds like a record playing?

Or is it actually a player itself?

Do I take a WAV or FLAC file and add this plugin in Mixcraft as if I'm mastering my final mix? And the result when I mix down is is a different sounding WAV or FLAC file? Or do I take my WAV or FLAC file, and play it through this?

Same question for the Abbey Road J37 or Kramer Master Tape - but looking at the videos it's obvious they are plugins that modify the sound (either individual tracks or the master). So I assume the Abbey Road Vinyl is too.

(Side note - these are all half off now and I can't add the voucher to that. Also, the voucher is not applied at most some percent of the total, so unless the product is real expensive, I don't get the full $22 anyway. Still, I'm curious about these plugins.)

[BillW]

Well, this is odd. I did a search on such things as vinyl and warmth etc I got several hits.

Many of which were responses to ME! I asked a similar question July 2017. two and a half years ago. And mentioned how my son's records sounded. Which I would have sworn was a comment I made less than a year ago. Wow!

https://forums.acoustica.com/viewtopic. ... yl#p108852

Anyway, the consensus then was Abbey Road Vinyl was simple a way of getting lo-fi sounds. That the warmth factor was better achieved from tape emulators like J37.

And there was even a detailed set of instructions for getting close to that with stock plugins. (then looping in a "hiss" track on low volume!)

Anyway, i think I'll save my money - the voucher is just a gimmick to get me to spend more money anyway.

[Anorax]

The Abbey Road Vinyl plugin would be a pricey way to get a generic lo-fi sound, yes, but it's a plugin designed to emulate the vinyl cutting/pressing equipment from Abbey Road studios. Basically, if you want your recording to sound like it was mixed to vinyl using the equipment at Abbey Road studios (and only specifically using the Abbey Road studios vinyl press deck), then this would be a useful plugin for that.


In short, it's a sound shaping tool that you can use, probably best to use during the final mixing stage. If you really wanna use it, it's up to you, but again only if you want to emulate a certain piece of equipment.

[BillW]

As on the other thread, thanks Anorax!

I decided to just use the FAT+ plugin to get a bit of "warmth" to the final mixes. Did that just now to a rock song I did and I can in fact tell a subtle difference in parts - nothing so much that I'd say "WOW! THAT'S what I missing!!"

But it's kind of nice. Not quite so digitally distinct sounding