Tommy Byrnes

Also a very good idea, although it's still an inconvenience to freeze and unfreeze tracks. Still, I'll do this often with CPU-heavy plugins like CLA Mixhub, which sounds great but is another cycle-gobbler, and the Lindell 80 Series with 8 times oversampling. The 80 Series is really good. Also, the UAD SSL400, Helios and other Unison plugins end up getting bounced because they gobble SHARCs.

Yep, using an Apollo interface, which lets me print the UAD effects during recording.

I do that as well with several different ones. Along with the IK Tape Machines I use the Waves J37 and Kramer Tape (both are also wonderful as a tape delay), Softube Tape, UAD Ampex ATR-102 and a couple of others. They all have different flavors though the UAD feels the most like real tape. The idea of recreating an analog recording chain in the box is to use a tape sim on each track or bus/aux track/sub-group along with console/preamp/hardware emulations. The results can be striking if the tracks are gain-staged properly with the right input-output levels going into each plugin and then hitting the tape as one would with a real deck. I've been mixing a reggae/roots rock record that the band tracked in my studio. We did most of the tracking live through UAD Apollo console emulations (mostly the Helios 69 and the SSL. The Helios is a gem) and recorded through the plugins into CbB. We're recreating the chain during mixdown with a tape sim at the end of the chain, like going from a desk to the tape machine. It sounds wicked good. That said, it is also easy to ruin a mix pretty quick if not used judiciously.

I've used the Tape Echo for years and it's probably the first delay I reach for. It is easy on the CPU for sure and is so creamy and yummy. I put a UAD Ampex ATR-102 on the 2-Bus on every mix, which really sounds great and feels like pushing signal into tape. I have a bunch of other tape emulations for tracks or busses but I would love to be able to use the IK Tape Machines in a more universal way and on more tracks because they do sound wicked good. It would be great if IK addresses the CPU usage and brings them in line with other tape emulations, like Softube Tape and others.

The Tape Machines are not very useful as they crush CPU cycles into dust. If they were efficient they would get used all the time but they're too hungry for regular use. Having a Studer multi-track that can't be inserted on more than one or two tracks before dropout is silly. They do sound really good, though. I grabbed them all during the group buy last year and really want to use them more but the furnace can't burn enough coal for them to run.

I usually take a VU meter and start at the top of the FX bin to set the input signal. Then, after each plugin is added to the bin I just move the VU down below it and set the output of that plugin to match the input signal. It means the level going into the next plugin is at the proper level and the output of the plugin feeds the next at the same level. It takes almost no time to do this. As an aside, the gain knob at the top of each track and bus is one of the great features in CbB. I use it to make sure the input level is correct right at the start before anything is added. Gain staging is a fairly easy process and makes a big difference in how plugins operate, especially emulations that have a digital "sweet spot" that corresponds with the hardware.

I got this some two years ago from a Musician's Friend "oops" SDOTT posting for $25. I'm mixing a hip hop track that has an E-Bow in it (of all things) that's used like a pad. Portal made it so groovy none of us could help but just laugh. It's fun and cool and finds it's place here and there. It wouldn't have for $104.

I went ahead and WUP-ed it up. I've never WUP-ed before. When I checked my Waves products there were a fair bit that were v9 and over 8 years old. I checked the release notes back a ways and there were enough updates over the years to make it seem a worthwhile investment. Plus, with all of the plugins updated to v12 they will all work in Studio Rack, which is a pretty cool and useful tool. Personally, I keep all of my licenses that don't require an iLok on a USB flash drive, including Waves. I have all the same plugins installed in my remote laptop rig and I just plug in the USB drive and/or the iLok and everything works fine. So, it cost $185 and change to update 76 plugins to v12 so I feel it was worth it. Plus, only one waveshell

If you're on the UAD platform I highly recommend their ELI Fatso collection. It has the Jr version, which is like the hardware, and the Sr version, which "offers a “Tranny” saturation control, Sidechain Filtering and deeper compression parameters including Threshold, Attack and Release. These special FATSO Sr. mods are only available with the UAD Powered Plug-In version." I use it all the time. It's a great saturator, just don't engage the compressor. The comp is wicked versatile, it can be subtle on the "Bus" setting or it will smack the crap out of something on the more aggressive settings. I got it during last year's holiday sale and it finds its way into every project. If you get it during a sale, it's around $150, comparable to the Softube, but no CPU hit. It's very easy on the SHARKs as well.

My son and I did a mix today of a hip hop tune he's working on and we put the Channel Strip and the Saturator on every track. Only a couple of loops and Superior Drummer, otherwise, mostly live instruments and vocals. It sounds really, really good. We had a mix strategy already for the tune and we threw it out.

Just to add, I have the SSL Saturator (another dastardly Larry temptation!) from another stupid deal a while back, and if you put that before the Channel Strip you can get the total sound. I tried it on a drum mix and it sounds really good.

They are hungry little buggers. With the Apollo and the Satellite I can run 10 on inputs during tracking, which lets me print the input and not worry about it during mix. I will often drop the Legacy SSL on those tracks during mix. The Legacy plugs have a very light hit on the SHARKs so I can drop a bunch and save the computer CPU.

Hitting the Jensen Transformer and driving it is cream in my coffee!!

I have used the UAD SSL for a couple of years and it's really amazing, especially as a Unison pre on recording inputs. I also have all the usual suspects and I find they all sound and behave differently. For instance, I always use the Waves SSL on a hi-hat track. Don't know why but it does nice things others don't. The PA versions are "heavy" sounding, thick and dense and really shine when they're driven, probably because of the TMT thing. I don't use the IK ones much at all, at least not to try to set up an SSL-sounding mix in the box. I have used them as their own sounding channel strip and as with all IK stuff, they sound groovy. I have a ton of SSL bus comps as well, but the UAD version is always on my 2-bus. It feels like the hardware on a mix. I grabbed this bundle because the discount is ridiculous. I would never pay the actual price but I thought this was a good deal. And, I really like these, especially the Channel Strip. I haven't spent too much time with it but so far I like it a lot. It is very open and transparent and the EQ is especially clear in the mid-highs and highs. It's not quite as beefy down low to me as some others but the filters are smooth. The comp is "grabby" in a nice way and seems just the right aggressiveness for most material. I dropped 30 across a test mix and it barely registered a hit to the CPU. The metering is really good as well. I think the reason some don't think these sound as good as some of the others is that you can't really drive the input to get some harmonics. You can't really "bend the board", so to speak, like the PA or the UAD. It seems to me it stays pretty clean until it hits red. Overall, I think it's a lovely channel strip and really does sound great. It feels like it's in a metal chassis, if that makes sense, very smooth operation. I'm glad I grabbed these, although I definitely didn't need another channel strip plugin. But, who can resist Larry's siren song?

I have to admit, the RS124 is a wicked nice compressor. It's been squatting on my bass AUX but it may start paying rent.