Why to have a preamp plugin?

[roman.i]

What is the point of this?

[jamcat]

To sound like you recorded through a particular preamp, of course.

Let’s say you’re using a vintage synth plugin, or a DI guitar signal into an ampsim, or a physically modeled drum kit, piano, or orchestral instrument. They all would have been recorded through mics plugged into a preamp. But they weren’t. With a preamp plugin, they can sound as though they were.

Preamp plugins across every channel will add depth and excitement to your mix. They add dynamic harmonic distortion. The better ones also add gain, which you can use to drive the signal to a tape plugin, which also should respond dynamically, if it’s any good.

[Jafo]

Color.

[roman.i]

To sound like you recorded through a particular preamp, of course.

Let’s say you’re using a vintage synth plugin, or a DI guitar signal into an ampsim, or a physically modeled drum kit, piano, or orchestral instrument. They all would have been recorded through mics plugged into a preamp. But they weren’t. With a preamp plugin, they can sound as though they were.

Preamp plugins across every channel will add depth and excitement to your mix. They add dynamic harmonic distortion. The better ones also add gain, which you can use to drive the signal to a tape plugin, which also should respond dynamically, if it’s any good.

dynamic harmonic distortion, means when they are pushed harder, harder they distort?

[jamcat]

To sound like you recorded through a particular preamp, of course.

Let’s say you’re using a vintage synth plugin, or a DI guitar signal into an ampsim, or a physically modeled drum kit, piano, or orchestral instrument. They all would have been recorded through mics plugged into a preamp. But they weren’t. With a preamp plugin, they can sound as though they were.

Preamp plugins across every channel will add depth and excitement to your mix. They add dynamic harmonic distortion. The better ones also add gain, which you can use to drive the signal to a tape plugin, which also should respond dynamically, if it’s any good.

dynamic harmonic distortion, means when they are pushed harder, harder they distort?

Yes, exactly. For example, a vocal may have only subtle harmonic distortion from the preamp in normal range, until the vocalist screams and the vocal audibly distorts. That's the sound of rock n' roll.

[kritikon]

Color.

This.

Entirely up to your own taste and discretion. They are not needed at all, but add colour if that's what you want. For example making all your recordings degraded like they've been recorded through amps, tapes and all other kind of grunge and distortion may not be to your taste. Those who like an analogue recording sound will use those but that is not the be all and end all. For example I do not want any of my recordings to sound like they were done on tape, which is an inferior medium to digital unless you use high end gear. Saturation is distortion and I don't know why so many are obsessed with distorting their sound. Preamps are the same - useful if you like their flavour, not if you don't. TBH most of those type of plugins don't make much of a difference unless you drive them hard and I suspect you wouldn't hear the difference. When you overdrive them it is noticeable but might actually ruin your sound if you don't like grunge.

[jamcat]

They make a cumulative difference which adds up to more space and depth in the mix that collapses when you bypass them all.

If you're wondering why your music sounds small and flat and cramped compared to your favourite songs, it's because you're ITB and they're not. Preamp and analogue summing plugins across your mix will get you much closer.

[kritikon]

The usual nonsense...preamps everywhere and analogue summing will get you to sound like an analogue recording if that is the flavour you want. No, all pro recordings/mixes/masters are absolutely not all done in the analogue domain. To sound like an analogue recording is not the end point for an awful lot of people and is in no way any kind of standard. For you, fine. But only for you. TBH if you want to sound analogue, I don't know why you don't just go analogue and save all the dicking around with sw.

"More space and depth". Oh please...by compressing/limiting everything? You know full well what distortion is so stop misleading newbs who are asking serious questions by saying that controlling dynamics gives you more depth. It does exactly the opposite. Louder and distorted is what you mean (which is fine as an artistic decision if that is what you want, but not "THE" way of doing it).

[jamcat]

If that’s what you’re getting then you’re using the wrong plugins, or you’re using the right ones the wrong way. If you can hear the preamp plugin distorting or compressing an isolated track, you’re using way too much. You should only hear it as a cumulative effect across the mix if you do it right.

The distortion you get from a preamp plugin is added harmonics. The higher the signal, the more harmonics come out. This dynamic interaction absolutely creates more depth and separation between tracks. You’ve obviously never actually tried doing what I’m talking about, or you’d know.

[ramseysounds]

Grabs more popcorn…

[kritikon]

Yeah, right. Same old "analogue" magic voodoo. Say it enough times you get to believe it. And I say this as someone who has a shitload of analogue goodies in my studio but I don't believe voodoo. Distortion is good, yeah right of course can be, until you don't want distortion and you just don't seem to understand that not everyone wants or needs distortion. It is not the only right way of doing it - you sound like some fanatic evangelist. This line of crap gets more than a little tedious. May as well believe wooden knobs make things sound better. And there's the thing - if you believe wooden knobs make it better, they will. You can have the last word, I'm out. Bored of throwing popcorn around with this tired old nonsense. I'll hand the baton over to Ramsey...

[vurt]

if only there was some way, that people could demonstrate these things...

[ramseysounds]

if only there was some way, that people could demonstrate these things...

like a blind test….

[ramseysounds]

I'll hand the baton over to Ramsey...

Instantly drops baton; can’t be assed either…

[vurt]

if only there was some way, that people could demonstrate these things...

like a blind test….

not even that, just if you say "i have this cool technique" why not provide an audio file so we can hear it, and decide if it's something we want to add to our own productions.

it just seems like an obvious step to me